Delta and United Airlines are facing class-action lawsuits filed by passengers who claim they paid extra for “window” seats, only to find themselves seated next to a blank wall.
Why it matters: The lawsuits argue that the airlines failed to disclose the windowless nature of these seats during the booking process, potentially misleading customers who paid premium prices for window seats.
The details:
- The complaints state that some Boeing 737, Boeing 757, and Airbus A321 planes have seats that would traditionally feature windows, but due to the placement of air conditioning ducts, electrical conduits, or other components, the windows are absent.
- Passengers are seeking millions of dollars in damages for more than one million passengers at each airline.
- Rivals such as Alaska Airlines and American Airlines do flag windowless seats during the booking process, according to the lawsuits.
- Passengers purchase window seats for various reasons, including alleviating fear of flying or motion sickness, keeping children occupied, providing extra light, or enjoying the view.
What they’re saying:
- “Had plaintiffs and the class members known that the seats they were purchasing were windowless, they would not have selected them—much less have paid extra,” the complaint against United stated.
- “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,” said Carter Greenbaum, a lawyer whose firm filed the lawsuits.
The other side: Delta and United have not immediately responded to requests for comment.
What’s next: The cases are titled Meyer v. Delta Air Lines Inc., US District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 25-04608; and Brenman et al v. United Airlines Inc., US District Court, Northern District of San Francisco, No. 25-06995.