The airlines sometimes reimburse you so you can buy new clothes.

I'm not saying they are cheap. I'm also not saying the situation is optimal. But buy the bare necessities to get by for a few days. It sucks, but you have to do what you have to do :/

Yup. Depending on where you are, you can buy several clothes at Ross, Marshalls, or Burlington clothes factory for $100

Or $25 at the goodwill

I think most people that fly regularly have tried it. Not the end of the world - it usually shows up a little later ans there's the added benefit of new free underwear

Where does the free underwear come from? Am I missing something??

Usually you'd some refund from the airline to cover necesities if they lose your luggage. But maybe not in the states?

^He's right. Our airline lost all of our luggage on the way to Mexico so they told us to buy any necessities and they would refund it. We got our luggage the next day and I believe they gave us $200 toward our next flight. Not bad, and got a cute bikini out of the deal.

I've been flying American lately. They're not the same as they were 10 years ago with crappy noisy planes and low employee moral. They've got gorgeous planes, customer service has been excellent (even as I flew out of a hurricane and through a civil uprising), and tbh, the first class cabins on American are some of the most comfy I've flown in.