Now that I think of it, since I'm star gold, I should get some boarding priority so maybe it won't be a big deal. Having them check the bag shouldn't be the end of the world, I don't think I should get charged a fee being star gold.
I still haven't decided if I will try to check thru (phl-ord-fra-ist-asr). Flying UA/LH/TK, IST-ASR being a separate ticket. It just feels like the bag has a high likelihood of getting lost even with 3hr connections and that isnt a fun way to start a vacation.