A passenger on a United Airlines flight claims she had to return to her seat next to a man who, according to her, was masturbating while looking at her during the flight. As compensation, the airline offered her only a $100 credit.
The incident occurred on September 3 as the 25-year-old woman was traveling from Rochester, New York, to Newark Liberty International Airport on a flight operated by United Express partner Republic Airways. She described the man, whom she estimated to be between 35 and 40 years old, as initially appearing “unassuming” and “pretty normal looking,” until the situation escalated. She reported the incident to the flight attendants soon after it began, as NBC News detailed.
“I just got the sense [he] had done it before,” she recounted. “People don’t just do those things at 6 AM.” The woman indicated that the man was staring at her while allegedly engaging in the act, prompting her to quickly seek help from the flight crew.
In response, United Airlines stated, “The safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority. We take these matters seriously and are looking into what happened.” They added that they had contacted the woman to apologize for her experience.
Initially, the flight attendants allowed her to leave her seat, but the flight was at full capacity, so she stood in the aisle to avoid sitting next to the man. Eventually, the flight attendants told her she had to return to her seat for landing.
While she was initially informed she would only need to sit beside the man for about five minutes before landing, she later claimed she had to remain there much longer.
After the flight landed, the man was reportedly allowed to leave the plane without any intervention from the crew, and the woman subsequently filed complaints with both United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration. She also contacted the FBI on her own.
According to reports, United provided her with a $100 flight credit, although she mentioned that the trip had cost her around $400.
United Airlines mentioned they are “looking into this report” but did not clarify whether law enforcement has been contacted regarding the incident.
