Forgive me if this question has come up before in any of the (weekly) threads asking about dropping the final sector, but a search of them brings up the obvious and often repeated question/answer relating to short-checking of bags because they intend to drop the final sector and that is NOT my plan, or about early checking of outbound luggage.

The intention is to use the final coupon of the ticket and take the flight back to DUB after the inbound longhaul, but then do a hot turn to come straight back on the returning aircraft (I've done it before with hand baggage only and am comfortable doing it again).

Of course this isn't possible if the luggage gets tagged to DUB as there is not time to collect it from the belt and take it upstairs to be checked-in for the returning flight.

So, does the collective wisdom think the following is possible?

During the 3+ hour connection at T5 go to baggage services in the baggage hall (or customer service at connections or airside departures or FLounge) and request for the bags to be retrieved and returned to us in London, but then take the flight to DUB and the immediate return by which time the bags should be in the baggage hall and ready for us to collect.

And if we think it is doable, should we tell them the plan or just act daft and say we'll hang around whilst they retrieve them and there's no rush!?

Incidentally, our last ex-EU was to Australia, and the QF agent in BNE had no issue short-checking the bags to LHR. We picked them up and took them to left luggage, then went back airside and then flew to BGO and back. Whilst in the FLounge I was paged by customer services, and it was explained that "the baggage guys" noticed we had no luggage to BGO and were concerned that our luggage was going around on the carousel downstairs when we were expecting it to be going with us to BGO. I explained all was in order and how kind they were to worry! I admit to being slightly impressed at the service.