How many times has this happened to you. I know it has happened to me a couple of times.
It’s OK – I am an adult (sort of) so it is not quite as bad as if you had booked it for your kid to watch the clouds go by.
But how does this happen and what do you do?
You book the window seat well in advance ….. Board the plane – Then you arrive at Row 24A.
And there it is.
A beautiful, pristine section of aircraft wall.
No window.
No sky.
No clouds.
No dramatic takeoff photos for Instagram.
Just industrial-grade plastic.
If you are like me you have probably stood in the aisle holding up all the other passengers as you look at this sea in disbelief and then recheck your boarding pass.
What the heck? Was the window running late? Delayed in Denver or maybe sitting at another gate.
But no. The window was gone.
What Exactly Am I Looking At?
The airline calls it a window seat.
I call it a “view-optional experience.”
Somehow, the seating chart confidently displayed a window seat, while the aircraft itself had different plans.
And trust me – I am neurotic when it comes to selecting my seat. So getting no window when you book a window seat is like booking an oceanfront hotel room and discovering the ocean has moved.
And the answer is always the same – “equipment change”.
So who are the real winners here ….
The people in middle seats.
For years, airlines have told us that middle-seat passengers suffer the most.
Not anymore.
The middle-seat traveler at least knows what they’re getting.
Meanwhile, I’m paying extra money to stare at what looks suspiciously like the inside of a refrigerator.
At one point, the passenger beside me asked:
“Did you know there wasn’t a window here?”
I laughed.
A sad laugh.
The laugh of a person who had just paid a premium for decorative wall space.
Unexpected Benefits of a Windowless Window Seat
To be fair, there were some advantages:
- No harsh sunlight.
- No window shade arguments.
- No temptation to take 400 nearly identical cloud photos.
- Excellent opportunity to reflect on poor financial decisions.
Mostly that last one.
A Message to Airlines
Dear airlines,
If a seat doesn’t have a window, perhaps we could explore alternative naming options.
For example:
- Wall Seat
- Imagination Class
- Indoor Viewing Experience
- Premium Cabin Surface Seat
- Row 24A: The Cave Edition
Just a thought.
8 Responses
Is there any ability to claim refunds? Like when you chose up front roomy seats and got place in last cramped row by the bathrooms?
Ooh boy – that’s a good question. On my way back from Victoria I had people in the row in front of me who claimed to have been double booked in the same seats. I think if you paid extra for extended comfort then you would have an argument but if it is just a regular seat it might not be that easy. If anyone has done this before I would be interested to hear.
My 2 travel buddies and myself just had this experience with WestJet row 9A.
The look on my friends face was of utmost surprise! What happened to the window seat?? It’s funny now and we have just had a great laugh reading your article! Loved it!
And I was in the middle seat, so I had another laugh reading your comments!
Oh my goodness. I had a chuckle too reading your comments. Now I wonder if you are able to just avoid 9A in future or does that seat have a different number depending on the “equipment” !!
Hi Lesley ….. so enjoyed reading this. Particularly love your optimism and humour of the “Unexpected Benefits” and “A Message to the Airlines” (: Thanks for the good chuckle ….
Glad we could share a chuckle about a disappointment that can often happen. Enjoy the weekend. Lesley
Yep flight to Victoria Sept 15 seat 9A no window. Time staring at the ceiling.
Nooooooo!!
Hello Ceiling
🙂