I'm doing RDU-ORD-SFO-SYD this saturday... the last time I did this run I did just RDU-SFO-SYD, where the layover in SFO was almost 12 hours. Due to the long layover I checked my bags only to SFO, then picked them up for the day while I was working in the south bay.

This time around, the layover is scheduled for 4h30m in SFO. Is this "too long" to leave the bags checked all the way through? I certainly don't need them while in SFO and it would be more convenient to not pick them up, etc... but at the same time if for some reason this makes them significantly more likely to get lost, I might deal with the hassle.

I know it sounds paranoid, but I was traumatized in the past by UA losing my bags during a 4 hour connection in Dulles, and then my suitcase followed me around England constantly a day behind... and I have even less flexibility to deal with such shenanigans on this particular trip so I'm being extra cautious.