Latex gloves and a working flashlight are usually not among the items to put in your carry-on bag when traveling.
But the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), the largest union in the world representing flight attendants, has advised its constituency to carry those items, among others, when on a layover and staying in a hotel.
The reason?
It makes it easier to search for bed bugs.
Given that flight attendants and pilots often stay in hotels between flights, those items don’t seem so peculiar or unreasonable now, do they?
The union represents flight attendants at United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines and others. The Association of Flight Attendants outlined in a memo to members that there has seemingly been an outbreak of the little critters and even told them what to look for.
As if fending off unruly and belligerent passengers isn’t enough, the memo even advised crew members that although the headboards in a hotel bed are a great hiding spot for bed bugs, do not cause any damage to the hotel room.
Flight attendants were also urged to prevent “the nightmare” of bed bugs from happening in their own personal homes.
Washing clothes and sheets and pillowcases in hot water is usually enough to kill them. Carrying a zip lock bag in order to show hotel staff of the evidence is also advised. Additionally, flight attendants were told to change hotels if they see bed bugs and, if that’s not possible, then at least request a room change.
Some flight attendants who have a layover in a hotel have even taken the extra precaution of putting their luggage into quarantine.
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