A family from Virginia, USA, has filed a significant lawsuit against two major global airlines, Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. They are seeking a minimum of $200,000 in damages after a horrifying experience where they were allegedly bitten by bed bugs during an international flight earlier this year.
The Disturbing Mid-Air Discovery
The plaintiffs, Romulo Albuquerque, his wife Lisandra Garcia, and their two children, were travelling from their home in Roanoke, Virginia, to Serbia in March to visit family and friends. Their journey involved multiple connecting flights. They first boarded a Delta flight from Roanoke to Atlanta. From there, they transferred to a KLM-operated flight to Amsterdam, with a final leg to Belgrade. Notably, all tickets, worth $8,800, were purchased through Delta's SkyMiles programme, even for the KLM-operated segments.
The nightmare began approximately two hours into their transatlantic flight to Amsterdam. Lisandra Garcia felt an unsettling sensation of bugs crawling on her skin and biting her. Upon investigation, she was horrified to find bugs visibly crawling on her light-coloured sweater. The family's legal complaint details this traumatic discovery, which marked the beginning of a ruined vacation.
Alleged Cover-Up and Severe Consequences
The situation escalated when the family tried to alert the cabin crew. According to reports citing the lawsuit, KLM flight attendants allegedly urged the family not to inform other passengers about the bed bug infestation. The family claims they were warned that if they caused a disturbance, they risked missing their connecting flight from Amsterdam to Belgrade.
Despite this, the family managed to document the ordeal. They took photographs and videos as evidence, showing bugs on Garcia's sweater and moving within the creases of the aircraft seats. As part of the legal filing, they submitted close-up photos of the painful injuries—raised, itchy welts, lesions, and rashes—caused by the bites, along with images of a jacket and a napkin covered in bed bugs from the KLM flight.
Legal Battle and Airline Responses
The family's lawsuit states that the incident led to severe physical and emotional distress, including humiliation, embarrassment, anxiety, discomfort, and significant inconvenience. They also incurred medical expenses and loss of clothing and personal items. Their dream vacation was completely destroyed by the traumatic event.
In response to the allegations, the airlines have issued preliminary statements. Delta Air Lines pointed out that the claims relate to flights not operated by Delta, but stated it would review the complaint and respond in due course. KLM told media outlets that it is unable to comment on the specific allegations but will address the lawsuit through the appropriate legal channels. This case highlights critical concerns about hygiene and passenger safety on long-haul flights, a topic of great relevance to Indian travellers who frequently use these global carriers for international travel.
