Bed Bugs on Airplanes Are a Biting Problem
Amanda Pleva November 22, 2016
Imagine that you’re seated in business class on a long-haul transatlantic flight, drifting in and out of sleep after enjoying a little more food and wine than you really should have had. You pull up your blanket and notice something moving out of the corner of your eye. You’re seeing things, you think. You notice it again in another spot, and another one still, and you jump up in alarm as you realize that your blanket, and now your clothes, are crawling with something. As red linear and painful sores begin to emerge on your arms, legs and torso shortly afterward, you realize that the insects are something unfortunately familiar; they are bed bugs.
It’s the plot of a horrible nightmare. In fact, I imagine that you scratched compulsively while reading that. Horrifyingly enough, this scenario isn’t entirely fantasy. While there is little media coverage on the issue, bed bugs do hitch rides onto passenger aircraft and set up shop in their new environment onboard. Earlier this year, British Airways grounded a 787 after the pests and their eggs had been discovered onboard following repeated complaints from travelers. But complaints against the British flag carrier regarding bed bugs have been mounting over the last decade, and passengers as well as staff claim that the problem is being glossed over. The Mirror reports that, in September of this year, a passenger claimed to have been bitten repeatedly onboard his flight from Heathrow to Boston. Despite capturing one of the bugs and showing it to the crew, as well as photographing his bites immediately upon arrival, British Airways offered him a paltry £50 voucher toward future travel, but no apology to the man, who alleges he still bear the scars (likely some of them emotional) from the incident.
While BA seems to have borne the brunt of the media coverage, they are certainly not alone in dealing with this issue. Just think of how easy it is for bed bugs to make their way into an aircraft – you’ve got people shoulder-to-shoulder for hours at a time, luggage left stationary overhead, which perhaps was left on an infested hotel bed. The only surprise here is that there is very little news on the matter, but it’s an issue that has plagued cabins worldwide.
Airlines have a vested interest in keeping airplanes in the air. If a plane isn’t flying, it’s not making money. So, if we were to take a complaint such as bugs after a flight to the maintenance department, the most it would likely get would be a quick once-over and maybe a wipe down with antibacterial cleaner. If it’s not directly related to the safety of the aircraft, it will likely not be taken very seriously until a number of people were to complain. Better to apologize to a few people about it here and there and wait until the problem can no longer be ignored, is likely the logic in play.
The problem of bed bug infestation isn’t just one contained to the passengers, either. Widebody aircraft contain crew bunks for rest breaks, so one can’t expect a bed bug to discriminate between a bed on the ground and a bed in the sky. However, you’d be hard pressed to find an airline willing to take an aircraft out of service because employees made a claim of being bitten onboard. And this reluctance, reportedly, is beginning to bite them in the you-know-where. American Airlines, for example, is reportedly seeing a backlash from crews who feel that their voices aren’t being heard on the matter. Flight attendants claim that the airline has been simply removing the mattresses and rendering bunks unusable, yet keeping the affected planes in service as they await treatment – which has been allowing the problem to grow and spread through the cabin for days at a time, if not longer. And rather than treating the entire aircraft, where more bugs are likely to be found, the spraying is contained to the crew bunks. To make matters worse, the insecticides reportedly are not those used by professional exterminators but toxic sprays used by their own ground crews, and this is also supposedly making crew ill.
American has been shying away from referring to the problems as being from bed bugs – preferring to say crews have had “skin reactions” or similar language – but admit internally that there is, in fact, a problem. However, there is very little being said on the matter by the company to their employees, and crews have been refusing to work on the planes that haven’t been treated and continue service without disinfection.
I don’t want to make flyers more paranoid about onboard bed bug infestations than need be – more people that I’ve spoken to have heard about this issue than experienced it. But it’s one that the public ought to be aware of, and if you suspect you have been bitten by bed bugs on an aircraft, don’t wait to report it. Take pictures of the bites and of any possible bugs you’ve come into contact with. Once you’ve landed, contact customer service immediately and make sure you have all of your information regarding your flight – the date, flight number, seat number, etc.. Aside from that, the most important thing to do is to not be the one carrying the pests yourself. The EPA advises the following to protect yourself from bed bugs:
– Check around the edge of the mattress, headboard, and luggage storage areas when you travel.
– Never, ever put your suitcase on the bed! Use a luggage rack or desk, but not the bed where bugs can easily hitch a ride.
– Immediately upon arriving home, wash all clothes and dry at high heat to kill any potential bugs. Washing them won’t do the trick, but the heat will.
– Store luggage away from bed if possible at home between trips. And inspect luggage before putting it away for any bugs or eggs.
[Photo: Piotr Naskreck/CDC]
Why does it not surprise me that the bigwigs at American are also trying to sweep this under the rug? All I've seen from AA the past few years is a full-speed ahead attitude toward maximizing profits and minimizing customer service. Fortunately, the "lower level" employees- that is, the ones who really matter still get it. What a sad change from not long ago.
Bed bugs are extremely difficult to control, especially in an environment like an aircraft. You can spray, poison and try to exterminate them, however it may not be enough. There are so many nooks and crannies they can hide in on a plane. You literally would have to take the aircraft apart to do a proper job. Even if you do succeed, it is very likely a passenger is carrying them which starts the problem all over again. So from a cost and logistics standpoint I can easily see why airlines are hesitant to do something about it. Having said that however, this problem could get way out of hand over time if something isn't done about it. That means the airlines biting the bullet and taking these reports seriously. And also passengers need to be aware that they could be contributing to the problem.
Regardless of where one finds bed bugs I would suggest reporting it to the public health department as well as http://bedbugregistry.com. Further given the lack of attention to the matter calls to the press would not be out of the question. Some more details: http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-bedbug-laws.aspx
Thank goodness someone else has confirmed this occurrence on flights. I travelled on Emirates EK 15 from Dubai to Gatwick business class on 24 October 2016 (I paid for the upgrade before leaving Brisbane as a special treat). I remember getting bitten on my back 2/3 into the flight and after my arrival had terrible bed bug bites across my back, arms, legs and around my neck and face with photos to prove. I notified Emirates immediately as seat 25 needed to be treated and the linen checked. There response was: We have taken the opportunity of reviewing our flight records, and there have been no comments by any other passenger onboard of such an occurrence as described. All our aircraft are periodically sprayed as per recommendations. Further on some routes the aircraft are sprayed either prior to passengers boarding or once passengers have boarded. Additionally, our bedding are cleaned and placed in bags for delivery to the aircraft. Our contracted cleaners have strict guidelines to comply with, and hygiene assurance checks are in place to ensure that the level of cleanliness of not only the blankets, but also other provisions such as headrests and seat covers are consistently of a high standard. No doubt a standard response which is poor from an otherwise great airline. If anyone else has had a similar incident on Emirates please let me know. According to Emirates case closed with no compensation for a miserable few days of my holiday.
Many flight crew put their suitcases in the bathroom/ bathtub. Via a flight, my sister was the unfortunate recipient of these unwanted bedbugs a few years ago. After visiting my home, she flew back to her home on USAir (at the time). Other passenger bags in the overhead compartment was where the beg bugs came from (certainly not from my house). Apparently putting her bag in the overhead compartment did the trick. Got home, of course the bag went into the bedroom and just a few days later her son and daughter first felt the effects. $1300 extermination bill. It's horrible. My nephew's bed had to be thrown out (wood frame). They infest frames, mattresses, wall light fixtures, etc. What are we supposed to do now, worry about the overhead compartments ?? Lesson learned -- store the bag in the garage or elsewhere outside the house. Inspect it first with a "fine tooth comb"; wash all items, etc. Y.U.C.K. !!!!