American Airlines flier fumes as ‘window seat’ features no view: ‘Infuriated’

Travel

By Andrew Court

She’s seeing red over not being able to see anything at all.

A furious flier has taken to Reddit to rage that a “window seat” she booked on American Airlines didn’t come with an actual window view.

The woman, known only as Liz, took to the chat forum on Monday, sharing a selfie that showed her sitting up against a wall on board the aircraft.

“I’ve never been on a flight where the window seat has no window!” she wrote in an accompanying caption. “If my job wasn’t paying for this I’d be super salty about paying for a non-existent view. But as it is, I’m just mildly infuriated.”

Liz later spoke to Newsweek about the “window” — or more accurately, “wall” — seat, saying: “Fortunately, the flight was short because not having a window was very disorienting. I don’t sleep on planes, so I do enjoy looking out the window.”

The American Airlines plane was a Boeing 737, and its design features two seats on the left side that offer partial or no window view. That is because vertical air ducts are installed in the space behind the wall, distributing air conditioning from the belly of the aircraft to the overhead AC units.

A spokesperson for the carrier told Newsweek that their website and app flag that such seats don’t offer a window view before booking.

“When customers select their seat via aa.com or the American Airlines app, they are prompted to review any special information prior to confirming their selection,” the official explained.

Reddit users flocked to leave snarky comments beneath Liz’s post, with some poking fun at recent Boeing 737 scandals.

“If it’s a Boeing, you could find mid-flight that you suddenly have a window,” one quipped, referencing a January incident where a cabin panel blew off a 737 while it was mid-flight.

Others claimed the seat looked “claustrophobic” but some said they’d be grateful to snag the snug spot.

“That looks like a super comfortable leaning spot without having to work your shoulder and elbow into that window groove,” one declared. “I’d pay extra for that.”