Believe it or not, bedbugs can make their way onto your aircraft.
Many travelers live in fear of bed bugs. The small pests are most commonly found in hotel rooms. However, a couple of years ago, visitors to Paris learned that nearly an entire city can become infested. In Paris, bed bugs were stopped everywhere, from movie theatres to the metro.
Unfortunately, airplanes aren’t immune. To the horror of passengers everywhere, bed bugs have been found on several airplanes as well.
What Are Bedbugs?
Most people have heard of bed bugs. These tiny, reddish-brown insects are about the size of an apple seed, explains Louisa Messenger, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. They usually hide in crevices and fabric folds, she says. Once someone is exposed to bed bugs, they can be difficult to eradicate. And they aren’t just gross. They can cause itching and serious health issues as well.
Are There Any Ways to Avoid Bedbugs on Planes?
If bed bugs hitched a ride on your plane, they are difficult to avoid, Messenger says. However, there are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of bed bugs following you to your hotel or home, she says.
First, choose a hard-shell suitcase over fabric, she recommends. Second, wear light-colored clothing to make bed bugs easier to spot, she says. Finally, avoid placing clothing or bags directly on the floor or under seats, Messenger says. Instead, place your items in the overhead bin.
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Additionally, don’t place anything in your seatback pocket, advises Nicole Carpenter, president of Black Pest Prevention. Putting your suitcase in a plastic cover and using a seat cover that can be washed can also help. She also recommends choosing a window seat. “There’s just less traffic over there,” so your chances of being exposed to bed bugs from passengers walking down the aisle is lower, she explains.
What Are the Signs of Bedbugs on a Plane?
If the thought of bed bugs on a plane repulses you, inspect your seat before you settle in for your flight. It’s rare to find a live bed bug crawling on your seat, headrest, or carpet, Messenger says. However, there may be other telltale signs. Look for “small dark spots or stains on seats, seatbelts or tray tables,” including hinges, she suggests. These spots may be bed bug feces or bloodstains, she explains. You may also spot skins that bed bugs have shed or eggs in seat seams or crevices, she says.
For a more thorough inspection, use your phone’s camera with the flashlight on while you are searching, advises Carpenter. Since bed bugs “glow slightly due to their translucent exoskeletons, the flashlight can help make them more visible,” she explains. Taking close-up videos of the seams in your seat and tray table hinges, then zooming in can also help, Carpenter says. “A magnified view often reveals what the naked eye misses,” she says.
Another way to check for bed bugs on a plane is to use a lint roller to clean your seat, headrest, and armrests before you sit down, Carpenter says. “If you pick up tiny brown specks, that could be bedbug droppings,” she says. However, she cautions that brown specks can also be crumbs from food. Take a close look at what you pick up before panicking.
What Should You Do if You Notice Bed Bugs on a Plane?
If your inspection reveals bed bugs, ask a flight attendant for a seat change, Carpenter recommends. If they allow you to change seats, “choose one in a different row or section,” she advises. However, “if they reject you, use a plastic bag and cover the seat,” if you can she recommends.
Carpenter also suggests taking a video and photos showing signs of bed bugs. That way, you can “file a complaint with the airline later,” she says. Because it can be difficult to trace the source of bed bugs, it may be hard to get compensation from an airline. However, if you have documentation, it may help.
How Can You Tell if You Have Been Exposed to Bedbugs on a Plane?
Even if you check for bed bugs, you may miss them. If you get off your flight and notice unexplained bites in clusters or lines on exposed skin, such as above your sock line, you may have been exposed to bedbugs during your flight, Messenger says. If you are allergic to bed bugs, you may also notice a localized, itchy reaction at the bite site, asthma-like symptoms, nasal congestion, sneezing, hives, or eczema, she adds.
What Should You Do Before You Leave the Airport?
If you think you may have been exposed to bed bugs on your flight, there are a few things you can do before you leave the airport.
First, change your clothing in an airport restroom and put the clothes you wore on the plane in a sealed plastic bag, Carpenter recommends. “If you can’t change clothes, just turn your outer layers inside out and shake them out vigorously in the airport restroom before heading out,” she advises. Then, if you have a lint roller, “use it on your clothing and bags to pick up any hidden bugs or eggs,” she says. Finally, if you can, put your other carry-on items in sealed plastic bags.
What Should You Do Once You Get to Your Hotel or Home?
When you get to your hotel or home, although it may be difficult, Messenger advises that you avoid sitting on upholstered furniture, such as a bed or sofa, until you are certain you do not have bed bugs on your clothing. To be safe, Captender recommends stripping off your clothing and taking a shower before sitting down.
If you can, place your suitcase on a tile surface, luggage rack, or balcony to unpack, Carpenter recommends. Under no circumstances should you put your suitcase on the carpet or bed, she advises. If your room has a bathtub, Messenger suggests placing your suitcase there because bed bugs cannot crawl up smooth surfaces.
Then, inspect your clothing and anything you had with you in the airplane cabin carefully, Carpenter advises. “If it’s clean, great,” she says. If not, place your clothing in the laundry right away, either in your home washing machine or by using the hotel’s laundry service.
Although bed bugs are less likely to cling to non-fibrous materials like your toiletries, Carpenter recommends storing everything that can’t be washed in a sealed plastic bag. “Before using anything, rinse it with hot water or wipe it down with a damp cloth,’ she advises.
You can also buy bed bug spray at your destination as an extra step, Carpenter says. The TSA does not allow bed bug repellant designed to be sprayed in the air or on the insect in either checked or carry-on luggage, so this isn’t something you can plan for in advance.
