Bedbug horror on American airlines: First-class passenger's nightmare
One passenger on an American Airlines flight shared his experience online about traveling in first class from New York to Detroit. Initially pleasant, the journey quickly turned into a nightmare.
10:04 AM EDT, October 11, 2024
While reading a book during the flight, the passenger suddenly felt something strange on his leg and noticed a bedbug climbing up his pants. He shared the incident on Reddit under the pseudonym @HaddawayThrowaway978, and the post quickly gained significant attention from netizens.
According to the passenger, the crew did not handle the problem appropriately
The man was traveling in business class on flight 4412 from LaGuardia Airport when he noticed a small, brown bug.
"I knew it was a bedbug crawling on my leg during the flight," he wrote, adding that he immediately showed the insect to a crew member. He also shared details of the conversation with the crew. The captain was informed about the incident, and the problem was reported to American Airlines through the official site.
The passenger pointed out that despite reporting the situation, the airline did not seem very effective in dealing with the issue.
"I checked, and the plane returned to its route on time, so I don't believe they cleaned it properly," he explained, expressing concerns about whether the plane was adequately cleaned before the next flight.
The traveler filed an official complaint with the airline
Terrified by the situation, the traveler worried whether the bedbug had transferred to his luggage or backpack. After landing, he changed clothes and immediately washed the items he had worn during the flight. "I hope no bedbug remained on my luggage," he stated, also mentioning his decision to report the issue to American Airlines.
The airline responded to his complaint with an official email, apologizing for the situation and offering compensation. However, the response from American Airlines was formal and did not satisfy the traveler.
"We understand how uncomfortable this experience was. We are doing everything possible to ensure pleasant flights for our customers," the Reddit user quoted the airline.
Comments under the post on the forum were full of outrage, with many emphasizing that the threat posed by bedbugs is even more serious than that of a cockroach. "This is not just an unpleasant encounter; bedbugs can become a real problem at home," noted one commenter.
Pest control experts recommend that passengers cover seats on board, avoid placing their luggage directly on the airplane floor, and bring their own pillows and blankets to minimize the risk of insect transfer.
According to American EPA specialists, adult bedbugs are the size of an apple seed and have a brown, flat shape. In contrast, young bedbugs, called nymphs, are much lighter and more transparent.
