One of the WORST experiences on an airline involved them losing my Gate Checked bag!

I missed my connection but they got me on another airline but told me to RUN as they were holding the doors for me but would hold them only 5 minutes and it was the last flight of the night. I literally RAN to the gate completely out of breath as it was a LONG way and as I arrived they told me I had to gate check my carry on. I quickly started going thru it getting out my valuables while they were rushing me along, telling me "hurry hurry we can't wait any longer" and so I got out what I thought was most valuable and handed it to them.

halfway to my seat, I realized I had left me car keys inside, smacked myself upside the head, but figured, it's a gate check, it will make it there fine..... right???

Well of course it didn't. They said it would come the next morning. It was 1am when we landed and I had to overnight in a hotel at my expense. Then they never did find the bag and I had somehow lost the claim check in the rush and they wouldn't admit they had ever taken my bag so I lost everything in it including my BMW key which cost almost $300 to have a new one made. Plus having to rent a car to drive to GET a new one made the next day.

I figure I lost close to $1000 by gate checking my bag that day (including the cost of the tumi bag itself).

Now, you will have a VERY hard time convincing me to part with my bag anymore unless it is on a jet where it REALLY will not fit.