Your MoneyWEEKEND WEIRD

Bedbugs found in plane’s economy seats force Qantas airline to…

The Qantas journey from Perth to Rome ran nearly seventeen hours, and passengers reported bites; the airline canceled it after insects turned up in economy seats.

On air: Hank Ledger, Vera Bullock and Dale Bearman on Weekend Edition
Published 6:04 AM ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

Photo: Mitchul Hope · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0

▶ As it aired · Your Money

Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger, Vera Bullock and Dale Bearman on this story, from Weekend Edition at 6:04 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are New York Post's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Mitchul Hope · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Qantas — Photo: Mitchul Hope · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0

At a glance

First reported by New York Post: “Bedbugs found in plane’s economy seats force Qantas airline to cancel flight”.
Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 6:04 AM ET on Weekend Edition, by Hank Ledger, Vera Bullock and Dale Bearman.
Topics: Qantas.
BBN covered this story before: Complaints of bed bugs on another Qantas flight two weeks before… (October 14).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

New York PostBedbugs found in plane’s economy seats force Qantas airline to cancel flight

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorHere it is, the story we hinted at: passengers on a nearly seventeen-hour Qantas flight from Perth to Rome reported being bitten by bedbugs, and bugs were found in the economy seats, so the airline canceled the flight.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorFox News and the New York Post both report it, and the airline did the responsible thing by grounding the plane instead of letting everyone scratch their way to Italy.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSeventeen hours in a seat that bites back. That is not a flight, that is a subscription.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorEconomy only, mind you. Business class slept soundly, which I choose to see as a lesson in stretching your budget.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe bugs didn't buy the upgrade.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorNot yet. Give them a few frequent flyer miles.

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