I Paid To Check My Bags, Does It Come With A Guarantee?

There is nothing worse than starting off a trip without a toothbrush or an extra pair of undies. I will never forget the woman I met on a cruise whose bags were lost. She kept getting phone calls from the airline that they would deliver the bag at each port. They never did. I felt sorry for her on formal night - she was sitting there in one of her husband's polo shirts and the pair of shorts she wore onto the ship.
With the exception of Southwest Airlines, just about every airline now charges a fee to check each extra bag. The fees range from $10-25 for a second bag and mostly apply to coach passengers. This is supposed to offset fuel costs, but don't you think it should go to ensure that my bags reach their destination? Of course, I try to pack some of my necessities in my carry on. Another trick is to pack some of my clothes in my wife's checked bag and vice versa. That way if one bag gets lost at least we both have "some" of our belongings. I also keep a list of what was in the carry on luggage so that if the bag is not found soon enough I can go shopping and get what I need. I have also mailed my luggage but it was mailed to my mothers house ahead of time so that it arrived there before I even left to go on my trip. This did not work that well because I forgot what was packed and realized that there were things that I needed after the fact. But if you want to go that route, there are companies you can find online that will gladly make sure your luggage gets where you want and on time. You will end up paying more than you do for your plane ticket but it will get there. So I guess we are stuck with what we have, but the question still remains, with the added cost I now have to pay does it come with a guarantee?