FlyerTalk Forums - Missing/lost baggage TXL-AUH-BNE-SYD

I originally posted this in the Etihad forum but I'm not sure if it went through due to my Internet connection having a hiccup. (I couldn't find the post afterwards.) Moderators, if you find two of this thread, feel free to do what is appropriate. Apologies for the trouble!

Hello, new member on FT here. I've been reading a lot of posts here recently about missing and lost baggage, and since mine still hasn't showed up, I thought I would relate my situation and see if you might have some suggestions.

I flew the route TXL-AUH-BNE-SYD, starting from the 27th July in TXL and landing in Sydney on the 29th. TXL-AUH was operated by Air Berlin (even though we bought it under Etihad), AUH-BNE was operated by Etihad, and BNE-SYD was operated by Virgin Australia. Three bags were checked in at TXL well before takeoff, and we were told that they were checked to the final destination.

The connection time in AUH was just under 4 hours, and at BNE was just under 2 (because Etihad departed late... Every leg was delayed and it all added up). The AUH-BNE leg also had a stop at SIN, where we all had to get off (SIN was the final destination for some passengers) and then get back on within an hour.

Since BNE was the first entry point to Australia, we were told that we needed to collect our bags and clear customs before checking them in again at the domestic counter. One bag never turned up. We reported this to Etihad's ground handling agent, Menzies, at the baggage carousel (because Etihad here doesn't handle it directly it seems) who had the file created and sent to Sydney (since that was our final stop) and assured me it would be found within 48 hours.

I waited 2 days without following up, expecting the best; but when nothing happened, I began to follow up. I have given as much detailed information as I can about the bag and its contents. I've spoken to Menzies every day (who are supposedly in touch with Etihad), and I've also got a separate email thread going with Etihad's duty manager in BERLIN (who assured me that they're in touch with the other airports, too). I'm also chasing them up on Twitter. I've contacted lost property at each airport, and I've also contacted the baggage service agent that Air Berlin uses, in case the bag was still in Berlin. No one knows where the bag is, and it's now been 8 days.

My concern is that people are sending off messages to other people but no one is actually going out there to check the bags. I know TXL is tiny and overloaded, and AUH big but still overloaded, but is it normal to take this long? I don't know if they just have a huge backlog of bags to go through (the Lost and Found guy at TXL certainly assured me that was the case - but who can you believe?) which they are progressing excruciatingly slowly through, or if the bag is just sitting somewhere in one of the baggage offices and no one has any idea that that is a missing bag. I honestly don't even know for sure it's in any of those places!

Menzies told me that they've sent through a claim form in the mail, and that this would apparently help trace the bag easier because "headquarters have access to more systems". Not sure if this is actually true - I don't know who or what to believe any more.

The bag itself is very noticeable: bright blue with spots and cute cartoon bears all over it, made of a woven material and a bit shabby-looking (so not necessarily a good target for theft since it looks cheap). It was packed in a hurry at the airport when we found that the other two cases were too heavy at check-in, so we didn't put any ID inside. There aren't any major valuables though, but a good portion of nice (inexpensive but comfortable) used clothes, an old leather day bag, summer shoes, and some toiletries - stuff that I would still prefer to get back than try to get compensated for. The reason this couldn't be packed in our carry on was because we were already quite packed with our medication, warm clothes (going from summer in Berlin to winter in Sydney), and electronics.

I would appreciate any suggestions on what else I might be able to do to actually get them to find the bag or even just to confirm that it's NOT in some locations (at least that eliminates some options), or even that it's totally lost. I'm pretty tired of this creeping sense of dread and the feeling that nothing is being done despite being assured daily of otherwise. Thanks so much in advance!