Rights When the Window Seat on a Plane Has No Window

August 19, 2025, 10:33 am | Read time: 4 minutes

Many airlines charge fees for seat selection. Window seats, popular with many travelers, can be more expensive depending on the fare. If you “treat” yourself to such a seat but end up sitting in front of a wall instead of a window, it’s understandable to be upset. In the U.S., it seems silent frustration doesn’t have to remain silent: According to media reports, a law firm is currently preparing a class-action lawsuit against United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Can we learn something from this? TRAVELBOOK asked an expert.

While the middle seat on a plane generally has the fewest fans, aisle and window seats are much more popular. Both have their advantages: The aisle seat offers easy access to the restroom and quicker exit after landing, while the window seat provides seclusion and a view. Or not! Some passenger planes have rows that are entirely windowless. This “phenomenon” is currently taking on a legal dimension in the U.S.

Class-Action Lawsuit Over Sold Window Seats Without a View

As reported by outlets such as “Newsweek,” the newly established law firm Greenbaum Olbrantz is investigating cases where passengers paid extra for window seats but ended up with a seat next to a solid cabin wall. The firm published this on the consumer claims website “Top Class Actions.” The described practice violates consumer protection laws and disregards passenger rights. Additionally, the promise of a window seat could be considered misleading advertising.

The costs for seat reservations can vary depending on the airline, travel class, and fare. For example, at the low-cost airline Ryanair, prices for a preferred seat range from 4.50 to 33 euros per flight segment–quite steep. Yet, it is Ryanair that has often publicly amused itself when passengers find their paid window seats without windows less than funny, as seen in this Instagram post.

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Clearly, it’s frustrating to think you’ve paid for a window view only to end up in a window seat that doesn’t live up to its name. Especially on a long-haul flight. But is that enough for a move like in the U.S.? TRAVELBOOK asked attorney Jan Bartholl.

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Can I Sue Over a Window Seat Without a Window?

First, Jan Bartholl clarifies that in Germany, the option for a class-action lawsuit, as is apparently being considered in the U.S., does not exist. In Germany, anyone with such a concern would be on their own. However, the expert is not aware of any such case from the past. And there seem to be reasons for this.

“A window seat does not explicitly include the view from the airplane window,” explains Jan Bartholl. The term refers more to the arrangement of the seats–there are aisle, middle, and those spatially located at the window. Thus, the terms and conditions of the airlines likely do not imply a view. Moreover, airlines have good reasons for their seating arrangements, often for safety reasons, Bartholl explains.

The expert understands why a class-action attempt is being made in the U.S. There, “punitive damages” offer a form of compensation granted in addition to actual damages. In Germany, compensation claims exist only in cases of financial loss. Without financial loss, there is no claim and thus no basis for legal proceedings.

What the Expert Recommends

What you can do, according to Jan Bartholl, is contact the airline and try to get a refund for the seat reservation. “Describe that you had a different expectation and paid for the view from the window,” he advises. Perhaps the airline will be accommodating.

Incidentally, the chances are generally good in Germany that you will get a desired window seat. TRAVELBOOK knows from a previous conversation with a Lufthansa spokesperson that on long-haul flights, seats next to a wall without a window are generally not assigned. In Europe, there are only a few passenger planes with windowless rows. To be sure, you can check the cabin layout of various aircraft models on specific sites, such as Seatguru.com.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TRAVELBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@travelbook.de.