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United argues 'window seat' does not mean 'seat with a window' (aerospaceglobalnews.com)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world
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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.

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[–] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (18 children)

[Editing for everyone else rolling by: I just checked, middle was cheapest, window was mid price, aisle cost the most. Original comment continues:]

90% sure the middle seats are cheaper when I book United directly. I fly 6 trips a year and am a window addict. I don't know, doesn't matter how often I fly, I stare out the window. It's fascinating every single time. I also don't have to get up much, so I enjoy not being bothered for everyone else's bathroom trip. My SO will pick the middle seat, which is why I'm pretty sure I've seen it be cheaper.

I have also been burned with a wall seat. I got it on some Embraer (175?) where it was 2 seats each side, I think row 10 on one side and 12 on the other were walls.

I will acknowledge the aisle seat may be better on this new-to-me annual 15 hour flight where the 787 windows were tinted the whole time anyway. Sub-8 hour flights are fine, but the slow creeping of claustrophobia is real on that flight.

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  • [+] -9 points 1 year ago (17 children)

    They aren't. Only a 2-3 rows behind the exit door over the wing are like that but the middle are economy and the aisles and window are preferred economy. All other rows are the same based on the seat class. This is equally true for no status, silver, and gold status.

    You fly 6 times a year. I fly every 2-3 weeks. I also book flights for my wife. If I'm not on the ticket it uses her status and it's the same thing. Price is based on seat class.

    There is no argument because this it equally true for every flight regardless of plane type, origin or destination.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago* (3 children)

    Confidently incorrect.

    Lol I literally just checked for you. Not only is the middle seat cheaper, but the aisle seat is more than the window seat. Picked a large cross-USA trip to make sure it'd have triple seats.

    JFK-LAX
    Jan 18, 2026
    Basic as can be to make sure no upcharges were included Picked whatever flight was first
    787-9, dual aisles with 3 triple seats across.
    Aisles are the same across a row, middles are the same as well, regardless of middle triple or side triple
    Row 45 (preferred eco) Window is +$70, aisle is +$54, aisle is +$86
    Row 55 (eco) window is +$30, middle is +$23, aisle is +$36

    Meanwhile, you're being unnecessarily condescending about wanting a window seat. It's preference. Good for you and your jetset life. I like window seats, that's all.

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  • [+] -6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    You just confirmed there is a preferred economy and economy. I just booked economy flights for my wife and all the seats were the same for the row, There was then an up charge if she switched to preferred economy.

    I regularly fly and I can book the preferred economy at no charge and if I upgrade to economy plus there is a single charge regardless of seat in a single row. The only times that is different is for exit row seats. Those are classes as preferred economy but more than the other preferred economy. Last year when I had gold status I could book economy plus at no charge and it was the same regardless of seat.

    I literally just fucking looked at my wife's economy tickets for a flight she has in two weeks and it's the same regardless of seat in a row. In fact all the rows are the same as long as they say economy.

    Arguing with me on something I am 100% fucking right about and can fucking check is the stupidest thing I've seen on this fucking website. Do I need to take a bunch of screenshots for you fuck heads to understand something you know nothing about?

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (1 child)

    That's why I gave you row 55 pricing. It's 2nd from the back, the rearmost row with all 9 seats available at the time of looking. I don't know why you're so confident there's no window upcharge when you can clearly verify for yourself that there is, in fact, a way to get it to show you different pricing. Somehow, you're convinced picking true basic class is not valid because it's so poor.

    That's a funny edit you added to the parent comment. In your very first comment, you asked "We're [sic] are people paying extra for a window seat?" and then two different people showed you. Amazing.

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  • [–] -1 points 1 year ago

    Picking basic class isn't poor, it's just has limitations like only 1 item and, get this, NOT PICKING YOUR SEAT FOR FREE. Economy tickets are usually just a little more than the basic economy and if you don't care about the seat, great. But if you are going to pick your seat, why are you getting a ticket that costs more to pick the seat, when a economy ticket lets you pick the seat and is cheaper than the combined price of basic + seat charge + checked item.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (12 children)

    You're verifiably wrong. If you pick your seat, exit rows, aisles, and windows cost more. You seem to be the only person that hasn't seen that. So either you're flying on a different United from everyone else, or you're wrong.

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  • [–] -4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (11 children)

    I mentioned exit rows on another comment. They are preferred economy, priced higher than the other preferred economy, but less than economy plus. Every else is the same depending on seat class.

    I know I'm not wrong because I do this every 1-3 weeks.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (10 children)

    You're right on the first part but wrong on the last. If you pick your seat, where you pick in a row affects the price. Perhaps as a frequent flyer you have perks that others of us don't have.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago* (9 children)

    I just booked two flights for my wife, who doesn't have status and thus she is limited to economy without paying for an upgrade.

    One is a round trip in December and the other is a round trip next October. Each had a connection. That's a total of 8 individual planes and each one had the same price for every economy seat.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (8 children)

    I've got a flight booked for a snowboarding trip next February into Denver. If I go to pick my seat right now, it's $47.99 for the aisle or window and $36.99 for a middle seat in the preferred section. In economy it's $19.99 and $17.99 respectively.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (7 children)

    You selected the basic economy option, not Economy. Select Economy for the ticket and all the economy seats are the same. Basic economy makes you pay to select a seat, only get one carry one or personal item, and board in group 6. Basic economy is cheaper that that is literally why.

    Go through the process of booking it again and select economy and you'll see.

    I'm having issues posting a picture. I'll update in a few. I had to do imgur.

    https://imgur.com/a/bXIg8ZH

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    So your proof that "this lawsuit is bullshit" is that... If you pick a higher class at the start, it hides the window upcharge as a flat fee? I mean yeah, if I click Premium economy at the start, I get the near-wing seats for free, and I can even grab a rear row steerage seat for free, no discount applied.

    You are wrong that there's NO upcharge for different seats in a row. That's it.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago* (4 children)

    Hey fuck head. That picture is an Economy ticket not Preferred Economy. You can see that with each seat in economy the price is the same. I know you want to make up some bullshit, but at least fucking read the proof right in front of you.

    You don't know the difference between basic economy, economy, and preferred economy. You're argument is dead and you are WRONG. Period.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (3 children)

    You asked where, we showed you where. Imagine arguing that a la carte chocolate mousse doesn't cost more than vanilla ice cream because you could have chosen all-you-can-eat at the start

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Image arguing about paying more to pick a seat, when just getting the higher ticket is cheaper than the added price of the seat plus base ticket, not even factoring the $40 to turn your carry on into a checked bag.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    So you changed your argument? You originally said the seats don't cost more, but now you're saying everyone is a moron for not choosing the package that flatten seat cost? Even though you checked every flight from both airlines in every country they operate to ensure that, by undeniable fact, seats in a particular row are a flat cost?

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    My argument never changed If you intend to pick your seat, get the ticket that lets you. If you don't care about your seat then get the ticket that gives you the OPTION to pay more to pick. The reason I didn't consider basic economy is because we are talking about picking a seat. Basic exists for people that don't care and don't have two bags or their second bag is a checked size anyway. Sure you can save money, but once you start adding on to the restrictions, then there is no point in basic.

    Do me a favor. Read about the restrictions for basic economy, then book a ticket with basic, picking a seat, a checked bag (that is the size of a carry on), then get priority boarding. Check how much that costs vs just getting the economy ticket and having that part of it. Priority boarding because United boards window, middle, aisle. So a basic is group 6 and a chosen window is group 3. Priority is 2, but hardly makes a difference.

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