United Sold Wall Seats at Window Prices: Now They're Charging Millions for the Fraud

A federal judge rejected United Airlines' attempt to dismiss a case related to the sale of window seats that were actually located near the aircraft's side. The judge ruled that the airline must be held liable in the lawsuit, according to People.

Previously, the carrier claimed that the term "window seat" refers only to the seat's location in the cabin and does not imply that the passenger will have a view from the window.

Federal Judge James Donato of the San Francisco District rejected this argument on July 6. The court disagreed with the company's position that the mere designation "window seat" does not imply the existence of one.

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The court's decision came after United attempted to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed by passengers. The plaintiffs claim they were unfairly charged extra for window seats when they were actually seated against a blank wall of the plane.

As Reuters reports, Judge Donato noted that the ticketing rules, boarding passes, and booking interface clearly state that passengers who have paid for a window seat must receive one.

“At this stage, this is sufficient for the claims for breach of obligations to be considered on the merits,” the judge said.

A United spokesperson said the company would not provide further details on the lawsuit, but did say it had made changes to its seat selection process.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the customer experience on united.com and the United app, in 2025 we added more information to the seat selection process to help passengers better understand what to expect when booking,” the company explained.

People previously reported on United's position on what constitutes a "window seat" as the airline sought to have the lawsuit dismissed in November 2025.

In a motion to dismiss filed November 10 in San Francisco federal court, the company's lawyers argued: "The use of the word 'porthole' in reference to a particular location cannot reasonably be understood as a promise that there will be a view out from that location."

They believe that "the word 'window' refers to the location of the seat - next to the side of the plane."

In August 2025, two similar lawsuits were filed in federal courts in California and New York, against United and Delta Air Lines, respectively. In both cases, the plaintiffs alleged that the airlines failed to warn passengers that their selected outward-facing seats might not actually have a window.

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According to Reuters, passengers are demanding millions of dollars in compensation. The publication notes that passengers choose window seats for various reasons, including motion sickness, fear of flying, or to keep children occupied during travel.

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