Re Unaccompanied Baggage in USA.
I position regularly aroud the Eastern USA and Caribbean usually on American Airlines.
Not only do they offer the worst Cabin Service I have ever experienced (A cereal bowl, muffin and ONE coffee in 3 1/2 hours BGI to MIA!) but they will in one out of three journeys send my bags unaccompanied! Always, when you protest using Security as the major argument they either resort to speaking Spanish (and walk away when you reply in the same) or use the excuse that as you have checked the baggage in, it must be safe! Even when you bring up Lockerbie or the Air India Bombing, they either pretend not to know of either outrage or just refuse to discuss the safety issues.
Just another case of American Xenophobic Indifference. What does it take to make them appreciate this issue. Somebody blowing up Air Force One? Still then, they would only pretend that this was the first ever incident and make a film about it!