Woman says she got harassed on flight from Los Angeles to Colorado. Then she reached out to United for compensation: ‘They let it happen’
A woman has sparked discussion online after sharing a story about alleged harassment during a United Airlines flight. According to her, airline staff failed to intervene despite multiple warning signs during the trip.
TikTok creator Brookelyn Rose (@brookelynrosemusic) says the incident happened during a flight from Colorado to Los Angeles. In a video recounting the experience, she claims she has been trying to get a response from the airline for months.
What happened on this United flight?
“I need to tell y’all exactly what happened on my flight to L.A.,” she says at the beginning of the video. “It was absurd.”
According to her, a visibly intoxicated passenger boarded the United Airlines flight and initially sat in the emergency exit row despite not being assigned to that seat.
“They asked him to move,” she says. “And he just took the next open seat, which was the aisle seat in my row.”
She claims the man appeared intoxicated from the start.
“You could smell the alcohol on him,” she says. “He was slurring his words.”
At first, she tried to ignore him and focus on reading a book. But she says the man repeatedly turned toward her while wearing sunglasses, appearing to watch her throughout the flight.
Eventually, he started speaking to her.
“He starts asking what book I’m reading,” she says. “Then he starts hitting on me.”
Rose says she told him she was married, hoping to shut down the conversation.
“He goes, ‘Oh yeah, me too,’” she recalls. The man then allegedly began showing her photos of his family while leaning into her personal space.
“I was like, you know what, this is my area,” she says. “Why don’t you keep to your space?”
The Situation Escalates
According to Rose, the situation became more uncomfortable as the flight continued.
When beverage service came through the aisle, the man asked a flight attendant for a rum and Coke. She says the attendant declined the request and offered him a regular Coke instead.
“I appreciated that,” Rose says.
However, she claims she tried to signal to the flight attendant that she was uncomfortable.
“I was looking at her, trying to give eyes like, do something,” she says.
According to her, the flight attendant didn’t seem to pick up on it.
Later, when snack service began, the passenger asked for two bags of pretzels. Rose says he then tossed both bags directly into her lap.
“First of all, I did not want the pretzels,” she says. “And don’t come near me again.”
She says she again tried to catch the attention of the flight attendants through eye contact, hoping someone would move the man to another seat. According to her, there were empty seats elsewhere on the plane.
But she claims no one took action.
Rose says the situation crossed a more serious line shortly after.
It Gets Physical
“This man reaches over and touches my arm,” Rose says.
She says she immediately told him not to do that.
“I go, ‘I don’t like to be touched. Don’t touch me,’” she recalls, describing her tone as “smiling but stern.”
The man allegedly responded by saying she looked sad.
Rose says she tried to disengage again and continue reading. “I’m trying not to engage with you at all,” she says.
At one point, she attempted to press the call button above her seat to get help from a flight attendant. However, because of her height, she had to stand up slightly to reach it.
According to her, the man leaned toward her and pressed the button himself.
“So now I’m like… I’m so uncomfortable,” she says. “I feel trapped in my seat.”
She says she didn’t feel comfortable leaving her seat or walking past him to get help.
The most alarming moment, according to Rose, happened during the plane’s descent into Los Angeles.
When the pilot announced the initial descent, she says the passenger misheard the message and believed the plane would land within minutes.
“He starts losing his mind,” she says.
According to her, the man began yelling that the plane was going down and leaned over her toward the window.
“He’s not buckled,” she says.
She says the man then grabbed her arm and began shaking it.
“I said, ‘Get your [expletive] hands off me!’” she recalls shouting.
Rose says other passengers clearly heard the exchange but did not intervene.
“People turned their heads,” she says. “But no one did anything.”
The man eventually sat back down and did not touch her again for the remainder of the flight.
What Happened After the Plane Landed
Rose says the passenger quickly exited the plane after landing, and only then did other passengers begin approaching her.
“They were like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe that happened. Are you OK?’” she recalls.
She says some passengers told her they would report the situation to the flight crew. However, Rose claims the situation became confusing once authorities got involved.
According to her, other passengers began describing the incident to crew members as “sexual harassment,” while she says the physical contact and intimidation were the primary issues.
Police were also ultimately informed about the situation, she says.
Rose says she tried to remain empathetic toward the passenger despite everything that happened.
“He thought he was going to die,” she says, claiming it may have been his first flight.
Still, she says she believes the airline should have handled the situation differently.
“What I can’t understand is how United Airlines is doing nothing to help my situation,” she says.
According to Rose, she has spent months communicating with the airline and claims she has received no compensation or flight credit for the incident.
“They didn’t even give me a flight credit,” she says. “They said that’s not in our policy.”
Frustrated with the response, Rose says she ultimately decided to share her story publicly online.
“And now I have to come on here,” she says, “because this is the only way that things get done anymore.”
Commenters Say She Didn’t Do Enough to Get Help
In the comments section, the consensus was that she didn’t advocate for herself enough.
“While I feel bad for you, you need to understand,” one user wrote. “People don’t want to get involved as it could have been a very bad situation for everyone in the air. You should have stood your ground and asked for someone to move him or yourself.”
Another advised, “Get up, go speak to a flight attendant. Ask to be moved. If they won’t help, ask a male passenger sitting near you that can see what is happening to switch seats with you. Get up, if no turbulence and stand in the aisle. That should get you attention from the crew.”
Others defended her position, though. “Someone should have pressed a button and let an attendant know for sure! I am not sure why they didn’t as that was the right thing to do,” a third wrote. “I can’t believe you had to deal with this.”
Does United Airlines Refund Flights Due to Harassment?
On its refunds page, United Airlines says passengers can request refunds in limited situations, such as if a flight was delayed, if a passenger purchased a seat but was moved to one of lesser value, or if they were dissatisfied with add-ons they purchased.
However, there are, of course, unprecedented situations. In 2017, when United Airlines forcibly removed a man from an overbooked flight by dragging him across the aisle, every passenger on that flight received a refund.
@brookelynrosemusic (TW: harassment on a flight) I want to be fairly compensated for what I went through with United Airlines and have some justice. Internet, do your thing and help me please ? #fyp #story #plane #justice #share ♬ original sound – BrookelynRoseMusic
The Mary Sue has reached out to Rose via Instagram and Facebook messages for comment and additional information.
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