What Happens If Someone On Your Plane Has Lice? A Flight Attendant Weighs In

Head lice are a nightmare. They are often associated with young children, but the reality is that these parasitic creatures don't discriminate. As long as you have hair, you're fair game. Lice do not carry diseases but they feast on their host's blood and lay eggs on their scalp, causing severe itching. Although this might seem like a problem of the past, lice infestations, which spread via hair contact, are still common in the United States. Now imagine this: You're on a flight, and somehow, you discover that someone on the plane has lice. What happens next?

Islands exclusively spoke to a veteran flight attendant with nearly 40 years of experience about this specific scenario. Barbi, who chose not to disclose her last name for this article, explained, "Although alarming if found in flight, medical professionals should handle the diagnosis of head lice on an airplane passenger. The pilot in command (PIC) and the medical professionals should decide the course of action. For most U.S. carriers, Medlink is available to contact for medical situations."

Barbi added, "However, if head lice are found on the ground prior to boarding the airplane, the decision should be between the PIC and ground control." In other words, airline protocol can vary when it comes to this unpleasant situation. 

In the summer of 2017, a 6-year-old child aboard a Delta Airlines flight from Paris was suspected to have lice. During a layover in Minneapolis, the boy and his family were barred from their next flight to Nashville. Delta concluded the child had lice and prohibited the family from flying. Thus, like getting kicked off a cruise ship for coming down with an illness, the same can happen to flight passengers with lice. In June, an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to New York made an emergency landing in Phoenix, reportedly due to a woman's lice infestation.

In a now viral TikTok post, passenger Ethan Judelson revealed that American Airlines did not disclose this information; his fellow passengers told him the flight was diverted due to lice. According to People, American Airlines later disclosed little about the incident, only saying that there was a medical reason for the grounded flight. But this begs the question, can you actually catch lice from a plane?

The answer is yes. Barbi revealed to Islands, "The CDC also notes that although rare, head lice can spread by lying on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet, or stuffed animal that has recently been in contact with an infected person, which can raise concern for the crew regarding the headrests on passenger seats."

If you're worried about contracting lice on your next flight, consider packing disinfecting wipes to clean your seat for peace of mind. It's also important to know that lice have a short life span (a maximum of two days) if they do not have a human host. In short, the chances of catching lice from an airplane seat are relatively slim. Of course, it's always possible to become infected elsewhere. Perhaps you're traveling and have had direct contact with someone with lice.

Whatever the case, if you are flying and believe there's a possibility you have lice, Barbi told Islands that she recommends passengers notify the flight crew. She explained, "The crew, PIC, airline and any medical professionals can then decide on the course of action. Other than that, keep any blanket or pillow you used or give it to the crew to put in a plastic bag, seal it and dispose of it according to company procedures."

If you have lice, there are a variety of treatments available online or at the drugstore. Lice clinics can also be found throughout the country. Needless to say, dealing with this or any medical situation is perhaps one of the worst parts of being a flight attendant. For more health-related travel tips, check out the best thing you can do if you have food poisoning on the day of your flight.