A California judge has denied United Airlines' request to dismiss a class-action lawsuit alleging the airline charged passengers extra for window seats that do not have windows. The suit claims United knowingly sold seats that were advertised as window seats but, due to aircraft design, lacked a physical window.
In his ruling, Judge James Donato stated that the passenger's claims were plausible, noting that the airline's booking page and boarding pass identified the seats as window seats. United's contract of carriage incorporates the terms and conditions printed on or in any ticket, which the judge found could reasonably establish an agreement to provide a seat with a window to passengers who paid for one.
"The reservation screen used to buy the ticket made unequivocal representations 'at the time of booking' that United would provide a window seat," Donato wrote in the court filing. "No more is needed at this stage for the breach claims to go forward."
United Airlines defines a window seat as a location relative to the aisle, not necessarily a seat next to a physical window, according to court filings. The airline did not provide a comment on the lawsuit but stated that in 2025, it enhanced its seat selection process on united.com and the United App to offer customers more information.
The lawsuit, filed last year, points to aircraft models like the Boeing 737, Boeing 757, and Airbus A321. These planes, while generally having windows, have specific seat locations where design elements such as air conditioning ducts or electrical conduits prevent the installation of a window.
The complaint highlights that some airlines, including American and Alaska Airlines, disclose these "windowless window seats" to customers. However, the suit alleges that United and Delta Air Lines did not provide such disclosures.
A similar lawsuit was filed last year in New York against Delta Air Lines over comparable claims. Passengers in these suits argue they were misled into paying a premium for a feature they did not receive. The current ruling means the case against United Airlines can move forward to further legal proceedings.