Jet diverted in row over laid back flyer’s reclining seat

Airline passengers have come to expect a tiny escape from the confined space of today’s packed planes: the ability to recline their seat a few inches.

So when one passenger was denied that bit of personal space on Sunday, it led to a heated argument and the unscheduled landing of their plane, just half way to its destination.

The fight started on a United Airlines flight because one passenger was using the Knee Defender, a $21.95 (€16.64) gadget that attaches to a passenger’s tray table and prevents the person in front of them from reclining.

United Airlines said it prohibits use of the device, like all major US airlines.

The dispute on United Flight 1462 from Newark, New Jersey to Denver, Colorado escalated to the point where the airline decided to divert to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, according to Transportation Security Administration spokesman Ross Feinstein.

The Federal Aviation Administration can impose a civil fine of up to $25,000 for passengers who are unruly. In this case, no arrest was made.

The fight started when the male passenger, seated in a middle seat used the device to stop the woman in front of him from reclining while he was on his laptop, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity

A flight attendant asked him to remove the device and he refused. The woman then stood up and threw a cup of water at him, the official says. That’s when United decided to land in Chicago. The two passengers were not allowed to continue to Denver.