Delta passenger sparks debate after his laptop screen is destroyed by guy in front reclining his seat

To recline or not to recline? Ever since the invention of passenger planes, that has been the question...

But for one Delta passenger, his costly flight is certainly a strong argument for banning reclining chairs on planes altogether.

Pat Cassidy - a 37-year-old film producer and podcast host - experienced a laptop tragedy mid-flight on a Delta Airlines plane. The culprit? The reclining seat of the passenger in front of him.

Cassidy took to Twitter to vent his frustration and question the lack of warnings for such incidents, posting a photo of his shattered Mac laptop screen. He wrote: "Small note for the suggestion box, maybe have a little warning sign or someway to prevent my laptop from being destroyed when the person in front of me reclines their seat."

To add insult to injury, Cassidy tweeted Delta Airlines again, critiquing the flight attendant's response to the ordeal: "I really appreciate that your flight attendant came over to tell me that the passenger in front of me 'needs to be able to recline' and then asked him 'if he was okay?' as if your seat hadn't just ruined my livelihood."

Talk about adding insult to injury...

After a series of complaints, Cassidy updated his nearly 13,000 Twitter followers that not much had been resolved, including the absence of a replacement laptop or seat-back warnings.

So, what's the bigger picture here? Well, this incident - and countless others - raises valid questions about the necessity and etiquette surrounding reclining airplane seats.

In response to Cassidy's tweets, one X user wrote: "The whole seating system in airlines needs to be disrupted. Rethought. Better. Its bulls***." A second person replied: "This is my biggest travel pet peeve. I think it's rude to recline your seat."

Back in 2020, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian revealed in an interview with CNBC on Friday what he thinks a passenger should do when it comes to the etiquette of reclining a plane seat.

Responding to a viral video of a man punching a woman's seat after she chose to recline, the 66-year-old CEO said: "I think customers have a right to recline. [...] But I think that the proper thing to do is if you're going to recline into somebody that you ask if it's OK first and then you do it."

Bastian - the CEO of the second-largest airline in the world - also stated that he never reclines himself, as he doesn't believe it is something the CEO of the airline should be doing. He also added: "And I never say anything if someone reclines into me." According to CNN, the trend of reclining seats is actually on the decline. This is mainly due to the additional costs and weight that reclining features add to an aircraft.

Well-known German seat maker Recaro has been increasingly popular for its pre-reclined seats, especially for short-haul flights. Mark Hiller, Recaro's CEO, highlighted the benefits, stating: "The main advantage is increased living space, as a passenger's living space is not intruded by recline." He also emphasized lower costs, simplified maintenance, and enhanced reliability owing to fewer moveable parts.

It's not just a question of comfort or inconvenience; it's a matter of economics too. Airline companies are ditching reclining seats to save costs and weight. CNN reports that a regular airplane seat weighs roughly between 15 and 22 pounds. Any weight reduction can significantly affect fuel consumption. Recaro's Hiller highlighted that pre-reclined seats offer "low weight and cost, with no mechanism, kinematics and so on required."

So, should reclining seats be a thing of the past? While Cassidy's broken laptop screen has ignited debate, the decision could be up to passengers like you. As more airlines opt for non-reclining models, is it time to retire this guaranteed argument starter?

Featured image credit: Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty