Family bitten by bed bugs on nine hour international British Airways flight

A British Columbia woman and her daughter described a harrowing tale of being bitten by bed bugs on a British Airways flight from Vancouver to the United Kingdom.

Heather Szilagyi was on the  nine-hour international flight with her fiance and her 7-year-old daughter when she said she saw the insects crawling around on the seat in front of her.

"To actually see them pouring out of the back of the TV on the seat, that was actually really gross," she told National Post.

Szilagyi took a series of photos that show the nasty bites that the creatures left on her daughter. She worked in hotels for years and said she recognized the insects immediately.

A British Airways spokesperson said in a statement that bed bugs on flights are extremely rare, but added, "Nevertheless, we are vigilant and continually monitor our aircraft. The presence of bed bugs is an issue faced occasionally by hotels and airlines all over the world."

>> Related: His girlfriend woke up with bites all over — when he flipped over the mattress, he discovered the awful cause

Szilagyi told CTV that they had trouble getting in touch with somebody from the airline until they finally posted about the incident online.

"I'm not asking for money, I'm not asking for anything," she said, but on their way home, the airline flew them first class, and she noted that there were no bed bugs on that trip.

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