upright position

Meaning

The upright position refers to an airplane seat being fully vertical and locked, not reclined. This is a formal safety requirement on commercial aircraft during takeoff, landing, and taxiing to ensure a safe and quick evacuation in an emergency.

Examples

• Please ensure your seat back is in the fully upright position for landing.

  Please ensure your seat back is in the fully upright position for landing.

• The flight attendant asked me to return my seat to the upright position.

  The flight attendant asked me to return my seat to the upright position.

• You cannot keep your seat reclined; it must be in the upright position during takeoff.

  You cannot keep your seat reclined; it must be in the upright position during takeoff.

• As soon as the seatbelt sign turned off, I moved my seat out of the upright position.

  As soon as the seatbelt sign turned off, I moved my seat out of the upright position.

• For safety reasons, tray tables must be stowed and seats must be in the upright position.

  For safety reasons, tray tables must be stowed and seats must be in the upright position.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Please put your seat in the vertical position.

  ✓ Please put your seat in the upright position.

  While 'vertical' makes sense, 'upright position' is the standard, formal term used in aviation safety announcements.

• ✗ My seat is not in the upright pose.

  ✓ My seat is not in the upright position.

  'Pose' refers to a posture assumed by a person (e.g., in yoga or photography). Use 'position' for objects like seats.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The cabin crew went around checking if all seats were in the ___.

  💡 Fully vertical seat placement.

  Show answer

  upright position

• Before we land, please return your seat back to its ___.

  💡 The safe, vertical state of an airplane seat.

  Show answer

  upright position