NBC10 Boston Responds: Boston man reimbursed after airline loses his luggage

Phil Evendon said he makes it a point to never check his luggage, but on a January flight to Spain, he didn’t have a choice.

“When I got to the desk with Iberia Airlines, they said, well, it's a small plane, we have to check it.   And I kind of said, I really don't want to do that because I don't like to check my bag. Well, we assure you we’ll get them to Madrid,” the Boston man said.  

Evendon made it to Madrid, but his bag did not.  He filed a missing bag claim.

“They didn't have any idea when I would get it, “ said Evendon.  “So they said, well, just go ahead and buy some clothes and keep your receipts and will reimburse you. So I think that's reasonable,  so I went over to my favorite department store, Corta Ingles and I bought what I needed.”

Phil’s bag turned up five days later.  He submitted his receipts for the clothes he bought and says he got an email from Iberia Airlines in late January saying his claim was approved and he should expect a $175.50 reimbursement check to arrive in up to four weeks.

But the check never arrived. Evendon said he contacted the airline numerous times in February and March,  but never got his money. Finally, he contacted NBC10 Boston Responds.

“Come April, I just decided, you know, I've got to get some help,” he said.   “I just really wanted to see it through.  I wanted to see that, you know, this  didn't just go to nothing.”

We contacted Iberia Airlines and they told us they would check on the status of the refund.

They contacted Evendon the next day, eventually transferring the money directly to his bank account.

“I felt great. I really felt so, you know, grateful to you guys for having done that and realizing that I couldn't have done it myself,” he says.

Phil had one takeaway from this --always put your most important items in a small personal carry-on and to be ready for the possibility that you may have to check your carry-on bag, even if you aren’t planning to and don’t want to.