How the hell could an airline like SAA lose my luggage on the Perth to Joburg flight?

It's one direct leg, with no transfers. But yep, they lost it.

They found it the next day and it arrived in Joburg 2 days after I did - now I've got to see if they'll pay me for the clothes, undies and toiletries that I had to buy in Joburg to tide me over until my luggage arrived. I refuse to be Ms Smelly, even for a couple of days.

When you report your luggage is missing, the SAA ground staff in Joburg look at you as if you are a cockroach that needs to be squashed. Next they start blaming you and everyone else for its loss. Ok, ok - I know it's my fault that I chose to fly SAA in the first place (well QANTAS actually, but the Perth-Joburg flight is an SAA code-share). But f*ck it SAA, can't you train your ground staff in Joburg to at least smile?

Next time, I could fly Emirates via Dubai, but that's 19h30 flying time with a 4 or a 22 hour stopover in Dubai, while the direct PER-JHB flight with SAA takes 11h10 (not that a stopover in Dubai is a bad thing - oooo, my Visa card and the Gold Souk! - naughty naughty Carla)  Another problem with Emirates is that the cabin staff are some of the most beautiful women that I have seen on an airline, which feeds my sense of inferiority (I think they are very nearly equal with the Singapore Airlines cabin staff, who are my benchmark for beauty and efficiency). Dammit - I want to look as good as them!

On a sadder note, I spent last night with an old girl-friend from Melbourne who now lives in Joburg. She hardly ever gets out of her apartment these days, except to go to work and then she gets picked up from her home each morning and brought home at night. She was car-jacked in Joburg a month or so ago and had an automatic weapon waved in her face. So she is very nervous and on edge. We talked and cried a lot. Joburg seems to be getting worse and not better, in spite of what the RSA Government are saying.