So I was flying SFO-ORD-LHR in December in XC with my wife and two infant kids. There were mechanical problems which lasted a few hours with the first flight, so I managed to get us on the SFO-LHR direct. Our luggage didn't make it - not a huge surprise - and so it was supposed to be delivered the next day.

Well, it wasn't. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. On Saturday, I drove out to the depot about an hour away to pick up the bags, because otherwise they weren't going to be delivered until Monday. Did I mention the two infants yet? They go through clothes a bit faster than you and I do. There was a lot of washing over those few days.

So I wrote in to United using the form on the site. And pointing out that since they subcontracted the delivery of the bags to some company - who then subcontracted the delivery to another company - they were probably going to say there was nothing I could do.

But I at least expected a reply. Of some kind. An apology, maybe, for losing the bags in the first place, that would have been nice.

So, O Flyertalk, your thoughts. Am I unreasonable in expecting something like that, an apology, a recognition that maybe a system where the passenger has to drive for an hour to get their bags maybe is broken and needs fixing? Will that just teach me to ever check baggage? (Ok, travelling with young kids does make that a lot harder than it used to be.) Should I just be grateful to have my bags back at all? Is there anything I can do? Or just chalk it up to experience and think really hard about whether I want to fly United again?