Key Takeaways
- United Airlines is investigating a 25-year-old passenger’s allegation that a man masturbated while staring at her on a Sept. 3 flight from Rochester to Newark.
- She says the crew let her stand in the aisle but made her return to the seat beside him for landing, after which he left without being questioned.
- United offered her a $100 travel credit and described the incident as “behavior from another passenger that caused you concern”; she has filed complaints with the airline and FAA and contacted the FBI.
United Airlines is investigating an incident in which a passenger alleged she sat next to a man who masturbated while staring at her during a flight and crew members later required her to return to the seat beside him for landing.
"We are looking into this report but don't have anything additional to share at this time," a United spokesperson told People.
The unnamed 25-year-old passenger, who works as a pediatric crisis therapist, was traveling from Rochester, New York, to Newark Liberty International Airport on Sept. 3 before connecting to Boston for Labor Day weekend.
She described the man sitting beside her as approximately 35 to 40 years old and "pretty normal looking," wearing hiking pants and a T-shirt.
The passenger alleged that during the roughly hour-long flight, which departed around 6 a.m., the man began masturbating while looking at her.
"I just got the sense [he] had done it before," she said. "People don't just do those things at 6 a.m."
After alerting the flight crew, the woman said she was permitted to leave her seat and remained standing in the aisle for much of the flight. But when the plane began preparing to land, she claims crew members told her no other seats were available and instructed her to return to her original spot beside the man.
"On multiple instances, I said I feel uncomfortable doing that," she recalled.
Because her seat was toward the back of the aircraft, she said she remained near the man while other passengers exited after landing. He was then allegedly able to leave the plane without being questioned or detained.
The woman said she subsequently approached a gate agent about what happened and was met with the response, "What am I supposed to do about it?"
United later contacted her by email, referring to the alleged incident as "behavior from another passenger that caused you concern." The airline also provided her with a $100 travel credit after she paid roughly $400 for her trip.
The passenger objected to the airline's characterization of what she said happened.
"I DID remove myself and ask for help," she said. "Additionally, framing public masturbation as 'behaviour that caused me concern' implies that what occurred could somehow be perceived as acceptable."
According to the passenger, a United employee later acknowledged that proper protocols had not been followed.
She has since filed complaints with United and the Federal Aviation Administration and contacted the FBI. The FBI advises passengers who experience sexual misconduct aboard an aircraft to immediately notify flight crew so law enforcement can potentially meet the plane upon arrival.
United has not said whether authorities were contacted following the alleged incident. Its investigation remains ongoing.
