A San Diego woman says a passenger masturbated next to her during a United Airlines red-eye flight from San Diego to Newark, and she believes the airline should have done more to protect and support her after she alerted the flight crew. The woman, who NBC 7 Investigates is not identifying becaus e she is the victim of a reported sex crime, said that she bought a first-class ticket specifically so she could recline and sleep during the overnight flight. But shortly after takeoff, while the seat belt sign was still on, she said she noticed jerking motions under a blanket next to her. She said the passenger was watching a pornographic video on his phone and masturbating. “I didn’t know what to do,” the woman told us. “I was frozen. Horrified…I’m essentially trapped in the window seat. I would have to climb over him because he’s got his seat fully reclined in order to get out.” The woman said she eventually got up, climbed over his seat and went to the flight crew. A flight attendant told her she would walk over to talk to him, she said.  I realized at that point, while I’m texting them, my whole body was shaking…Female San Diego Passenger The woman said the crew did not ask whether she was OK or whether she wanted to move seats.  “I’m having a trauma response of fawning, which is I’m trying to make it as easy as possible for these two women to help me. And in order to do that, I am apologizing to them and trying to make them feel comfortable helping me,” the woman told NBC 7 Investigates. A San Diego woman says a passenger masturbated next to her on a United Airlines flight and the airline should have done more to protect her and call law enforcement. She went to the lavatory and later returned to her seat. But back in her seat, next to the man she said she had seen pleasuring himself minutes earlier, she began texting her friends who worked as flight attendants.  “My friends were like, you need to get up and make them switch your seats immediately,” the woman said her friends told her. “You should not have to sit next to that person. That’s horrible. And I realized at that point, while I’m texting them, my whole body was shaking.”  So, she said she got up again and this time, she asked the flight attendants to move her.  “I said, ‘hey, I’m sorry to do this to you guys. I know you’re busy,’” she told us. “‘I can’t sit next to that person. I feel really uncomfortable. I feel really unsafe.’” The flight crew agreed to move her, and switched her with another passenger. The woman said the man left the plane without being stopped by police. She said she wasn’t told to contact the FBI until several days later, when she spoke with United customer service.  The woman said the airline should have offered to have police meet her at the gate so she could report what happened immediately. She said that did not happen. “He definitely wasn’t arrested because law enforcement was not contacted,” the woman told us. Airlines are not required to report passenger sexual misconduct to police or a federal agency. United did not agree to an on-camera interview. When we asked whether it reported the incident to the FBI, the airline did not provide an answer. United provided a statement that said, “We take this issue seriously. We spoke with the customer and apologized for her experience. We have also banned the other person involved pending our investigation.”    After NBC 7 Investigates reached out to United, a customer service supervisor called the San Diego woman. She recorded the conversation, which we reviewed. The supervisor said the airline fell short in how the flight crew handled the situation and in how her own department handled the woman’s complaint during her first call.  “She’s on my team. I heard the call, and I feel like we missed the mark on a lot. And I am first and foremost, I’m calling to tell you how really sorry I am about the whole situation that you experienced,” said the United supervisor to the San Diego woman.  Second recent alleged masturbating incident onboard a United Airlines flight Last month, United made national headlines, after a New York woman told NBC News that she felt “trapped” on her flight from Rochester to Newark. She said flight attendants forced her to go back to her seat for landing, next to a man she said was masturbating earlier in the flight.  The airline later refunded the woman $100 for her $400 ticket. The news report prompted 28 members of the Democratic Caucus to sign a letter to United CEO Scott Kirby, slamming the airline for its response to the incident, and demanding an overhaul of flight crew protocols and safety training.  The lawmakers gave United Airlines a deadline of Friday, Oct. 16, but neither the airline nor Kirby have published a formal response.  People are taking advantage of people that are asleep on an airplane. It’s often females, sometimes minor children.Oscar Medina, Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge, FBI San Diego However, the United customer service supervisor told the San Diego woman the other disturbingly similar case in New York hasn’t gone unnoticed by company leadership. “There is a lot of conversation around that. It definitely triggered a lot of conversation in our leadership meetings,” the supervisor told the San Diego passenger. “Somebody may not have witnessed it, but it happened, right? If somebody is reporting it, it happened… We need to take that seriously.”  The supervisor also agreed that flight crews should better support victims and involve law enforcement. United offered the woman either $1,000 in travel credit or 50,000 miles. She accepted the miles. The San Diego woman told NBC 7 Investigates she reported the incident to the FBI herself days after the flight. The FBI typically doesn’t confirm if it’s investigating any case, and would not comment about this incident, but Assistant Special Agent in Charge Oscar Medina of the San Diego field office said reports of lewd acts and sexual assaults on airplanes are increasing. “They’re serious crimes,” Medina told us. “People are taking advantage of people that are asleep on an airplane. It’s often females, sometimes minor children. These people are trying to use the confined space and opportunity to take advantage of people, and they need to be brought to account, they need to be held to, brought to justice and prevent these types of future crimes from occurring or them being able to exploit other people.” Medina said most sexual assaults on airplanes happen on longer, nighttime flights when the cabin is dark, although they can happen on any flight at any time of day. He said attackers are almost always men, while victims are usually sitting in middle or window seats, where they can be cornered. “I find it hard to believe that in a lot of these instances, it’s the first time they’ve ever tried it,” Medina said. “They probably are doing some type of behavior in advance to evaluate whether they believe that person will report it or act. So, yes, they’re looking to take advantage of people and while they’re vulnerable, while they’re asleep or not paying attention.” The FBI shared data from the TSA, which said it had received 157 reports of sexual misconduct or sexual assault on flights this year. Medina said the number of cases has increased in the past several years, but couldn’t say why there’d been an uptick. FBI provides tips on what passengers should do after an incident Medina advised passengers to move away from their seats as soon as they feel uncomfortable and to alert a flight crew member that they do not feel safe and need another seat. He also advised passengers to make sure other passengers or crew members know what is happening because they may become witnesses for the FBI. If an airline does not call the FBI, passengers can contact the agency themselves after landing at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Medina said contacting the FBI promptly can allow agents at the airport to interview witnesses before they leave. “I’d like to say start off by saying I’m sorry that that happened to them,” Medina told us. “I’m a husband. I have twin daughters who fly, as well. It’s terrible that this kind of thing happens, and it’s something we have to worry about, but it’s never too late to take action, right? If you have information that you want to report, feel free to report it. And we’ll look into it.” For women traveling alone, Medina also recommended choosing an aisle seat. ...read more read less