Woman Reports United Airlines Ignored Masturbation on Flight, Offered $100 Credit
A 25-year-old passenger says crew forced her back to her seat next to an offending man and a gate agent responded 'What am I supposed to do about it?'
What to know
- A United Airlines flight attendant forced a 25-year-old passenger back to her seat next to a man who had been masturbating on a September 3 flight, citing that the flight was full.
- The offending man reportedly left the plane without consequences; United's gate agent dismissed the passenger's complaint and the airline offered only a $100 credit for a $400 ticket.
- The passenger has filed complaints with the FAA and FBI; United says it is 'looking into' the report but has not confirmed whether law enforcement was notified or whether any action was taken against the man.
- The woman objected to United's language in response emails, which characterized public masturbation as 'behavior that caused you concern' rather than acknowledging the severity of the incident.
United Airlines handled the situation inexcusably and failed in its duty to protect passengers from sexual harassment.
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“United employees forced a 25 year old woman to return to her seat next to a man who was masturbating because the flight was full.”
@shannonrwatts · X ↗
“I DID remove myself and ask for help. Additionally, framing public masturbation as 'behavior that caused me concern' implies that what occurred could somehow be perceived as acceptable.”
25-year-old passenger, Complainant · NBC News (Daily Wire) ↗ · Sep 22
25-year-old passenger Complaint filed with United, FAA, FBIUnited Airlines Airline operator and defendant
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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NBC News publishes account; woman criticizes United's response language
The woman told NBC News about the incident and objected to United's characterization of the behavior as merely 'behavior that caused you concern,' saying it implied the masturbation could 'be perceived as acceptable.' She stated she had removed herself and asked for help.
“It is the first time I've been purposely trapped by people who were supposed to be helping me.”
— 25-year-old passenger -
1 outlet ‘What Am I Supposed To Do About It?’: Woman Says Airline Shrugged Off Man Masturbating Next To Her
first by Daily Wire, 13h ago
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United employees forced a 25 year old woman to return to her seat next to a man who was masturbating because the flight was full. After landing, the airline told the woman it was her responsibility to contact police and gave her a $100 travel credit.
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Gate agent dismisses passenger complaint; United offers $100 credit — After landing, the woman approached a United gate agent who responded dismissively. She filed complaints with United and the FAA and contacted the FBI. United offered a $100 flight credit despite the ticket costing about $400.
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Passenger reports incident; crew allows her to leave seat but forces return for landing — The woman immediately alerted flight attendants, who allowed her to stand in the aisle for about an hour. Because the flight was full, she was told she had to return to her seat next to the man for landing, despite telling them 'on multiple instances' she was uncomfortable. The man walked off the plane without facing any consequences.
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Man masturbates next to passenger on United flight — A 25-year-old woman on a United Airlines flight from Rochester to Newark noticed the man next to her masturbating while staring at her at 6 a.m. She described him as appearing 'normal looking' and 'unassuming,' between 35-40 years old.