Originally Posted by
channa
Sort of different, though.
What if your car is damaged, it's in the shop, the insurer is paying your rental. The shop calls in 3 weeks and says you know, the damage is more than it looked, the frame's been damaged, we need more money. Adjuster comes back out, and now totals the car.
Are they going to tell the insured that they no longer will cover the car he's been driving for 3 weeks? Don't think so.
Interim expenses should be covered, period. When people are on vacation, out of town, or whatever, they have to buy interim items, often of lesser quality than they typically use/wear, and at a premium to what they would typically pay (can't wait for the sale, don't know where stores are, don't have time to shop around, Walgreens is the only thing nearby, whatever). The customer should not have to eat that. It's not like they're exactly getting clothes they want -- they're just getting something to get through a couple of days.
The value you assign to the bag (and that you seek from the carrier that lost the bag) should be the replacement cost, not the original purchase price, so you shouldn't need to worry about the premium to what you'd pay if you could wait for a sale, etc. as the carrier should reimburse you for the market price.
The OP (and others in similar situations) may also want to contact the issuer of the credit card he used to purchase the ticket, as they may provide additional coverage. AMEX reimbursed me for an iPhone I left in a BA CW seat drawer under the carry-on luggage baggage insurance when BA was unable to find the phone.