I am wondering if anyone knows any options to getting a delayed bag faster and what I have to do to have something perishable replaced if ruined. I bought about 8 lbs of Etivaz Swiss cheese right from a Fromagerie in Switzlerand, where the cheese has a slightly floral taste because of the time of year and the wildflowers in spring that the cows eat (Etivaz region). It's a very high quality cheese and was special, as you could see the herd that produced it & watch them make then vacuseal the cheese. Checked it in luggage on Lufthansa to fly to Canada, knowing (from experience & check-in agent) checked baggage area on the plane is cold; & it was still cold after the 9.5 hour flight. in Calgary it was refrigerated & at the airport AA confirmed that if checked, this bag would definitely get on my flight & was assured to not worry. The gate agent said it had been checked onto the plane. asked me to take a voucher (oversold) and fly on a different flight as I was solo and my bag would still fly on this plane & be waiting there. I said no, as I needed to be with my bag and not have it sit for long anywhere. She said it was already released onto the plane so left me on flight. I arrived in DFW 7:11 and bag didn't make it. Had an extremely disappointing airport experience, with a "customer assistance" man who said he was "not customer service" and the there are "many" flights last night from YYC to DFW to send it on (there are none on any airline - I know the route well). I asked if family could pick it up in Calgary. he said no. I asked that the bag get sent on AA3881 first thing this am. Instead, he told his trainee to request it be sent on AA6356 from YYC to MSP last night at 8 pm, and despite my saying that flight doesn't exist out of Calgary, he said it did and had it requested anyway & said it will arrive at 4 am. I looked it up (he had already left the area & keep doing other things while we were standing there), and flight AA6356 is LHR to Pisa Italy flight; there were no evening flights (as I said) on any airline that would get from Calgary to Dallas sooner than the AA3881 6 am flight. The trainee seemed to realize that but her boss told her to do it so she did.

I called customer service. Barbara requested it "urgent" with "food items" be put on AA3881 this am but couldn't guarantee. They all saw it was sitting in Calgary. Nobody could actually call and ask in Calgary. Said they couldn't. It didn't make it on the flight & is right now still sitting in Calgary with my cheese I was so careful with, & AA not letting my family get my bag, wouldn't put me on a flight this am to go back to Calgary to get the bag, and isn't seeming to do anything. Spent the AM on phone with Elite customer service who couldn't get anyone from baggage to answer phone so simply transferred me to sit on hold for 54 minutes. Then Maria from Elite customer service managed to speak with someone in Calgary who was looking for bag for next flight attempt and would call her in 20 minutes. She wouldn't let me wait on hold and said I simply need to check their website & see if it makes it on.

I'm assuming it will eventually arrive and the other valuables in it will be in tact. But the cheese... it's perishable.

What are my options?? If the cheese is spoiled when it finally arrives, can I order new cheese (same value - I have the receipt) be sent direct from the Switzerland Fromagerie, & how do I get AA to pay for it, when I can't even get them to get my bag - which they know where it is but can't seem to get it moved - to get to me? It's been a horrible experience and full time for me on the phone in the last 15 hours, except sleeping.