Aviva Copaken, the plaintiff in a lawsuit against United Airlines in late 2025, stated she paid 170 USD to book a window seat but ultimately received a seat next to a wall.

Two civil lawsuits against US airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines, for charging passengers extra without warning that they would be seated next to a fuselage section, have garnered public attention. The incidents highlight the reality that not every seat labeled "window seat" actually has a window.

Many seats labeled "window seats" lack windows. Photo: BI

Many seats labeled "window seats" lack windows. Photo: BI

Several airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, and Ireland's Ryanair, operate Airbus and Boeing aircraft models that have some seats without an external view due to design. For example, seats 10A and 11A on some Boeing 737 models. However, the airlines' practice of selling these seats as window seats is being scrutinized in lawsuits. The outcome could impact future seat classification and pricing policies.

United argued that a "window seat" simply means a seat next to the aircraft wall, not that passengers are guaranteed an outside view. However, a federal court judge in San Francisco rejected this motion, allowing the lawsuit to proceed. Meanwhile, Delta's motion to dismiss its lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn, is still awaiting court review.

If the court rules against the airlines, it could force United, Delta, and other carriers to re-evaluate their pricing or definitions for these seats. United has already updated its booking process to clearly indicate when a selected seat does not have a window.

Why do some "window seats" lack windows?

Seats without windows are primarily due to aircraft design and airline seating arrangements. On aircraft models such as the Airbus A320, Boeing 737, and Boeing 757, internal components like air conditioning ducts, emergency equipment, and wiring systems are installed within the fuselage, preventing windows from being placed at certain positions.

The legroom airlines want to provide passengers is also a factor. Adding or removing a row can cause seat positions to no longer align with windows.

The location of windowless seats varies by aircraft model, but they are often found near emergency exit rows or at the rear of the passenger cabin.

For instance, on Spain's national airline Iberia, seat row 39 on the Airbus A321XLR has no window. Similarly, JetBlue has at least one windowless seat on many of its narrow-body Airbus aircraft. On some larger aircraft, like the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, windows can be misaligned with seats, making it difficult for passengers to get the desired view.

Many of these "less preferred" seats are located in extra-legroom economy sections and are still sold at a higher price, even though passengers lack a window view.

On a United flight using a Boeing 737-900 from Chicago to Newark, New Jersey, the booking system clearly indicated that seat 11A had no window. Nevertheless, the upgrade fee for this seat was still nearly 80 USD, equivalent to the price of similar seats in rows with windows.

This pricing strategy is not uncommon. When examining flights with Alaska Airlines and Ryanair, it can be observed that windowless seats are still sold at prices comparable to regular window seats.

Passengers must pay extra for a seat... near a window. Photo: BI

Passengers must pay extra for a seat... near a window. Photo: BI

Are refunds available for windowless seats?

Aviva Copaken, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, stated that United refunded her seat selection fee after she filed a complaint. Another plaintiff, Marc Brenman, reported receiving a refund of 7,500 MileagePlus bonus miles. However, refunds are not always guaranteed.

United stated that its passenger contract of carriage does not stipulate that a "window seat" guarantees an outside view. According to the airline's policy, refunds are typically only issued when a passenger is moved to a seat of lower quality than the one initially paid for. Similar policies are also applied by other airlines.

Therefore, if passengers discover their "window seat" is actually just a fuselage wall, they can try requesting a refund or travel credit from the airline. However, if the lack of a window was clearly disclosed during the booking process, passengers will have little basis for compensation or complaint.

Tam Anh (according to Business Insider)