Passengers on Turkish Airlines have recently had cause to seriously question whether bedbugs are hitching a ride with them during flights.
Few passengers claimed to have encountered infestations on at least three flights within recent months. The airline made paltry payments in some instances but dismissed complaints in others, leaving travelers dissatisfied and upset.
Shocking Encounters with Bedbugs
As The New York Times reported, 28-year-old Matthew Myers reported a nightmare that took place during his flight from Istanbul to San Francisco with his girlfriend in October.
Myers said that a passenger actually saw bedbugs falling from the ceiling and landing on the chairs. Some even plopped on the lap of a passenger. That caused one traveler to switch to the jump seat of a flight attendant to get away from it all.
Despite the scary situation, Turkish Airlines allegedly offered Myers a meager 10% discount on future travel, good for only two months.
"Multiple passengers were asking to move seats after discovering bugs," Myers told the Times.
Similarly, Kristin Bourgeois, a 37-year-old science teacher, found bedbugs on her blanket and pillow on a 10-hour flight from Washington Dulles Airport in the same month. Bourgeois later found 13 bite marks on her body and took photos of the experience.
The airline requested a medical report before conducting an investigation after filing a complaint. Bourgeois stated that her flight history was deleted from the airline's app and she was compensated with 5,000 frequent flyer miles.
Bedbug Infestation in Turkish Airlines Reached Social Media
Patience Titcombe, one of the passengers, claimed that she saw a bedbug in her seat when she was flying from Johannesburg to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines.
"Bedbugs on our inbound flight to IST is every traveler's nightmare!!! @TurkishAirlines," Titcombe posted on X.
Although a flight attendant removed the bedbug, Titcombe's complaint was dismissed, Business Insider reported. Even after sending pictures and filing complaints through email and Facebook Messenger, Turkish Airlines claimed that no record of the incident existed.
A Wider Bedbug Problem
Reports of the appearance of bedbugs on Turkish Airlines flights come at a time when the world is raising alarm against bedbug infestations.
In 2023, Paris experienced the most publicized infestation this year as these pests invaded public transport systems. South Korea had already initiated its drive targeting transport stations to track down these insects.
Silence from Turkish Airlines
As of now, Turkish Airlines has not issued a formal response to the bedbug complaints reported by The New York Times. The lack of acknowledgment has further fueled passengers' frustrations and left many questioning the airline's commitment to customer satisfaction and safety.
Rising Awareness and Precautions
Such incidents are becoming increasingly frequent, and therefore it becomes essential to take pre-emptive measures against bedbug infestation in public sectors, especially in the airline sector.
Travelers should be aware of their surroundings, check their seating areas, and report any anomaly to the crew so that necessary action can be taken.
Turkish Airlines is now under extreme pressure to address the allegations. If they are really listening to the customers, they should improve their pest control measures to regain the public trust.
Only time will tell if the airline takes meaningful action to resolve these concerns.
Back in 2023, the bedbug epidemic was a thing in hotels, particularly, those in the UK. To combat this annoying problem, UK hotels adopted a combination of traditional and modern technologies to slow down the infestations.
