Beware of ‘windowless’ window seats on airplanes – here’s why they exist and how to avoid them.
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Beware of ‘windowless’ window seats on airplanes – here’s why they exist and how to avoid them.
Ben Smithson of The Points Guy UK in a windowless window seat
On an airplane, when is a window seat not a window seat? When it’s one of the dreaded ‘windowless’ seats.
Yes, believe it or not, not all cabin window seats on a passenger plane come with an actual window, as Twitter users have been complaining about recently.
Traveler Kalie Marsch posted a photo of herself window without window seat with the legend: “I have made a terrible, terrible, terrible mistake”.
And other Twitter users were quick to offer their sympathy.
Susan Conroy McLeod wrote: ‘The worst. I am an obsessive window sitter and this would give me a mild panic attack.
And ‘Timmo. Captain Yank & Bank’, said: ‘The least they could do is have a picture of a window in there!’
Travel site The Points Guy UK also experimented with the windowless window seat, sending MailOnline Travel a photo of team member Ben Smithson in one (looking mysteriously delighted in his bunk).
So why do planes have windowless window seats?
Nicky Kelvin, Head of The boy with the dots UKHe said: ‘They are often due to the manufacturer using that space to power certain avionics (aviation electronics) components or essential components like air conditioning ducts.
On www.seatguru.com, seats that put the traveler at a disadvantage in some way are marked in red
Hover your mouse over a red-marked seat in Seat Guru and a pop-up will reveal why it carries a warning
“Frequently, emergency exit window seats do not include a window view, as the design dictates the location of the window in the emergency exit door, often resulting in an obscured view.”
So is there a guaranteed method to avoid them?
Your best bet is to use www.asientoguru.com. On this site, travelers enter their airline and flight number to generate a seat layout for the plane they will fly on.
Seats that put the traveler at a disadvantage in some way are marked in red. Hover your mouse over the seat and a pop-up will reveal why the seat has a warning, even if it has a window or not.