United Airlines must face class action lawsuit over 'window seats' without windows, judge rules
FILE - United Airlines 575 aircraft. (United Airlines)
A federal judge on Monday rejected United Airlines’ request to dismiss a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing the airline of charging passengers extra for "window seats" that lacked actual windows.
U.S. District Judge James Donato ruled the plaintiffs plausibly alleged United breached its contractual obligations by selling seats identified as window seats even though some were positioned next to solid cabin walls rather than windows.
What they're saying:
"These terms plausibly establish that United expressly agreed to provide a seat with a window to passengers who paid for one," Donato wrote, adding that United's reservation screens and boarding passes represented that customers had purchased window seats. "No more is needed at this stage for the breach claims to go forward."
The lawsuit
The backstory:
The lawsuit alleged United knowingly charged passengers extra for certain window seats on their aircraft, including Boeing 737s, Boeing 757s and Airbus A321s, even though some seats lacked adjacent windows because of aircraft design.
Plaintiffs claimed passengers often paid premiums for window seats to enjoy the view or help alleviate anxiety, claustrophobia or motion sickness.
The other side:
United argued that the "window seat" describes a seat's location relative to the aisle rather than guaranteeing an actual window and contending federal law preempts the claims.
United declined to provide a comment to FOX on the judge’s recent ruling.
Big picture view:
A similar action was also filed against Delta Air Lines.
The lawsuit against Delta Air Lines stated that when a passenger arrived at row No. 23 for a flight to California in August 2025, he discovered the seat he bought was next to a blank wall.
At no point during the seat selection process did Delta warn the passenger that 23F was a windowless window seat.
Alaska Airlines and American Airlines also sell such seats but disclose the information when customers choose their seats, the lawsuits assert.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from FOX Business and previous reporting by The Associated Press and Reuters.