Trip Reports - Spanair - leave your bags at home

Last week, I took a flight to/from US/Madrid. United to Frankfurt, then Spanair to Madrid. My bag never showed up. I told Spainair where to deliver, hotels while gone. They apparently made NO effort, and just sent the bag back to the states.
Now, I am trying to get compensation. I had to buy some items, and "thought" I was entitled to a per diem expense. Spanair isn't being helpful.
Any ideas or similar experiences?
Thanks in advance

How long were you in Madrid? It is difficult to know whether Spanair "made no effort" to retrieve your luggage as you say, without knowing the precise circumstances. You are certainly entitled to compensation for the money you spent on buying clothes and toiletries (within reason), but this does not include a per diem (i.e. you get money back against receipts). Are you sure the bags were lost by Spanair and not by United? In that case, you would have to contact latter for the compensation.

It's because of horror stories in regards to lost baggage that I always give myself 4 hours to make a connection and many times recheck my bags at the connecting city. Thanks for telling us and good luck.
How long was the connection time at Frankfurt?

It's because of horror stories in regards to lost baggage that I always give myself 4 hours to make a connection and many times recheck my bags at the connecting city. Thanks for telling us and good luck.
How long was the connection time at Frankfurt?

That is a good strategy but sometimes the airlines still "win". I was flying
SMF->SFO on UA with a connection to AA for SFO->JFK->JNB. I decided to pick the bags up at SFO but that just confused UA. The bags were routed into limbo because passengers ALWAYS make a connection. After looking for an hour I finally had to just get on the AA flight. It is really frustrating to know ahead of time that your luggage has already been lost :(