I agree: $25 is pretty ridiculous! I don't own expensive bags, and even a $100 voucher would probably shut me up, but $25 is pretty insulting. It's almost as if AA is saying "You should be on Greyhound with this luggage."

Strangely enough, AA has been the kindest to me with regards to luggage problems. Their agents can authorize reasonable clothing reimbursements over the phone within 4 hours of your bag being lost. (I was only asking for $150 to buy "business casual" gear. If I had asked for $500 to buy a suit, they might have reacted differently.)

UA once misplaced my bag for almost a whole day, and said they didn't owe me anything until it was lost for 24 hours! Try doing business in a strange city without any clean clothes for a full 24 hours after your flight!