A passenger claims they found a bed bug crawling up her pants mid-flight while sitting in first class during a trip from NYC to Detroit with American Airlines.
The flyer posted about the incident on Reddit on October 7 and shared a photo of the pesky crawler. In the comments of their initial post, they explained that they let the insect climb on their finger so they could put it on a napkin. The poster claimed that the bed bug tried to bite her finger. Once they showed the insect to a flight attendant, the cabin crew member “promptly informed” the plane’s captain.
The passenger said they changed their clothes upon arriving at Detroit Metro Airport. In addition to hoping no other bed bugs were on her belongings, they filed a complaint with the airline. Interestingly, the flyer was skeptical that the plane was properly cleaned and scanned for more of the pests because the plane allegedly turned around “on time.”
[LGA/DTW] Bed Bugged on Flight Today
byu/HaddawayThrowaway978 inamericanairlines
Has American Airlines Commented On The In-Flight Bed Bug?
The poster alleged that the response they got from American Airlines was “extremely underwhelming.” According to them, the carrier said:
“Please accept my deepest apologies for the experience you’ve described. Our commitment to placing you at the center of all we do is unwavering, and your feedback underscores this commitment. Rest assured, your insights will be made available to our leadership team as we work to ensure we provide the high-quality customer experience you deserve.”
In a secondary follow-up, the airline said it credited the poster’s AAdvantage account “with 7,500 bonus miles.”
One of the commenters claimed that the bed bug wasn’t an adult, so the plane should be checked for the critter’s eggs. Based on the appearance of the insect in the post’s photo and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ‘s description, the onboard pest could have been a young bed bug, aka a nymph. The governmental agency says that, in general, adolescent bed bugs are translucent or whitish-yellow in color.
Several Reddiors were freaked out by the ordeal. One person described it as “nightmare fuel.” Another said the poster’s experience has “unlocked a new fear!”
