United, Delta sued over 'window' seats without windows

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United and Delta Air Lines have been sued by passengers who claimed they paid extra for a window seat only to be placed next to a blank wall. 

Separate complaints were filed in federal courts in San Francisco and Brooklyn, New York, pursuing damages in the millions.

The case against United Airlines 

The backstory:

In the case against United, passengers Marc Brenman and Aviva Copaken said they paid extra to have a window seat. However, when they boarded the aircraft, they were placed in a "windowless" seat. 

According to the lawsuit, the aircraft's air conditioning riser ducts prevent a window from being placed. 

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In May 2025, Copaken filed a complaint against United Airlines after purchasing three flights from Los Angeles International Airport where she paid extra to reserve window seats—only to find that none of the assigned seats actually had a window. 

Copaken, who says she prefers window seats because of claustrophobia and the ability to look outside during flights, spent between $45.99 and $169.99 per seat. 

United refunded the fees for two of the flights after receiving her complaint but did not refund the third, nor did it address additional damages she claims are owed. 

The lawsuit alleges that United only issued partial refunds in an attempt to undermine her potential class action claims.

In April 2025, Brenman filed a complaint against United Airlines after booking a flight from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., where he used reward points and benefits earned from annual fees to secure a window seat. Brenman, who prefers a window seat to enjoy views during cross-country flights, was dismayed to find that his assigned "window" seat had no window. 

United refunded him 7,500 miles following his complaint, but Brenman argues that the reimbursement fails to cover the full value of the fees and benefits he spent to reserve the seat.

The case against Delta Air Lines 

The backstory:

On August 5, 2025, Brooklyn resident Nicholas Meyer booked a Delta Air Lines trip from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Orange County, California, with a layover in Atlanta.

Court documents show a picture of a "windowless" seat onboard a Delta aircraft. 

 Meyer said he paid extra to secure window seats on both legs of the journey—seat 32A to Atlanta and seat 23F to Orange County—so he could enjoy the view during the flights. 

According to his complaint, Delta’s seat maps and representations led him to reasonably believe both seats would have windows, yet no indication was ever given that the "window" seats he selected might not, in fact, have windows.

What they're saying:

"Numerous travelers have reported paying extra for a seat they believed would have a window only to realize it was a Windowless Seat upon boarding," the United lawsuit read. "Such passengers have reported that United has refused to compensate them for purchasing those seats."

Delta plane makes emergency landing after engine fire

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Atlanta was forced to make an emergency landing back at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after one of its engines caught fire shortly after takeoff on July 18, according to local media citing officials. (Credit: LA Flights via Storyful)

The other side:

United Airlines declined to comment, citing it was a legal matter. 

FOX Television Stations has also reached out to Delta for comment. 

What you can do:

Passengers can turn to websites like SeatGuru to research the pros and cons of specific seats, including identifying those without windows.