(The Hill) — United Airlines and Delta Air Lines were hit with class-action lawsuits Tuesday, accusing them of charging passengers more for “window seats” that were actually next to an opaque wall.
Law firm Greenbaum Olbrantz filed the cases in federal court in San Francisco and Brooklyn, New York, on behalf of passengers who said they wouldn’t have paid extra had they known they wouldn’t have a window.
“A large proportion of airline travelers prefer window seats, and are willing to pay extra money to obtain them. For many, it is a special experience to see the world from 30,000 feet, or to watch a descent into LaGuardia,” each lawsuit states.
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“Windows can captivate or distract an antsy child. Many people have a fear of flying, or get claustrophobic or motion sick on planes, and windows give them a greater level of comfort in an otherwise stressful environment,” they continue. “Others just want a burst of sunlight to brighten their days.”
The Hill has reached out to United and Delta for comment.
Commercial airlines regularly fly planes that have at least one row with no window, sometimes to make room for air conditioning ducts or other equipment.
The lawsuits say other companies, including American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, disclose to customers at checkout that those seats don’t have a window, while United and Delta do not. The law firm estimated the airlines have each likely sold at least 1 million windowless seats.
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Like its competitors, both United and Delta offer basic fares that do not include complimentary seat selection. Passengers must upgrade their fare class to do so, and some windowless rows are in more premium sections that require additional costs.
The airlines also enable passengers to pay for the seats by using miles or through rewards programs.
“When travelers book a seat on an airplane next to the wall, they expect it to have a window,” the Delta lawsuit states.
