What to do if you find bed bugs on your flight

A bed bug incident on a Qantas flight from Australia to Italy left passengers dealing with itchy bites and a grounded aircraft, after reports that chinches were found on a Perth-to-Rome service over the weekend. Passengers were scheduled to return to Perth, but Qantas instead grounded the Boeing and arranged accommodation and re-booking on alternative flights within two days. The airline said it was still investigating the cause and apologized for cancelling the Saturday Rome-to-Perth service to allow engineers to complete a deep clean after the issue was detected on a small number of economy seats. Bed bug expert Stephen Doggett told ABC News Radio bed bugs are difficult to avoid once onboard and often enter aircraft through passengers’ clothing and belongings, with crew sleeping areas considered higher risk.