Bed bugs have taken to the skies. In a recent Reddit post, one user claimed that, while flying on American Airlines, a bedbug climbed up their leg.
While traveling from New York to Dallas in the first class section of the airplane, the poster said they encountered a bed bug, which left them “sufficiently freaked out.”
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“I saw the bug crawling on my pant leg while I was reading my book,” the person wrote. “It was a sharp contrast to the dark pant color. I was able to have it climb on my finger and then put it on the napkin… Damn thing tried to bite my finger! SO GROSS!!”
After encountering the creepy crawly, the poster said they told the flight, who alerted the captain. When the plane landed, the poster said they changed their clothes in the airport and bagged them.
“Hoping no stragglers got on my backpack or checked bag during the clothing swap,” they wrote.
The flyer also said they logged a complaint on the airline’s website. The passenger didn’t have faith that the situation was being taken seriously, though.
“They turned the plane around on time,” they claimed, “… so I can’t believe they cleaned it properly.”
Eventually, the poster did hear back from the airline. In a post, they shared the “extremely underwhelming” email they said they received.
“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,” the response read. “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.”
Frighteningly, Orkin, a pest control company, confirms on their website that bedbugs “can survive on a plane and other forms of transportation like trains or cars.”
The company further notes, “Bed bugs can hide in the plane seats, overhead bins, other passenger luggage and bags, or on clothes.”
Worse than the airplane movie getting stuck on a sex scene? Yeah, actually. Seems worse.
