Delta Air Lines is reducing how far back the seats can recline in some of its jets as the company tests ways to best preserve the “personal space” of its passengers.
The airline said the coach seats in its Airbus A320 planes will be able to recline by 2 inches — down from the current 4 inches. The recline of first-class seats also will be downsized, from 5.4 inches to 3.5.
Work to modify the seats began over the weekend and should take about two months before all the planes have been retrofitted. The changes will not affect legroom between the rows.
“As part of Delta’s continued efforts to make the in-flight experience more enjoyable, Delta is testing a small change to its A320 aircraft — adjusting the recline throughout to make multitasking easier,” the company said in a statement.
“Delta has no plans to add seats or reduce space between rows with this test — it’s all about protecting customers’ personal space and minimizing disruptions to multitasking in-flight.”
Delta typically uses its A320 planes to fly one- to two-hour routes frequently filled by business travelers who usually use tray tables to rest their laptops. Other passengers like to catch up on their television programs through their seatback screens. Both activities can be difficult when the seat in front of them is reclined.
Delta said 62 aircrafts will be affected.
The changes were first reported on the Points Guy travel site.
