United Airlines Passenger Says She Stood To Escape Masturbating Seatmate Only To Be Sent Back Because Flight Was Full

A United Airlines passenger says she begged flight attendants for help after she discovered the man beside her was allegedly masturbating, only to be ordered back into the same seat because there were no other available seats.

The 25-year-old paediatric crisis therapist from western New York told NBC News the ordeal unfolded aboard United Express Flight 3626, operated by an Embraer E175, from Rochester International Airport (ROC) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on 3 September 2026.

She was permitted to stand in the aisle for much of the flight after reporting the man but says she was told to return to her seat for landing because there were no other available seats.

United did not inform police of the incident, according to the passenger, and she said the man was allowed to leave the aircraft without any apparent intervention from law enforcement. United later offered her a $100 flight credit against a fare of about $400.

Woman Says She Was 'Purposely Trapped' Mid-Flight

The passenger, who was not identified, told NBC the flight departed at roughly 6 a.m. on 3 September. 'I just got the sense he had done it before. People don't just do those things at 6 a.m.,' she said.

A United employee later told her that protocol had not been followed and advised her to file a complaint with the airline. 'It is the first time I've been purposely trapped by people who were supposed to be helping me,' she told NBC.

She said flight attendants initially promised she would only have to sit beside the man for around five minutes before landing, but the wait stretched on far longer. Once the aircraft landed, she said, the man left the plane without any apparent intervention from law enforcement.

Passenger Calls United's Response 'Insulting'

In an email exchange reviewed by NBC, a United representative wrote: 'I can imagine how upsetting and uncomfortable it must have been to experience behavior from another passenger that caused you concern, particularly while seated in a location where you felt concerned.'

The passenger rejected that framing. 'Additionally, framing public masturbation as behavior that caused me concern implies that what occurred could somehow be perceived as acceptable,' she said, adding that 'I DID remove myself and ask for help.'

She noted that passengers had been removed from flights for what she regarded as lesser offences.

The airline declined to speak with her by telephone and did not confirm whether the crew had formally documented the incident, according to the passenger. She has since filed complaints with United and the Federal Aviation Administration, and has also informed the FBI.

United confirmed to TravelPulse that it is now investigating, with a spokesperson stating: 'We are looking into this report but don't have anything additional to share at this time.'

Previous Allegations Involving United

This is not the first time United has faced allegations concerning the handling of reports of in-flight sexual misconduct.

In 2018, the airline offered a female passenger $75 after she said a male seatmate exposed himself on a flight to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, with Chicago police later confirming that the airline had not contacted them, according to contemporaneous reports.

That passenger, Mikaela Dixon, said United security personnel questioned the man and released him, rather than ensuring police dealt with the incident. Dixon also said the airline's account of what happened changed after she pressed for answers, while United said it was reviewing the matter.

A separate lawsuit, filed by then-17-year-old passenger Monica Amestoy and her family, accused United of ignoring repeated complaints while a man allegedly masturbated under a blanket across the aisle during a flight from New York to Los Angeles.

The complaint alleged that a flight attendant described the man's conduct as 'disgusting' but took no further action, and that Amestoy's father ultimately alerted police after the flight.

Federal law also provides jurisdiction over certain crimes committed within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States under 49 U.S.C. § 46506. The provision covers specified offences, including certain sexual abuse offences, and separately addresses indecent exposure in circumstances covered by the statute.

The FBI has previously reported a rise in sexual assaults reported aboard aircraft, with the number increasing from 38 cases in 2014 to 63 in 2017. The agency has also encouraged passengers to report incidents, while contemporaneous reporting noted that some incidents may go unreported.

For the Rochester passenger, the outcome has left her questioning whether the airline's policies protect passengers at all, with her complaints now filed with United and federal authorities.