Lawsuits may signal a shift towards greater accountability in airline seating practices.
Window Seat Deception: Delta and United Sued by Passengers for Paid Windowless Seats
Window Seat Deception: Delta and United Sued by Passengers for Paid Windowless Seats
Passengers claim they were misled into paying for premium seats that lack windows.
In a significant legal challenge, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines find themselves facing lawsuits from disgruntled passengers who allege they were deceived into paying extra for so-called window seats that come without any windows. The separate legal actions, seeking a collective multi-million dollar payout for over one million affected customers, argue that neither airline adequately discloses during the booking process that some premium seats actually lack windows.
The complaints highlight that certain models of Boeing and Airbus planes have specific seats that are unfortunately situated next to structural components such as air conditioning ducts and wiring, leaving no view whatsoever. Passengers contend that had they known of this issue prior to booking, they would not have opted for these seats nor paid the additional fees associated with what they assumed were scenic views.
Lacking an immediate comment, United Airlines has indicated its awareness of the ongoing litigation, while Delta has yet to respond to inquiries from the press. Both lawsuits, filed by the law firm Greenbaum Olbrantz, assert that the airlines continuously mislabel every side seat as a "window seat" even while knowing that some do not provide an actual window.
The complaints emphasize the various essential reasons travelers select window seats, ranging from alleviating anxiety about flying and managing motion sickness to entertaining children. Legal representatives have characterized the airlines' practices as misleading and illegal, suggesting a possible route to further lawsuits against other carriers that use similar booking systems. However, unlike Delta and United, both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have been noted for their transparency, indicating when a seat does not include a window during the booking process.
The complaints highlight that certain models of Boeing and Airbus planes have specific seats that are unfortunately situated next to structural components such as air conditioning ducts and wiring, leaving no view whatsoever. Passengers contend that had they known of this issue prior to booking, they would not have opted for these seats nor paid the additional fees associated with what they assumed were scenic views.
Lacking an immediate comment, United Airlines has indicated its awareness of the ongoing litigation, while Delta has yet to respond to inquiries from the press. Both lawsuits, filed by the law firm Greenbaum Olbrantz, assert that the airlines continuously mislabel every side seat as a "window seat" even while knowing that some do not provide an actual window.
The complaints emphasize the various essential reasons travelers select window seats, ranging from alleviating anxiety about flying and managing motion sickness to entertaining children. Legal representatives have characterized the airlines' practices as misleading and illegal, suggesting a possible route to further lawsuits against other carriers that use similar booking systems. However, unlike Delta and United, both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have been noted for their transparency, indicating when a seat does not include a window during the booking process.
