Has the airline ever lost your luggage?

Like you I've had my bags lost and they were found within 6-12 hours. However, there was one trip to Mexico City where my bags were missing for over 3 days. ALL OF THEM! Luckily, they did find them and return to me. My advice is to keep calling and bugging them. The squeaky wheel...

I've had my bags miss a connection I made a couple of times, so that I got to my destination when I was supposed to but my luggage came in a flight or two later. Both of those times the baggage counter was able to tell me right were my bags were, and they delivered them to me when they came in.

I also had a case (that just happened) where when they printed out the tag that goes onto my luggage to route it, they coded it for the completely wrong airport -- they didn't even get the right country! It took about a week and a half but they did eventually locate where the bag went.

You can usually file a claim through the airline or your home insurance to cover some of the costs of what was lost. It sucks trying to remember just what was packed so you can file the claim though.

I've had my luggage delayed several times. Once it took a week to get one of two bags back to the airport, the second one arrived 3 months later....British Airways Heathrow Airport terminal 4 problem, they took a mountain of luggage to Italy to have workers search inside for IDs and get it back to the passengers. Seems like almost every other overseas trip I have delayed luggage on my return flight. I put 3 pieces of ID with my flight plan in each bag now, one on the outer pocket, one inside the "lid" and one inside with the clothing, so that way they have no excuse for not finding my information when the flimsy airline tag gets torn off the handle.

Something I started doing after the BA lost-luggage was when I am packing my bags for a trip, I itemize everything I am putting in each bag, including carry on bag, and write the value of each, and keep all receipts together with the list. That will make it much easier in case you have to file a claim, because who can remember all that?

Has the airline ever lost my luggage? Actually yes and no.

It was more my fault. As I walked off the plane and onto the tarmac, I was to enter the door of the airport and turn left to go to baggage.

I didn't make the turn and went straight and pass through security. This was the first time baggage was BEFORE and not AFTER security for me so my luggage was back near the plane waiting. The airline was nice enough to even fetch it for me which I appreciated but it took about an hour causing me to miss my connection.

Now whenever I fly International, I'm sure to ask where to go before I leave the plane for the luggage or read well as I walk.

It is pure luck if you'll get the bags back or not. Sometimes they get misplaced but are found within the next few days and sometimes they just are never found. The more stops you add to a flight, the more likely it is that your bags will get lost because I once lost all my baggage on a trip from Miami to Bogota to Asencion to Buenos Aires. It happens, so always be prepared to replace whatever you check-in. Carry all important, irreplacable things with you at all times. I'm sorry it had to happen to you :(

I've been flying domestically and internationally for over 20yrs and have never had any luggage lost or misplaced.

No. I have always had all of my bags.