Bedbug saga: First-class nightmare on American Airlines flight
One American Airlines passenger shared his experience online during a first-class flight from New York to Detroit. In his opinion, a pleasant journey quickly turned into a nightmare.
The passenger was reading a book during the journey when he suddenly felt something strange on his leg and noticed a bedbug climbing up his trousers. He described the incident on Reddit under the pseudonym @HaddawayThrowaway978. The post quickly garnered significant interest from internet users.
According to the passenger, the staff did not adequately address the problem
The man was travelling in business class on flight 4412 from La Guardia Airport when he noticed a small, brown insect.
"Found this bed bug crawling on my leg mid-flight," he wrote in the post, adding that he immediately showed the insect to a crew member. He also shared details of the conversation with the crew. The incident was reported to the captain, and the issue was reported to American Airlines through the official website.
The passenger pointed out that despite reporting the situation, the airline did not seem very effective in dealing with the problem.
"I just checked and they turned the plane around on time, so I can't believe they cleaned it properly," he explained, emphasising his concerns about whether the plane was sufficiently cleaned before the next flight.
The traveller filed an official complaint with the airline
Concerned by the situation, the traveller feared that the bedbug might have gotten into his luggage or backpack. After landing, he promptly changed clothes and washed everything he had worn on the flight. He hoped that no bedbugs had clung to his luggage and said he planned to report the incident to American Airlines.
The airline responded to his complaint by sending an official email in which they apologised for the situation and offered him compensation. However, the response from American Airlines was formal and did not satisfy the traveller.
"We understand how uncomfortable this experience was. We do everything to provide our customers with pleasant flights," the Reddit user quoted the American airline.
Comments under the post on the forum were full of outrage, with many people emphasising that the threat from bedbugs is much more serious than, for example, the presence of a cockroach. "It's not just an unpleasant encounter; bedbugs can be a real problem at home," one commenter noted.
Pest control experts recommend that passengers cover seats on board, avoid placing their luggage directly on aeroplane floors, and bring their pillows and blankets to minimise the risk of transferring insects.
According to specialists from the U.S. EPA, adult bedbugs are the size of an apple seed and have a brown, flat shape. However, young bedbugs, known as nymphs, are much lighter and more translucent.
