A New York woman reported that during a United Airlines flight from Rochester to Newark on 3 September, she was subjected to sexual harassment by a passenger who was masturbating whilst staring at her. When she alerted flight staff, she was told to stand for the remainder of the one-hour flight rather than move seats. During landing, she was compelled to return to her seat next to the offender, who subsequently left the aircraft without facing any consequences. The incident raises serious concerns about airline protocols for handling sexual harassment and passenger safety.

The woman, a paediatric crisis therapist, described the offender as a man in his mid-to-late thirties wearing hiking trousers and a t-shirt. She was told to remain standing because no alternative seating was available; however, when forced to sit during landing, she endured the situation for longer than the promised three to five minutes. Upon arriving at the terminal, she received a dismissive response from an airline agent who, when asked about the passenger potentially being on a connecting flight, replied: "What am I supposed to do about it?" United Airlines subsequently offered her $100 in compensation and an option to communicate only via email. The airline's initial response was criticised by the woman for its use of euphemistic language, characterising public masturbation merely as "behaviour that caused you concern."