On the bag thing, FWIW I've found AA delayed baggage necessity reimbursement to be no hassle at all (though it can take a couple of weeks for a reply, and then a couple more for them to print and ship the check). I've definitely pushed the limits of acceptable reimbursements (close to $500 a pop) both times that AA has misplaced my bags this year -- each for fewer than 48 hours, nowhere near your saga -- and they've reimbursed the full amount, no questions asked, with an apology for losing my luggage. Hopefully you have a similar experience, and get your luggage back safely.