PV_Premier

^^

rittenhousesq

I just wanted to reinforce what previous posts stated: first, you could have been bit before you got on the plane, as the bites can take a day or two to appear. Second, don't bring anything into your home that could potentially have been infected! These bugs are nasty and VERY difficult to get rid of!

DWooderson

Not to stray too far OT, but for articles that aren't easily launder-able (i.e. luggage), a water/rubbing alcohol mix from a spray bottle is supposed to kill the buggers. This is what my parents did and thankfully it worked.

xliioper

As noted above, the spots generally take several days to develop. Further, they often are not itchy (at least not initially). Also, you can't really tell a bed bug just by the spots. I've been in a hotel room with bed bugs (in Amsterdam) and the critters are quite visible. I'm skeptical of the various reports just based on itchy spots without an actual observation of the pest on the plane.

FlyerTom111

Bed bugs only come on mainline aircraft. They are doing everything they can to try and make the RJ's more attractive.

ani90

Why are you so positive it was bed bug bites? Have you had prior encounter with bed bugs? It would be most unusual for bed-bug bites to be itchy, especially so soon after the bite - that would defeat the very object of their nocturnal existence which is to prey on humans month after month without detection. Itch wouldn't make sense as they would be detected (and eradicated) soonest.

rittenhousesq

Actually you should use straight 91% rubbing alcohol (spray in an area with good ventilation). Also, that will only kill the bugs, not their eggs, so you should re-spray in about a week.

zambonisk

Never seen that before on any flight but it doesn't surprise me, especially on UA.

I was supposed to be on that plane in 2L & 2K with my wife tonight. Thankfully as all of us know UA can't run an ontime operation and my flight is delayed over 2.5 hours because the inbound aircraft was missing crew. So glad I called GS when the flight took the delay and was offlined to DL in J, I would not have been happy had I read this and been on that plane one row behind the bedbugs.

FlyingNone

------------------
The OP was lucky, my sister was not so lucky and it happened on a USAir flight.
After leaving my house after a visit (and we definitely don't have bedbugs), she flew home on USAir, put her carry-on in the overhead compartment. She visited no one else with that bag nor did she stay in a hotel. Like everyone else brought her bag into her house upon arriving home and a few days later the bedbug problem was evident. Migrated to other bedrooms and about $1500 later (exterminator), at least two new mattresses and bedframes, the problem was solved. The exterminator people were excellent and even "exterminated" behind electric outlets and told her what to clean out, shake out and get rid of etc. Costly mistake because of the now third-world plagues in our "just a plane ride away" experiences.

relangford

Actually, bedbugs are making a come-back worldwide. With reduction in toxicity of pesticides and, possibly, resistance to pesticides, bedbugs are being more and more common after we (in the Public Health field) thought they were just a memory. I am in charge of pest management (among other things), and agree that bedbug bites usually take a number of hours to be felt. For some reason, bedbugs often bite three times in a row (a clue to bedbugs versus other biting insects), Wash any potentally contaminated clothing in HOT water and dry at HIGH heat. While some people say that alcohol is effective, you might consider a spray pesticide such as a pyrethroid on things that cannot be washed (be careful, though, on dyed fabrics and some plastics). One good thing, bedbugs do not carry disease although scratching the bites can lead to an infection; a small number of people have allergies to these bugs and might show a reaction sooner than others. Bedbug females can lay 200 - 400 eggs at a time, so you get an infestation quickly. Bedbugs can get anywhere in your house - even inside electronics and electric sockets - a certified pest controller is needed in an infestation. Sorry to hear about your uncomfortable trip.

lexdevil

Flea bites are often in threes as well. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/001329.htm

steve64

An "old wives tail" that I've heard ... and believe as it fits my experience with the bed buggers ...

The 3 or 4 bites will all be in a line, not random.
If I remember the explanation correctly ... they don't have suckers like a mosquito. They bite, you bleed, they lick, you clot. They're very good at sensing heat and can follow your blood vessel. So once bite #1 clots, they can tell exactly where to go for bite #2

sogboulder

I'm sorry you didn't like United's latest innovation in on-board dining. Insects are very nutritious, you know.

GBadger

Super... I'm on 6672 from LHR to IAH tomorrow. Also seated in row 1.

agjil

What the...if there actually were bedbugs in UA's aircraft, isn't this a big problem?
I hope UA pays serious attention to OP's email he sent in to report this.
Now that I think about it...how do airlines clean/sanitize their cabins?
Do they actually do anything other than just removing garbage?