Two class-action lawsuits have been filed against Delta Air Lines and United Airlines regarding their seat configurations. Passengers claim they paid for window seats but were instead left with views of blank walls. The lawsuits allege that some passengers who booked these seats, often at a premium price, found that the aircraft lacked actual windows due to design issues.

The complaints focus on specific aircraft models, including Boeing 737s, Boeing 757s, and Airbus A321s. According to the lawsuits, these planes are designed in such a way that air conditioning ducts, electrical conduits, and other components prevent the installation of windows in certain seats. The lawsuits assert that both airlines label all seats along the side of the plane as window seats, misleading customers.

In contrast, other airlines, such as American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, reportedly inform passengers about the existence of "windowless window seats" during the booking process. However, the complaints state that Delta and United do not provide similar notifications.

The lawsuits highlight the financial implications for passengers. For instance, the standard fee to select a basic economy window seat on United can exceed $50, with international flights costing over $100. The complaint against Delta mentions that a basic economy traveler might need to pay upwards of $40 to upgrade to a higher ticket tier, plus over $30 to select a specific window seat.

The Delta lawsuit is led by Nicholas Meyer from Brooklyn, New York. He booked a flight on August 5, 2025, from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Orange County, California, with a layover in Atlanta. Meyer claims he chose a window seat for the view but ended up sitting next to a blank wall for the entire four-and-a-half-hour flight.

In the United lawsuit, plaintiff Aviva Copaken stated she purchased three window seats, all of which lacked windows. The ticket fees for these seats ranged from $45.99 to $169.99. Copaken noted that she experiences claustrophobia on flights and prefers having a view. While United refunded her for two of the flights, she did not receive a refund for the third.

Another plaintiff in the United suit, Marc Brenman, used points to select a window seat on his flight from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., only to find it had no window. He received a refund of 7,500 miles, which he described as "insufficient."

Both lawsuits claim that Delta and United have sold millions of these windowless seats and seek to address the financial impact on affected passengers. Delta and United have not commented on the lawsuits.