CBS Morning co-host Gayle King is unhappy with United Airlines, specifically with a business class seat that did not have a window on her 9.5-hour flight from Maui to New York City.
Gayle King Complains About Windowless United Airlines Business Class Seat On Hawaii Flight
King recently took to social media to vent about her experience flying United Airlines business class on a Boeing 767-300 on her return journey from Hawaii on January 3, 2026. Her complaint was simple and blunt: she booked what she believed was a window seat, only to discover once onboard that there was no actual window next to her seat. She posted this video:
View this post on Instagram
It included this caption:
When is a window seat not a window seat? C’mon @united! The flight attendant agreed it was NOT a window seat. He said he had never seen anything like this and while there was nothing he could do (full flight), he suggested I complain. This is me complaining…
Back to work tomorrow! So lots of reading time when you’re on an 8 plus hour flight!
King made it back to Newark on time, with the flight arriving 18 minutes ahead of schedule.
Does King Have A Point?
United’s Boeing 767-300s feature Polaris business class seats arranged in a 1-1-1 configuration. While every passenger has direct aisle access, some window-side seats are offset from the actual windows. In other words, you can select a seat labeled as a “window” seat and still find yourself staring at a wall instead of the Pacific Ocean.
I use a website called AeroLOPA to check seat maps for my aircraft (LOPA stands for Layout of Passenger Accommodations). That particular site does a wonderful job of displaying specific seating configuration and clearly showing, as would have been beneficial in this case, where windows are missing (which is quite a problem on the even-numbered A and L seats on United 767-300 (King was flying the “premium” 767-300 with 46 seats in business class, which I reviewed here).
While many on Instagram were unsympathetic to King’s “first-world problems,” I do think she has a valid gripe.
Yes, the seating information is technically available, as I outlined above, but it is not intuitive. Calling a seat a “window” seat when the window is nowhere near eye level sets passengers up for disappointment, especially on flights marketed as premium leisure experiences…her boarding pass very clearly says window.
In fact, it is this very disconnect between labeling and reality onboard that led to a class action lawsuit against United for a similar issue in ecnomy class.
> Read More: United Airlines Faces Class Action Lawsuit For Selling “Window Seat Without A Window”
Media Treated Like Royalty…
Just as a final side note, King, as well as many in the media, appear to enjoy generous perks from airlines like United. As you can see on her boarding pass, she has Global Services status on United, which is United’s unpublished, top-tier, invite-only status level for big spenders and VIPs. Members of the media also enjoy discounted excess baggage costs and special liaisons for bookings and upgrades.
CONCLUSION
Gayle King’s frustration is real, and many passengers would feel the same way in her position. While some roll their eyes and break out world’s smallest violin, her issue is a reminder that not all business class seats are created equal, even on the same aricraft in the same cabin. Whether flying a United 767-300 in the Polaris cabin or any other aircraft, travelers should double-check seat maps carefully. If a window matters to you, on any airline, it pays to verify that the window is actually there and AeroLOPA is a great source for that.
I’d feel the exact same way!!
Those who were unsympathetic were probably those who fly little and rarely upfront.
Yeah, United’s 787 is better than their 763 which is better than their 2-4-2 rear-facing 772 which is better than a 737 with a recliner which is better than the last-row middle-seat in Economy near the lavatory.
You’d think a GS realizes that some airplanes have seats without a window… unless that GS status is just a handout for (self) important people!
“…unless that GS status is just a handout for (self) important people!”
That part is true unfortunately. It’s been public knowledge for a while that United hands out GS to various self-important people – Congress critters, celebrities, national media figures, etc. Though I’m pretty sure the other airlines do as well.
I suspect she’s a comped GS who spends very little time flying United, but that’s just a guess.
That’s a bingo!
So does this come down to relabeling the window side to something else so there’s no expectation of a physical window, or labeling window seats without windows as such on every plane type a carrier has?
Just as United now has a disclaimer on seats in economy without an actual window, I think it’s reasonable to do the same thing in business class.
It’s actually crazy that they did that only for economy. Do they need separate lawsuits for each cabin to do the right thing?
No, could easily have been joined to the same lawsuit. Maybe King will join the class action?
Ah.. wasn’t aware the labels were already a thing.
It also reminds me of an old AA flight where I had a ‘middle’ seat but it had no window seat in the row as it was next to the emergency exit. I can’t find it on Aerolopa but I distinctly remember that big space and the window seat in the row behind basically had unlimited leg room.
They would have to set up something like “windowless” seat category and that would take some effort/time when it would be rarely used. I can see someone unhappy but compared to most things it is a minor issue.
So instead of reading she was going to look out the window for 8 hours? Is this any different than when Inflight entertainment goes down?
I agree it’s semi false advertising but she’ll live. No one is harmed by this, especially not her. But if she complains she will get some much needed miles for her trouble.
King expected something and has a justifiable complaint (disappointment) . That said, she arrived safely and on time to read the news. I imagine the job would make one empathetic to greater problems than a brief dissatisfaction.
If my best friend was a billionaire who operates a G700, I know we would have been riding that back to New York and not slumming it on a commercial flight.
Ms King needs to get over herself. Yeah, it’s a bad seat. Caveat emptor.
Per the COC Seat assignments aren’t guaranteed, so regardless of what she chose, or what her ticket says, I don’t think her gripe really has any merit.
Was on a paid Business Class ticket on KLM LAX-AMS scheduled to be a 777. Looked on AeroLOPA and found a great window seat that had a window. Was really looking forward to the arrival views.
A day before the flight KLM did an equipment swap to a 787 but my seat remained the same. While I don’t mind that aircraft in general, my seat didn’t have a window (just a blank wall) and there were no other true window seats available. I was and still am mad so I’m with Ms. King. But so far I haven’t send a complaint email – not sure who I’d send it to as it was a Virgin Atlantic ticket flying on KLM metal.
Did you at least still get your delft blue house??
I did! I suppose all is forgiven.
You were understandably disappointed, but you haven’t complained to anyone yet– which is a pretty normal thing to do in your situation.
Gayle King spent New Year’s in Maui and when her business class seat back to the east coast didn’t have a window, she directly complained to 1.1 Million people– many of whom will likely never go to Maui, even in economy. I think this is what kills my sympathy for her.
Although I think she is exposing herself as an ignorant traveller, I can understand her being disappointed. I think complaining to a million people about it is an inappropriately disproportionate response. I think complaining to poor people (some of those million have to be poor, right?) that your business class flight home from New Year’s in Maui lacked a window is very inconsiderate.
I agree. It’s a personal customer service issue and it’s specifically the lack of window situation that I’m with her on. Yet it’s not something that needs to be shared with over a million people. These business class tickets are far from cheap and I don’t see myself publicly belly-aching over such a first world issue to people living hand-to-mouth.
It is my understanding that ‘window seat’ does not necessarily reflect the presence of a window. In general, coach, there are 3 possibilities: window, middle and aisle. These designate where you are seated in the row. In Business or first class (on American planes)there are usually only 2 designations: window and aisle. Again ‘window seat merely designates the seat closest to the exterior of the plane. I thought this issue was even advocated once.
Always check aircraft seat maps attentively two or maybe three times!
It makes no difference if the passenger is someone who saved for months for this seat that said “window seat” OR a known celebrity journalist. Both would have a legitimate gripe who paid the same as those with a window. It is a bait and switch with the description. United has to know this is not accurate. Surely there are laws regarding false advertisement. There used to be. Where did they go?
This is a non-issue IMO. The big issue is that UAL First/Business Class service is terrible now. From no pre-departure drinks to no refills of wine in a 17 hour flight. They also take your drink and make you return your seat to upright even before the plane even descends or the pilot even says anything. Just terrible service. Trying to make every extra penny in profit and scared to death over law suits.
What are the odds this was the only “window” seat available for her seat assignment? It’s a cr@p seat. We here would never select it if others were available. The seat aims towards the aisle, unlike the “true” window seats in odd rows. It has no window and looks out to the back wall of the lav. Only 18A is equally bad. So, she or her assistant were lazy. Or, she had no choice. Did she pay for J or get a free upgrade with her status?
She used miles (165K).
Could be that she booked the very last seat? Not sure.
Did she get a “comped” Global Svcs status because she went on that dam astronaut ride??