United Denied Bid to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Windowless Seats

A ruling issued by U. S. Judge James Donato of the Northern District of California on Monday has denied United Airlines’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by passengers who claim they paid extra for window seats but ended up seated next to a wall without a window. The lawsuit, filed in August as a proposed class action, alleged that United’s ticketing terms, reservation system, and booking interface did not disclose the possibility of missing windows.

Judge Donato rejected United’s argument that the term “window seat” solely refers to a seat’s location in the aircraft cabin and does not imply proximity to an actual window. He stated that this was sufficient for the breach claims to move forward. United declined to comment on the ruling but acknowledged that it has made changes to its seat selection process to enhance the customer experience.

The lawsuit against United was filed on behalf of customers who paid higher fares with the expectation of being seated next to a window, only to find themselves in a windowless seat. In November, the airline asked the court to dismiss the case, asserting that the use of the word “window” in reference to a particular seat does not guarantee an exterior window view.

While many major carriers operate aircraft with seats that would usually have a window but do not due to the placement of air conditioning ducts or other systems, they differ in how this information is disclosed to passengers. For example, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines notify customers when a wall-adjacent seat does not have a window view.

The plaintiffs are seeking appropriate monetary relief, including punitive damages, from United.