Why passengers say they are filing suits over windowless window seats on Delta, United planes
Two class-action lawsuits have been brought against Delta and United over seat configurations where some passengers who say they paid for a window seat say they were left with a blank wall instead of a view.
The separate suits on the issue claim that some Delta and United passengers who booked these seats, and in many cases paid a premium to do so, actually had no window, according to the complaint.
The complaints said the carriers operate Boeing 737s, Boeing 757s and Airbus A321s with seats that would usually have a window, but due to the design and the placement of air conditioning ducts, electrical conduits, or other parts, the window cannot be installed.
Some airlines describe every seat along the side of the plane as a window seat, according to the lawsuits.
These lawsuits claim that other carriers including American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, inform passengers during the booking process about so-called "windowless window seats," but that Delta and United did not.
Delta and United declined to comment when contacted by "GMA."
The standard fee to select a basic economy "window" seat on United can exceed $50, the suit claimed. On international flights, the extra fees can be over $100.
The complaint against Delta said a basic economy traveler "might need to spend upwards of $40 to advance to a higher ticket tier, and then must spend over $30 to select a particular window seat."
Both lawsuits claim the airlines have sold millions of these seats and the lawsuits aim to rectify costs for passengers who bought them.
The Delta suit is led by Nicholas Meyer of Brooklyn, New York, and according to the complaint, Meyer booked a trip on Aug. 5, 2025, from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Orange County, California, with a layover in Atlanta and chose a window seat for the view. But Meyer claims he found himself spending "the ensuing four-and-a-half hour flight next to a blank wall."
Plaintiff Aviva Copaken from the United lawsuit claimed she bought three window seats and all three were without a window. The ticket fees ranged from $45.99 to $169.99, per the complaint.
Copaken purchased the seats, according to the suit, because she "experiences claustrophobia on flights and enjoys a view while looking out the window of the airplane."
United issued a refund to Copaken for the fees for two of her flights but not the third, according to the complaint.
The additional plaintiff leading the United suit, Marc Brenman, used points and benefits to select a window seat on his flight from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., that turned out to have no window, the complaint says. He said he was refunded 7,500 miles, which he says was "insufficient."
ABC News' Clara McMichael contributed to this report.
