Check in Alabama. That's where most lost and unclaimed luggage usually ends up going.

Yeah that would be exactly why their luggage is free to check...

Now, only if you got lung cancer. You could run a meth empire.

After a similar incident Any of my valuables that can't fit in my carry on get mailed via UPS. It really sucks when somebody refuses to own up to their mistakes though, sorry it cost you so much OP.

I've always found this wierd.. if they cant find your stuff.. they need to be held liable.. they friggen lost it, we have to keep our gear underneath the plane where people ive never met get to mess with our stuff.. then we have to wait for it in the conveyor belt where some scrub can steal it.. i mean.. damn

if you didn't want it to get lost, you should've had it in your carry-on. you can buy new clothes, dental instruments ought to be in the plane with you. textbook YDI.

All that fine print you don't read when you click agree or sign on the line usually hides some important stuff. They make the print small and the text lengthy and dry to discourage you from reading. I remember one company added a clause stating that among all the other rules and regs the customer agrees to forfeit their soul. The Owner put it in just to see how many people would notice. Turned out nobody did.

YDI. this is why you either get travel insurance or you don't take anything expensive. You don't rely solely on the airline.

Raise hell. I've never flown Southwest but don't they have a good reputation for customer service? Escalate.

If I travel with valuable items, I take them in my carry on