They are asking for millions in compensation.
When booking a ticket, travelers pay extra charges for baggage, seats, legroom, and nearly every other service. But it’s frustrating not to receive the amenity you’ve already paid for. Dismayed by such practices, passengers have filed class-action lawsuits against Delta Air Lines and United Airlines for charging a premium for window seats that do not have a window.
One lawsuit was filed after Nicholas Meyer found himself in a windowless window seat on a Delta flight. During his 4.5-hour journey, for which he paid for seat 23F—a window seat—he found himself next to a blank wall instead of a view. Now his attorneys are pursuing legal action on behalf of all passengers who have encountered similar issues. Meyer’s lawsuit is filed in New York, and another suit against United has been filed in San Francisco by the same firm.
United and Delta operate Boeing 737, Airbus 321, and Boeing 757 aircraft that have an electrical conduit or air conditioning duct in place of a window on one side. Despite this, they continue to advertise and sell these seats as window seats. The lawsuits accuse the airlines of intentional misconduct and seek punitive damages and compensation for passengers who have been misled.
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In an email, Meyer’s attorney, Casey Olbrantz, told The Washington Post, “Many other airlines affirmatively disclose to consumers that the very same seats have ‘no window view.’ United and Delta could easily do the same, but they conveniently omit this fact and accept substantial extra fees that consumers would not have otherwise paid.”
The lawsuits allege that the airlines have sold millions of tickets for these seats, earning significant profits through deceptive practices. Olbrantz also said the firm has been inundated with requests to join the lawsuits from people similarly affected by the lack of information about the seats.
For basic economy tickets, airlines require passengers to pay for seat selection. United Airlines charges at least $15 per flight, per person, for seat selection. The cost for a window seat can exceed $50. Delta passengers may pay up to $30 for a window seat.
The lawsuits also explain that passengers pay for window seats due to reasons such as nervousness about flying or a desire to keep children entertained. Otherwise, they might not opt for such seats.
In recent years, the Biden administration had cracked down on “junk fees,” including extra airline charges. Last year, a Senate report revealed that five U.S. airlines—Delta, American, Frontier, United, and Spirit—took in $12.4 billion from seat selection fees from 2019 to 2023. These included charges for preferred seats at the front of the plane, extra legroom, and seats by the window or aisle. Airlines, however, argue that these fees help passengers customize their trips and pay only for the services they want.
Related: United Airlines Hit By Two Shocking Lawsuits From Former Employees
Savvy travelers often rely on third-party websites such as SeatGuru to find reviews of specific seats, but the attorneys stressed that this does not absolve airlines of responsibility. “A company can’t misrepresent the nature of the products it sells and then rely on third party reviews to say a customer should have known that it was lying,” lawyer Carter Greenbaum said.
United and American are not the only carriers to offer “windowless” window seats. Ryanair is notorious for seat 11A on its Boeing 737-800 planes. This seat is infamous online, and cautionary tales on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) warn travelers against booking it. However, Ryanair does notify passengers during booking that the seat lacks a window, and complaints about the low-budget airline’s windowless seat are often met with ridicule.
Related: First, Ryanair Bumped a Couple From a Flight. Then, It Made Fun of Them
