Delta CEO Says We Should Learn To Enjoy Fighting Each Other Over An Extra Inch Of Leg Room

31 inches. That's how much leg room you get on a Delta flight. That's the lowest amount of leg room compared to any of the other standard American Airlines not named Spirit or Frontier.  

We've all been on flights where the person in front of us reclines, and we're forced to make a decision. Recline our own seat for breathing room (and create a domino effect) or deal with it.  In truth, how I feel about the topic depends on the day. Do I need to recline? Do I have extra items I'm trying to squeeze underneath my seat because the bulkhead was full before I sat down? The last thing you want to do is check a bag when you're already at your seat and there's a line of people behind you that you need to maneuver around to check said bag. So I get it. Overall, I do think its a bit rude to aggressively recline with reckless abandon. But I'm not a monster. I understand there are reasons to recline. Back injuries, height, leg length, etc...

But when I saw that the CEO of Delta, the shittiest legroom airline (that can still be considered an airline) said that we all should ask permission to recline, I was floored. 

it's an etiquette issue … if a passenger knows a tall person is sitting behind them, they should ask permission before they recline

So what happens if a passenger asks, and the person behind them says no? They thought they were being nice to ask out of politeness and formality, and now, if they recline anyway, there may just be a full on brawl at 30,000 feet. This CEO has to know that right? For sure he does. It seems like a devious ploy to pit normal people against one another, while distracting us all from who is responsible for this atrocity to begin with. You Delta CEO… You sir are the villain. 

I very much doubt he's ever flown with 31 inches of leg room. Worst case, he sits business and texts his friends the entire time to bitch about it on his free wifi. 

Here's a thought… Instead of designing your aircraft where one person's comfort creates further discomfort for another passenger, how about you make it so that everyone can recline in harmony? Provide enough space between rows that passengers aren't required to negotiate with each other before using the seats as intended. 

Or if you're not going to do that… maybe just sit this topic out and say nothing at all. Shhhh. Because chirping about this only illuminates how out of touch you are and underlines that Delta crams us into their metal boxes tighter than sardines.