Babies on Board 17-Hour Air India Flight Bitten by Bed Bugs
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
A couple of Air India passengers are itching with anger after bed bugs swarmed their children on board a 17-hour flight this week.
The victims of the bed bugs were two babies seated in business class on Thursday’s flight AI144 from Newark (EWR) to Mumbai (BOM). The two infant girls were continuously crying on board the Boeing 777. When the mother removed the younger, 8-month-old baby’s clothes, she discovered that the child was covered in bug bites.
The babies’ father, Pravin Tonsekar, tweeted pictures of the incident, tagging India Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He says his family’s seats were “infested” with bed bugs.
@airindiain @sureshpprabhu @narendramodi_in Suresh Prabhuji – just arrived from New York on Air India 144 business class with family . All our seats infested with bed bugs . Sir , have heard of bed bugs on trains but shocked to experience on our maharaja and that too business pic.twitter.com/m2GnfOpTO3
— Pravin Tonsekar (@pat_tons) July 17, 2018
Air India replied to Tonsekar’s tweet, apologizing and saying that they would work to correct the problem.
We are sorry to hear this, Mr. Pravin. Sharing the details with our maintenance team for corrective measures in this regard.
— Air India (@airindiain) July 17, 2018
TPG editor at large Zach Honig was not pleased with his experience on Air India either, although no bugs showed up on his flight. (The airline redeemed itself on another, much better flight we reviewed later.)
This isn’t the first time unwanted creepy-crawler stowaways have irritated passengers mid-flight. In January, British Airways grounded a flight that was crawling with bed bugs when the crew refused to work the flight after noticing the infestation. (BA had an almost identical incident in October 2017, too). A similar situation occurred in March on a WOW Air flight when an ant infestation took over the aircraft. Passengers had to leave their luggage on board to be fumigated. A bed bug infestation was also discovered earlier this year in the Kansas City Airport (MCI).
H/T: Business Today India
Featured image by John-Reynolds via Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,650
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
- Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.