Woman Says Seatmate Masturbated on United Flight
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 6 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 25-year-old passenger said she was sexually harassed by the man seated next to her on United Airlines Flight 3626 from Rochester, New York, to Newark Liberty International Airport on September 3. According to her account, the man, estimated to be about 35 to 40 years old, stared at her and masturbated during the flight, prompting her to seek help from cabin crew. She said her request to change seats was not granted, and she stood in the aisle for nearly the entire roughly one-hour journey to avoid him. After landing, she filed complaints with United Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, while United later said it had opened an internal investigation
Key Points
- The incident was reported to have happened at about 6am on September 3 aboard United Airlines Flight 3626 from Rochester to Newark
- The woman, a 25-year-old child crisis psychotherapist, said the man beside her looked ordinary and initially did not stand out
- She said the man, described as around 35 to 40 and wearing hiking pants and a T-shirt, masturbated while staring at her
- She told cabin crew immediately, but said she was only allowed to stand in the aisle because the flight was full
- For landing, she said a flight attendant told her to return to the same seat for “three to five minutes”, though the process took longer
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong travellers, the case raises concerns about how airlines handle alleged in-flight sexual misconduct when no alternate seat is available. It also points to the practical gap between reporting an incident in the cabin and obtaining an immediate protective response before landing