A United Airlines business class passenger, Jerome Gutierrez, suffered a deeply disturbing incident on flight UA189 from San Francisco to Manila on December 27th. While asleep, Mr. Gutierrez was urinated on by a fellow passenger. His stepdaughter, Nicole Cornell, recounted the ordeal, stating her father awoke to find himself “soaked from his stomach down to his feet” in the other passenger’s urine.
The situation was further exacerbated by the flight crew’s response. According to Ms. Cornell, the attendants instructed Mr. Gutierrez not to approach the offender, fearing a potential altercation. This left Mr. Gutierrez to endure the remaining eight hours of the flight in his soiled clothing. Ms. Cornell criticized United Airlines, asserting that the crew prioritized the airline’s interests over her father’s well-being and the potential biohazard created by the incident. She expressed outrage at the airline’s handling of the situation, stating, “I am so disgusted and in shock with how United Airlines handled this. That is a biohazard, and the plane should have turned around to address this issue.”
While the offending passenger subsequently apologized and pleaded with Mr. Gutierrez not to press charges, United Airlines confirmed a “passenger disturbance” occurred and that the individual has been banned from future flights. Philippine authorities were notified upon the flight’s arrival in Manila. This incident follows a similar case in 2023 involving an intoxicated passenger urinating on a female passenger aboard an Air India flight, highlighting a concerning pattern of disruptive behavior on international flights.