California judge allows class-action suit over airline window seats to proceed

A California judge denied United Airlines' request to dismiss a class-action lawsuit filed last year by a passenger who said the airline charged extra for a window seat that did not have a window. The court filing states that United defines a window seat by its location relative to the aisle rather than by proximity to an actual window.

Judge James Donato wrote that the airline's booking page and boarding pass identify the seats as window seats and that the carrier's contract of carriage incorporates the terms printed on the ticket.

"These terms plausibly establish that United expressly agreed to provide a seat with a window to passengers who paid for one," the judge said. " United Airlines said it had no comment on the lawsuit. A company statement noted that in 2025 it added more detail to its seat selection process on united.com and the United App so customers can have more information about what to expect.

The complaint describes aircraft such as Boeing 737s, Boeing 757s and Airbus A321s where some seats lack windows because of air conditioning ducts, electrical conduits or other design features. A similar lawsuit was filed last year in New York against Delta Air Lines. The complaints state that American and Alaska Airlines informed customers about such seats while Delta and United did not.