I think this could be risky for a different reason. One of the reasons I stopped flying United was that my checked luggage was misrouted and arrived at EZE 24 hours after I did (plus a few more hours until it was delivered to me). This happened on two separate occasions, both flying LAX-IAD-EZE as a 1P with my bag labeled as "priority". One time it was left behind at LAX, the other it was sent to DEN (!). I don't know if the procedure you mention applies to international flights, but if it does it would probably increase the odds of a such a mishap (especially on a three-segment itinerary like my friend's).