I promise I’m not a germaphobe or even a “bedbugophobe,” but in looking back at all the posts we’ve written since we started YMMV 7+ years ago, I’ve admittedly written a bunch of posts about bed bugs:
- How to see if your hotel has been reported for bed bugs
- How to ensure you don’t bring bed bugs home
- The U.S. cities with the most bed bugs, as ranked by Orkin (2024) (I also reported on their numbers in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020)
In my own defense, the critters have been something of the scourge of the earth for centuries. We even hoped/thought they would die out during the pandemic because there so many less people staying in hotels…but you know how that went.
Unfortunately, I just learned of another place where bed bugs like to hang out.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. A hotel room has bed bugs. They attach themselves to peoples’ luggage, carry-on bags, personal bags or clothes, all of which are loaded onto the plane on your way home.
- The stuff in the belly of the plane is intermixed with, and touching other peoples’ stuff. Even if you didn’t have bed bugs from your hotel, other people might have and those bed bugs could hitch a ride from other peoples’ suitcases to yours.
- The stuff in the overhead is also intermixed with other peoples’ carry-on bags, jackets, etc.
- Personal bags go on the floor, where the creatures can jump into the carpet and climb onto the seats.
- Bed bugs on the seats can latch onto your clothes and/or bite you
- Plane-issued blankets and pillows can also harbor bed bugs
What can you do to prevent getting bed bug hitchhikers on a plane?
There are several ways to decrease your chances of getting bed bugs on a plane:
Take daytime flights
Bed bugs are nocturnal. If you fly during the day, there’s more chance the little (literal) buggers will be sleeping and will leave you alone.
Consider the type of seat you’re sitting on
More airlines are offering seats covered in vinyl or pleather rather than cloth. Their goal is to make the seats easier to clean (as opposed to these. EW!). But it’s also good because cloth and fabric upholstery are better breeding grounds for bed bugs. The fewer seams, cracks, stitches, etc., the fewer places there are for bed bugs to hide.
If your airline still uses cloth seat covers, or if you’re still concerned even if they use different material, there are plastic seat covers out there (Amazon carries several – we get no kickback for this and don’t recommend one over another).
Disinfect
Covid may no longer be the threat it once was, but it might not hurt to bring Lysol wipes or spray and disinfect your seat as much as you can.
Think twice about using pillows and blankets
Obviously, you may not want to use an airline’s pillow or blanket because you don’t know where it’s been, when it’s been cleaned, etc. I would also be hesitant about bringing your own pillow/blanket, unless you’re willing to wrap them in plastic and wash them in hot water when you get home.
Consider the luggage you use
Light colored, hardshell suitcases will be better in letting you see if anything is on your bag. An added bonus is you can wipe hardshell luggage down with an alcohol wipe immediately after exiting the plane or collecting your suitcases at baggage claim.
Consider what you wear
The same as your luggage, if you wear light-colored clothing, you can better see if bed bugs, which are dark colored, are crawling on your clothes.
What if you see a bed bug on your plane?
You won’t know if you brought any home with you from the plane unless you get a welt that proves you were bitten. Probably best to follow the procedures for ensuring you don’t bring bed bugs into your home.
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