In August 2025, two nearly identical lawsuits were filed: one against United (in San Francisco federal court) and one against Delta Air Lines (in Brooklyn federal court). They claim that each airline sold more than one million “window seats” on aircraft such as the Boeing 737, Boeing 757, and Airbus A321, many of which are next to blank fuselage walls rather than windows.
Passengers say they paid seat-selection fees (commonly $30 to $100+) expecting a view, sunlight, or the comfort of a genuine window seat — and say they would not have booked or paid extra had they known the seat lacked a window.
As reported by Reuters, United’s filing argues that it never promised a view when it used the label “window” for a seat. According to the airline, “window” refers only to the seat’s location next to the aircraft wall, not a guarantee of an exterior view.
“War is peace”
That’s what they are trying to pull. Look it up.
According to the airline, “window” refers only to the seat’s location next to the aircraft wall
Then call it “wall seat”
It’s like trying to call the non runway parts of airports ramps, aprons and taxiways. Because technically none of it is made with tarmac anymore but the general population is too stupid to go back so now that’s what it’s all called.
I don’t think the public would be confused if they called the windowless seat a wall seat and made attempts to clarify. They could even warn the buyer when they select the seat.
I don’t understand your gripe here. What’s wrong with those terms?
Exactly!
Yeah, but they’re not charging people extra for parts they’re calling tarmac or ramps, and literally no one knows that tarmac is the material used. On the other hand, people know what a window is, and are willing to pay more to sit next to one.
Are their no small claims tribunals in the US? This refund would be over so quickly in Australia and no doubt the ACCC would be on their arse.
We barely do anything about monopolies here these these days, but at least false advertising and right to refunds are rock solid.
Also, those seat selection fees are crazy. International flights I’ve seen like $8, maybe $15 if you’re getting really crazy.
Who in the world is paying $100 to select their seat?
There are small claims courts in the US.
Its a pain in the ass and you can’t get extra damages or anything like that. So the most people would be entitled to was the 30-100 bucks they overpaid for their seat. It would also require each claimant to spend hours of their life preparing and doing it.
So instead they do class action, so it can all be on trial and anyone in the class can apply for a refund quickly if they win.
Conversely, if you file small claims against a large corporation, chances are they won’t show up and you’ll win by default. But yeah it would take more time than it’s worth. So really it would only be out of spite.
As soon as you can have a president tell people news is fake because he doesn’t like it, words have no meaning and this is the result of interpretation in an authoritarian environment. The customer or end user has no recourse and there’s is no loyalty or trust with the brand.
I agree with the sentiment but this definitely didn’t begin with Dump. We’ve been getting increasingly fucked by corpos for decades, Cheeto is just the most recent.
Yeah, but Democrats were at least doing things like creating the Consumer Protection Bureau (which Trump has since killed)
It’s the most blatant bullshit, not just the most recent. It’s past the point where it should be believable. Passing it off as “just the most recent” feels very both sides to me but maybe that’s just how I’m reading it.
Seat selection, and it seems like every other friggin extra airline fee in the US, seems to be based on how full the flight is and how much people are willing to pay for it. 90% sure they are experimenting with it to the point where that fee will change just by refreshing the page and they likely have everything from $5-$200 ‘upgrade’ fees based on what they’ve found they can get away with. Hell, I’m surprised they haven’t started auctioning the seats while waiting to board. Maybe just typing this was a bad idea.
The agreement was im paying 355 dolars for a window seat. If ‘window seat’ just refers to the location, then dolars just refers to the fact its an amount of currency, and ill have my bank adjust the payment to reflect that was in pesos.
By dollars, I mean Zimbabwe dollars
So, basically they’re trying to get us ready for these standing seats.
The regulatory requirements to make standing airline seats possible have not been met in either Europe or North America, and they’re unlikely to ever be satisfied—unless government oversight finally becomes so corrupt and useless that this concept is forced through.
Under this administration?
Standing is a historical torture method.
Must we now also pay for the privilege?
unless government oversight finally becomes so corrupt and useless that this concept is forced through.
So next week, you’re saying?
Sweet, I have chronic pain in my foot and back and will likely have to fly several times a year again. I likely can’t use these seats. So many people can’t use these. I feel so bad for the elderly they’ll try to strap in these.
Maybe they should use AI to tell them what a fucking window is. If it only promises a fuselage seat then it should say fuselage seat and not window seat. Friggin scammers.
Wouldn’t that be the definition of, “Bait and switch”??? Which is already illegal?
You PAY EXTRA for a WINDOW SEAT and there’s no window?! Why would someone pay more then? What would be the point of paying more if there’s no “window” seems very cut and dry! That’s like paying extra for an aisle seat and get a middle seat, that’s NEVER in question, they are just trying to get people’s money! Savages!
This just proves don’t fly United nor Delta… which they are already super high priced anyways…
The main reason I like window seats isn’t because of the window, it’s because I can fall into deep sleep and nobody will wake me up because they need to get out and pee.
So jealous of being able to sleep on the plane…
Try drinking more
Don’t do this. Then you’ll have to pee and be stuck in your windowless seat.
Small price to pay for sweet sweet airplane sleep.
Don’t pee in your dreams.
- United
I took edibles before flying once. Slept across the Atlantic and then a bit more on the connecting flight.
Lol yeah little counterproductive in the long run
Well, yeah, that’s what the controversy is. They’re saying “window seat” implies sitting in the opposite of the aisle, not necessarily having a window. (Which is BS. People take it to mean window.) So they’re saying it’s not a bait and switch.
Yeah, while I do fully believe the deception was intentional, even if that argument is accepted, it better be a decision that involves a “now it’s on the record that that’s how it’s interpreted so stop it or the next one won’t go so well for you”.
If you don’t live in USA then I think yes that would be true, but in USA I’d imagine you’re out of luck since I don’t think USA is known for having the strongest consumer protections possible.
As someone who picks a window seat specifically for the view I agree the airline websites need to make this clearer but it’s super common to allow for air ducts in the plane. If you check the seat map on Aerolopa this is easily avoided (except when there’s an aircraft swap). Avoid SeatGuru, it’s often very outdated and even when correct for seats the window positions are incorrect.
They’d be right if that’s how people referred to the outer seats, but it’s not. It’s not like “boneless chicken wings” where you know it’s not an actual deboned chicken wing. There is no question that people say window seat to mean a seat next to a window and not the opposite of an aisle seat.
wait what? What’s a boneless chicken wing then?
(Don’t think I’ve ever heard that phrase but I’d assume it’s a chicken wing with the bones removed)
Boneless wings are breast meat that has been shaped to look like bone-in meat. That’s why it’s called a boneless wing, not because it’s literally a deboned wing.
Edit: clarified the shape
shaped to look like a bone
I hope you mean wing otherwise that makes even less sense to me
Yes, shaped to look like bone-in meat I meant.
He is slightly wrong there, instead of chicken meat it’s actually an amalgamation of various rodent meats.
They’re just chicken fingers
Yeah I tired these for the first time a while ago and was kinda disappointed in getting a bag of relabeled chicken nuggets.
What’s beside the aisle seats? Could it perchance be aisle on every single one? Hmm.
why do people even use this company? I dont think i have ever read anything positive about it.
They break guitars, for one. That’s literally their company policy.
And kill pets, but I don’t think anybody wrote a three part song about that one lol
Unfortunately United’s the only affordable choice for a fair number of destinations
Ought to call them skin seats since they’re next to the planes skin
Lol, I cracked. Beautifully done.
Window seat?? No no, we said widow seat.
Its time
I’m going to grease up the blade ways
Past time
In any case if you’re on a flight longer than a couple hours you’re not allowed to open them anyway, they make you keep em shut so people can nap 🙈 But it’s fun to look out for the takeoff and landing. But the planes that tint the windows are the best.
What? No they don’t.
It really depends on the airline and the time of day at the destination.
I mean I guess if you’re in the air at night then yeah you can open them. My last few flights were long haul going west during the day, so the sun never goes down, and people sleep the whole way.
Nah you’re still allowed to open them to smoke
Nah you’re still allowed to open them to smoke
Of all the horrible air travel experiences I’ve had, my absolute worst was an eleven hour flight from Narita to Pearson on a United 747.
