I flew for 10 hours yesterday, 1.5 in an exit row, and 8.5 packed luck a schmuck in a 777-200.
I'm 6'7".
The head rest is never high enough for me to actually sleep on a plane unless I have a window seat.
My knees are in the seat in front of me before any reclining takes place. When reclining does take place, it causes a great deal of pain, and an immediate panicked shoulder tap while I plead with the person in front of me to put it back upright. No one has ever refused.
I have been on a couple planes where the seat in front of me could recline without causing immense pain, and in that case I don't say anything usually.
The in-flight entertainment screen already doesn't tilt to a viewable angle for me, if the seat is reclined I can't watch a movie.
My meal tray often will rest on my knees at an angle that makes eating an adventure, if the seat is reclined it's very difficult to get at my food.
Out of principle I never recline (It's hard to ask someone not to recline when you yourself are lying back).
I know I'm on a the tall side of things, but there is probably someone at least near my flight on every large flight. If your seats can't accommodate one or two passengers in your current configuration, you have a problem. I'm fine with them removing the ability to recline.
If airlines want to change seating dimensions/pitches that's fine, they should just have a policy to put people that don't fit in those seats in an exit row or a bulkhead.
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