Virginia family alleges bed bugs bit them during transatlantic flight, suing Delta and KLM airlines
A Virginia family, in a lawsuit, alleges they were bitten and injured by bed bugs during a transatlantic flight operated by Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
In a complaint filed last week, the Albuquerque family of Roanoke, Virginia, said the bugs had infested the cabin of a plane during a March 21 trip.
"The Albuquerque family developed raised and itchy welts, lesions, and rashes across their torsos and extremities, which ruined their family vacation and has caused humiliation, embarrassment, anxiety, discomfort, inconvenience, medical expenses, and loss of clothing and personal items," the lawsuit states.
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The family—identified as Romulo Albuquerque; his wife, Lisandra Garcia; and their two children, Benicio and Lorenzo Albuquerque—boarded a Delta flight from Roanoke to Atlanta on March 21. That flight was followed by a KLM flight to Amsterdam and another to Belgrade, Serbia, where they planned to visit family and friends, the lawsuit said.
Romulo Albuquerque purchased the airline tickets through Delta’s SkyMiles program, the lawsuit states.
Two hours into the flight to Amsterdam, Lisandra Garcia began feeling bugs crawling on and biting her, the suit said.
The couple alerted a flight attendant, who allegedly told them to keep their voices down to avoid "panic" on the plane, according to the lawsuit.
The bugs repeatedly bit the family during the flight, it said.
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"Prior to landing in Amsterdam, the flight attendants again urged Dr. Albuquerque and Mrs. Garcia not to tell anyone about the infestation because, if they did so, they would miss their connecting flight to Serbia," the lawsuit alleges.
Albuquerque and Garcia took photos of the bugs and recorded videos showing bugs crawling on her sweater and other parts of the cabin, the suit said.
Images attached to the lawsuit show what are described as bed bugs on a KLM napkin and a sweater, as well as visible bites on their bodies. The family had to wash their clothes in boiling water once they arrived at their destination, according to the complaint.
"As this pending litigation eventually states, the allegations at issue relate to flights not operated by Delta Air Lines," Delta told Fox News Digital. "Delta will review the complaint and respond accordingly in due course."
The lawsuit asks that the family be compensated $200,000. Fox News Digital has also reached out to KLM for comment.