A device that prevents a plane seats from reclining is experiencing brisk sales after it received free publicity from the news stories covering a fight between passengers in the US.

The gizmo, called the Knee Defender, turned heads on Aug. 24 after United Airlines flight 1462 jet en route to Denver from New Jersey was forced to land in Chicago after two passengers squabbled on its use. According to an Associated Press story, a passenger who used the Knee Defender and refused to remove it despite a flight attendant's request was doused with water by another traveller, who was upset that her seat was locked by the device. The two passengers were left in Chicago and the flight, which was delayed by an hour and 38 minutes, continued on to Denver.

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Following the news, Knee Defender inventor Ira Goldman said the device's website crashed and orders rose for the item. The Knee Defender, described as "U-shaped clips that fits over the arms of the seat-back tray table, blocking the passenger in front from leaning back," sells for $21.95.

The paper said such devices are disallowed by US aviation authorities during taxi, takeoffs, and landing, but leaves it up to the airlines to decide if those may be used during cruising. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety, for its part, said it encourages passengers to consult with the airlines, but it will draw the line if it compromises safety concerns .

The report added that the four largest US carriers - American Airlines, United, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines - prohibit the use of the Knee Defender, while JetBlue Airways, the fifth-biggest, discourages the use of the devices while not specifically barring them. It noted that Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Quantas also do not allow the device in their aircraft due to its potential to cause annoyance or discomfort to other passengers.

Goldman, however, told the Sydney Morning Herald that reports should not focus on the device, but shrinking spaces in airplanes. He claimed that airlines reduce the spaces to fit in more people and increase revenues.

A report by the Wall Street Journal last year said that seats in today's airlines are smaller than they were several decades back. In the 1970s and 1980s the standard for long-haul flying was 18 inches. Seats widened by half an inch in the 2000s. Nowadays, some airlines only offer 17- or 18-inch-wide seats.

Airlines have also reportedly cut down the legroom of their planes to 31 inches from up to 35 inches several years ago.

TagsKnee Defender, Airline fight