How to avoid choosing a window seat with no window
Reader Questions are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.
Depending on who you talk to, the choice between a window seat and an aisle seat might be a meaningless travel quirk or a deeply-revealing psychological tell that uncovers more about your state of mind than your zodiac sign or the latest Buzzfeed quiz. TPG reader Jeffrey wants to know how to make sure he'll always get a window, when selecting a window seat ...
[pullquote source="TPG READER JEFFREY"]I recently paid extra for a United Economy Plus window seat which was missing a window, and there was no warning when I booked it. What can I do to avoid this in the future?[/pullquote]
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
As a die-hard window-seat person I can relate to Jeffrey's frustration; it's something I've experienced myself a number of times before. If you book an aisle seat there's no way that you're going to be sitting in a part of the plane that's missing an aisle, but on many planes you'll find at least one or two window seats (usually in economy) that are missing a window.
Jeffrey was kind enough to share a few details of his specific flight with us, including the fact that he was flying on United flight UA 307 in seat 11A, and a picture of the missing window:
According to flightradar24.com, UA 307 is one of United's daily nonstop flights from Denver (DEN) to Atlanta (ATL). The flight is operated by a mix of different aircraft throughout the week, including Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 and Airbus A320 aircraft. Jeffrey appears to have been flying on a Boeing 737, but more on that in a moment.
While airlines are taking huge strides with how they display seat maps to customers, the airline itself usually is not the best resource. United is actually one of the industry leaders in this regard, rolling out 3D seat maps to address this exact question as well as helping passengers gauge legroom and tell if they're flying in an updated cabin.
Related: How to find out everything you ever wanted to know about the plane you're flying on
This feature is still in the early stages, and so most United passengers (and those flying any other airline) will have to instead rely on a tool that's very popular among frequent travelers: SeatGuru. This website allows you to search for the seat map of each individual airplane type on each airline. In addition to showing you standard information like the number of seats, their width and pitch, travelers can also highlight problems with individual seats.
Let's take a look at a United Boeing 737-900 as an example. We can see seats receive one of four color codes: Gray/white means there's nothing special to highlight about the seat, green means the seat has a positive feature like extra legroom, yellow means there's a minor negative about the seat (usually this means it's a bulkhead with no under-seat storage or a seat that may be close to the galley, leading to extra noise during the flight), or red which indicates there's a problem so severe you probably want to avoid that seat.
In fact, if we mouse over seat 11A, we'll see this exact warning pop up in red: There is no window at this seat.
Now here is where things get a bit tricky: United operates three different versions of the 737-900. Interestingly, they're all missing a window at seat 11A, but many other seats have different warning from SeatGuru depending on which configuration you're flying. This is where it's time to do some sleuthing to figure out which configuration you're flying. The difference between these variants is the number of seats they have, and specifically how many are in regular economy versius Economy Plus:
| UA 737-900 version 1 | UA 737-900 version 2 | UA 737-900 version 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First class | 20 seats Rows 1-5 | 20 seats Rows 1-5 | 20 seats Rows 1-5 |
| Economy Plus | 51 seats Rows 7-21 | 42 seats Rows 7-12 | 39 seats Rows 7-11 |
| Economy | 96 seats Rows 22-38 | 117 seats Rows 22-39 | 120 seats Rows 12-39 |
Jeff could take a look at the seat map United was displaying on its website, and look at where each cabin began and ended to match it to the correct version on SeatGuru and then select his seat.
Related: How to read an aircraft seat map
If I had listened to this advice myself, I would have avoided selecting a seat in row 5 in business class on Air Canada's 787-9 Dreamliner. Row 5 only has one window per seat, instead of two in the rest of the business class cabin. If SeatGuru doesn't have anything good or bad to say about a seat, and you're having trouble making up your mind, you can also try and find a flight review of the airline and plane you're booked to fly on. Even if the reviewer didn't sit in the specific seat you're considering, they might have general comments on the cabin and service flow that can help you make up your mind.
Bottom line
If you pick the window seat when you fly, boarding to find a seat with a missing window is a huge disappointment, especially if you paid extra to be in that seat. In the future, Jeffrey could save himself a lot of trouble by checking SeatGuru before he selects his seat with the airline, though in the near future United will be rolling out 3D seat maps fleet wide that should solve this problem for good.
Thanks for the question, Jeffrey, and if you're a TPG reader who'd like us to answer a question of your own, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or email us at info@thepointsguy.com.
Featured photo by Ethan Steinberg/The Points Guy.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.