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Is Turkish Airlines Experiencing a Bedbug Problem?

Joe Cortez January 01, 2025

Flyers say they have found an unwanted passenger aboard Turkish Airlines flights: Bedbugs.

Bedbugs are often a problem seen in hotels around the world, creating serious problems for travelers and those in the hospitality industry. Can they also create aircraft troubles?

Flyers talking to The New York Times report they are allegedly experiencing bedbug problems across numerous flights with Turkish Airlines.

Bedbug Reports with Turkish Logged Throughout 2024

According to flyers talking with the newspaper, the bedbug issue dates back to earlier in 2024. In March, a flyer says she found a bedbug on her seat when she was flying from Johannesburg in South Africa to Istanbul. When she talked to a flight attendant about it, she claims the employee was dismissive about the accusations. When posting about it on social media, the flyer claims several other people shared their own stories about bedbugs flying with Turkish.

Two other passengers stepped up in October 2024 to accuse the airline of allowing the pests aboard their aircraft. Matthew Myers told The New York Times that he reportedly found bedbugs not only crawling on the seats but also falling from the ceiling. In his situation, he claims that several passengers changed seats, including one to the flight attendant’s jump seat. In another account, flyer Kristin Bourgeois claims she also experienced a run-in with bedbugs aboard a flight between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Istanbul. Her allegations include photos of where she says she was bitten over a dozen times.

According to the Mayo Clinic, bedbugs are usually the size of an apple seed and live inside upholstery, bedding, and other surrounding objects, biting hosts to suck their blood. Although they do not usually spread disease, their bites can be uncomfortable, causing irritation and “severe skin reactions” for as many as two weeks.

Turkish Airlines has not publicly commented about the allegations.

They aren’t the only airline to face accusations over bedbugs in the past year. Also in October 2024, The Independent reports an American Airlines flyer traveling from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York to Detroit claimed they found a bedbug crawling on them while traveling in first class. Citing subsequent social media posts, they say American awarded them 7,500 AAdvantage points as a “tangible apology.

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