United and Delta Airlines Face Lawsuit For Allegedly Selling Windowless ‘Window’ Seats

United and Delta Airlines are facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly selling window seats without windows.

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, law firm Greenbaum Olbrantz LLP (GO Law) filed two separate complaints against United and Delta in the Northern District of California and Eastern District of New York, respectively. 

“When consumers purchase a window seat on United or Delta Airlines, they reasonably expect that the seat will have a window,” Carter Greenbaum, an attorney at GO Law, shared in a statement with PEOPLE. “Instead, for years United and Delta have sold seats that they have described as ‘windows,’ only to leave customers disappointed when they find a blank wall.”

He added: “Meanwhile many of United and Delta’s competitors disclose to their customers that a seat next to a wall has ‘no window view.’ United and Delta could easily do the same, but they have chosen to accept extra fees for the privilege of sitting next to a window, only to sit customers next to a blank wall.”

The complaint filed against United, obtained and reviewed by PEOPLE, claims the airline’s Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 models are built with at least one seat that would traditionally have a window but lack one due to air conditioning ducts, electrical conduits or other interior components. Because the company operates hundreds of these aircrafts several times a day, “United has likely sold over a million windowless ‘window’ seats,” the complaint alleges.

The complaint includes a screenshot from the United mobile app. The photo shows seat 11A described as having a “window,” but another photo from the plane shows a lack thereof. 

“For many, it is a special experience to see the world from 30,000 feet, or to watch a descent into LaGuardia, LAX, SFO, or O’Hare,” the complaint says. “Windows can captivate or distract an antsy child. For many with a fear of flying or motion sickness, windows provide a greater level of comfort in an otherwise stressful environment. Others just want a burst of sunlight to brighten their day.”

“Whatever the motivation, had plaintiffs and the class members known that the seats they were purchasing was windowless, they would not have selected them — much less have paid extra.”

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The experience of sitting in a windowless window seat is not new. For years, social media users have documented their dissatisfaction. But Greenbaum says there is a newfound momentum to take action.

“We have received an outpouring of interest in the lawsuit because customers are rightfully angry that they have paid extra for window seats, only to be seated next to a blank wall,” Greenbaum said in an email.

The lawsuit, first reported by Top Class Actions, encourages California residents who have paid extra for windowless “window” seats on United flights within the last four years to sign up for more information. 

Prior to the filing, United Airlines did not have a statement to share. Delta Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.