FWIW, on our convoluted MR last week where we had to run at IAD to make our SEA cx, the SEA UX GA actually approached us and told us our luggage didn't make the flight and would be put on a later IAD-SEA flight. She said she'd take care of it, but to make a report at SMF (our destination) anyway when we arrived. She tagged it and they flew it to FAT (our local) on AS and I picked it up there the next morning.

I was quite satisfied, as I was not inconvenienced. BTW, the luggage routing would've been FLL-IAD-SEA-PDX-SFO-SMF

Pat