Internet in Disbelief As Passenger Shares View From Etihad's 'Window Seat'

A video of a windowless "window seat" on an Etihad Airways flight has gone viral on TikTok, having received 3.3 million views at time of writing.

The video, shared by TikTok user @farylcat, showed the view along a row of three seats, panning across the floor, with the knees of passengers seen close together, before showing a wall on the side of the seat.

A message overlaid on the video read: "Glad we requested the window seat [squirming face emoji] thanks #Etihadairways."

After grinding to a halt following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, air travel has been climbing back towards pre-pandemic levels.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), overall traveler numbers are projected to reach 4 billion in 2024, exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels, which would amount to 103 percent of the total numbers in 2019.

Back in March 2022, Willie Walsh, the IATA's Director General, said: "The trajectory for the recovery in passenger numbers from COVID-19 was not changed by the Omicron variant. People want to travel. And when travel restrictions are lifted, they return to the skies. There is still a long way to go to reach a normal state of affairs, but the forecast for the evolution in passenger numbers gives good reason to be optimistic."

The latest viral TikTok video was shared with a caption saying: "#Etihadairways economy really giving new meaning to the phrase packed in like a can of sardines [airline passenger seat, fish and squirming face emojis]."

According to later comments posted by the user, they booked the window seat at a service counter at an airport in Bangkok airport. They booked a window seat that was "way towards the back" of the plane.

According to the Etihad website: "All seats are subject to availability. In almost all cases, you will receive the seat that you've booked. However, there may be last-minute operational changes that mean we need to allocate you a different seat. If this happens, we will always try to choose a similar seat for you.

"If you paid for an Economy Standard seat–window, middle or aisle–but were given a different position of seat, you are entitled to a full refund. If you booked one position of seat (for example, window, middle or aisle) and you were given a different position of seat, you are also entitled to a full refund," the airline said.

Newsweek contacted Etihad for comment and the airline requested the details of the passenger in the latest TikTok video so that the company can "investigate the matter."

Why Are There Windowless 'Window Seats' ?

On some aircraft, some window seats may have no windows for structural reasons that don't allow the space for a window.

For example, on all Boeing aircraft operated by Alaska Airlines, one or two seats on the left side forward of the wing has either no window or partial access to a window.

"That's the spot where Boeing places the air conditioning riser ducts from the belly— where the air conditioners are located—to the cabin ceiling, where the air distribution ducts are at," John Melvin, the airline's director of fleet engineering, explained on the airline's website.

"The vertical ducts are located behind the passenger compartment sidewall panels and they prevent the installation of a window in one row on the left side. This is standard on all Boeing 737 aircraft, not just ours," he added.

Several users on TikTok sympathized with the original poster.

Amirah said: "I'm screaming," while Mackenzie Gower said: "I would hyperventilate [wide-eyed nervous face emoji]."

User ndopho wrote: "My claustrophobia [crying floods of tears emoji]," to which the original poster replied: "Yeah it was a struggle."

Faith D Collection wrote: "What in the world [frustrated frowning face emoji]" and the original poster replied: "It was a stressful 6 hours."

Some said the original poster should have been more careful when booking the flight.

Patrick Biller said: "No window seats say 'no window' on the seating chart when booking," to which the poster replied: "We booked it directly at the counter [laughing crying emoji]."

User neon33 said: "Almost every airline has seats like that. Pay closer attention when you book your ticket and choose your seat."

Newsweek contacted the original poster for comment. This video has not been independently verified.

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