Mental Block

When Pakistani monks didn’t want women next to them while flying

San Francisco: A woman passenger on board a United Airlines flight has complained of discrimination after her pre-booked seat had been changed for two "Pakistani monks" who did not want to sit next to a woman.

Mary Campos, who was leaving California on a plane bound for Houston, said her ticket was given away by the airlines because "She's a woman, and two men didn't want to sit next to a woman."

"I don't know how to tell you this," a gate agent said while handing her a new boarding pass. He then explained that due to the two passengers "cultural beliefs", they could not sit next to or talk to a woman, CBS Local reported.

Campos was told the men were Pakistani monks who were wearing long orange shirts. She says the female flight crew were not allowed to serve the men.

"We cant discriminate against half the population," Campos said, "for a belief from another nation."

"I thought I lived in a culture where females were equal to men," she said, adding that she was "shocked", but had no choice but to take her new seat, the report said.

"What if I were handicapped or transgender? What if your entire crew were female? Any belief that prevents individuals from interacting with females should not travel on commercial aircraft," she wrote in a letter to United Airlines.

The airline responded to say they would look into the matter, the report said.

"We regret that Ms Campos was unhappy with the handling of the seat assignments on her flight. United holds its employees to the highest standards of professionalism and has zero tolerance for discrimination," the airlines said in a statement.