I had my luggage delayed up to 3 days. Many of my friends have had their luggage delayed, but never really lost as long as there was some identifying tag/document left on the luggage. However, it really does not help to be reunited with your luggage on the day you fly home after you return home. I think you do get "some" compensation, but you have to wade through your fine prints and the promptness depends on the issuer.

Whether you go to airport or not depends on your assessment of the situation. You would lose at least a half day doing this. Is is better to go ahead and replace your stuff as quickly as possible and reduce the damage to the whole trip experience?

The lesson those who has not have this happened to them is never check essential items such as medicines. This is usually noted in travel info pages including AA site: http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/travelTips/tips_baggage.jsp

Also, always carry at least one change of clothes in your carry-on. You can usually salvage some normalcy if you have two sets of clothes: one you are wearing and one in the carry-on that you can mix and match.

My luggage has been delayed several times over the course of many years. It's always turned up within a few days.

On two occasions that I was away from home, I was offered compensation when I made the claim at the lost luggage desk in the arrival airport and given an overnight amenity kit.

On one occasion I was give compensation for the items I'd purchased upon producing the receipts as we departed the airport on the way home.

On the most recent occasion, I was offered nothing, but it didn't matter as the luggage was delayed on my return home. They didn't deliver it for three days, even though they'd received it a day after the flight, which I found a bit irritating.

Compensation polices vary by airline and by class of travel.

If I were in your shoes, I'd either call the airport lost luggage desk, or go back out there, whichever is easier. I'd also ask them to explain their particular compensation policy and let them know you're on holiday and that you're in a bind without your luggage.

Good luck.

Getting scared after one day is no answer at all. Communicating it is worthless.

My wife and I, a few years ago, went to Buenos Aires. Her luggage went to Zurich. It was EZE vs. ZRH.

It took 5 days to have the luggage delivered. I had to stay at the apartment as there was somewhat of a language barrier.

If you want scared, We went to Brussels one year. Luggage lost. After 3 days there, we were going to Paris. We literally got our luggage out in the street as we awaited transportation to the train station.

Have you looked around the AA web-site? Some airlines now have information from their tracing services available on line.

When we recently arrived in Amsterdam, our luggage didn't. United, the primary airline involved, had no information on line. But British Air, which United had put us on for the last leg, had information on their web site showing the bags had been sent to Chicago and were scheduled to be flown to us the next day.

All

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

AA actually sorted this out today. The other person (to whom they tried to send my bag) was also in Paris and sent the baggage back the day before. So we were all united with our correct bags today.

They do outsource the deliveries to an external service provider in Paris. So my landing at CDG may not had helped much.

I have now learnt not to back medicines in check-in baggages ...

Whew! Good for you! I once had a bag go missing for about a month. It had been checked in with United at Las Vegas for a flight to Chicago. A month or so later, I got a postcard from TWA (this was years ago) and they had gotten possession of my suitcase. Seems it had a very small TWA tag (remnant) on it (plus my ID tag). I contacted them and told them to give the bag to UA. It was returned to me about 48 hours later, still locked! (you could still lock your bags then)

Glad it worked out. My daughter's luggage also had its own independent adventure, ending up at CDG. Even with a traveling companion who spoke French, the only way she got her luggage was to go to CDG lost luggage area and point.