In two recent incidents, passengers who fought over legroom and involved flight attendants, caused the pilots to abort the flights. These relatively minor incidents created major delays for everyone else aboard.

Of course, every senior frequent flyer has been affected by this kind of space war, and no peace is in sight. Airlines are always finding more ways to squeeze passengers into ever-decreasing lower-class seat spaces. That means anyone taller than Tom Thumb or Tom Cruise will continue to have troubles with passengers directly in front and behind them.

Advice for what it’s worth: When taking your seat before the flight, talk to the passenger who may be affected. Find a courteous agreement about adjusting the seat-back, so each of you will be as comfortable as possible within the limited space.