No one wants to experience a bed bug infestation. The pests multiply like crazy and leave behind horrible, itchy bites in their wake. Most people are on alert for them at hotels and Airbnbs, but few would say they look for them on airplanes.
Unfortunately for one passenger, that’s exactly where they found at least one of the critters.
A bed bug crawled on an American Airlines passenger who was seated in first class.
An anonymous Redditor, who said they wanted to provide as little personal information as possible to “avoid doxxing” themselves, shared a photo of the unwelcome guest they found on their American Airlines flight from LaGuardia to Detroit Metro.
“Found this bed bug crawling on my leg mid-flight (LGA to DTW),” they stated. “I was seated in first class. I put it on the cocktail napkin to show the flight attendant who promptly informed the captain using the phone/intercom.”
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The passenger took all appropriate measures to try to avoid an all-out bed bug infestation.
“I had to change my clothes in the airport and bagged them,” they said. “They are being washed right now. Hoping no stragglers got on my backpack or checked bag during the clothing swap. I already logged a complaint with American Airlines.”
Later, in an update, the passenger shared their “extremely underwhelming response” from American Airlines.
“Please accept my deepest apologies for the experience you’ve described,” it read. “Our commitment to placing you at the center of all we do is unwavering, and your feedback underscores this commitment.”
“Rest assured, your insights will be made available to our leadership team as we work to ensure we provide the high-quality customer experience you deserve.”
Naturally, the passenger was not satisfied with this reply, which they described as a “canned response.”
To make matters even worse, the passenger said that as soon as the plane landed, it turned around and left again.
“I am mostly concerned with American Airlines’ lackadaisical response … and the fact that they turned the plane right around (back to LGA) without any delay,” the passenger explained. “So it’s clear to me they did not do any type of enhanced cleaning or extermination.”
American Airlines later got in touch with the passenger again after they implied that the first message they sent was “insufficient.” The airline apologized again and “credited [their] AAdvantage account with 7,500 bonus miles.”
The passenger did not find this any more reassuring and said, “I can’t blame them for the bug being there initially but can certainly judge them by their response after being notified.”
Bed bugs can be found on airplanes, although it’s unclear how often this happens.
Different sources provide different information regarding the frequency of bed bug sightings on planes. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said bed bugs “are rarely found in planes, trains and motor vehicles.”
Others suggested this may not be entirely accurate. Abell Pest Control stated, “Many people who are taking a trip only expect to see them in hotels. This isn’t always the case, as sometimes bed bugs can end up on your method of transportation too. One place bed bugs are becoming more common is airplanes.”
They continued, “This isn’t good, as people can be confined for several hours at a time, letting bed bugs really get into people’s possessions.”
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While there may be some disagreement regarding the prevalence of bed bugs on airplanes, it makes sense that they could appear there. After all, many people pick up bed bugs while traveling and staying at places other than their own homes. And what transportation do they use while traveling? Planes.
While there’s certainly no reason to be concerned about some kind of mass infestation, it is important to take note that bed bugs can be found almost anywhere. It’s essential to remain alert.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
