I am about to purchase two separate tickets on UA (1) IAH-ORD-IAH and connect it with (2) ORD-DEL-BLR-DEL-ORD as the fare difference is over $350 per person and I have 3 people in my party (for travel in May thru July 2021). I am a UA Prem Platinum and wife and child are not. The international itinerary shows the checked baggage allowance on UA stock as 2 bags free for ORD-BLR but for the return BLR-ORD it only shows first bag free and second bag as $100.

I need an urgent response please. The return from BLR-DEL on AI is about 5 hours layover in DEL, whereas with UK it will be 3 hours (although UK is a bit more expensive than AI).

Questions:
1) Will AI or UK combine my two separate tickets and help get my bags checked all the way through IAH (I understand I will clear customs in ORD).
1a) Or do I have to retrieve in ORD and recheck in ORD. Will 2 hours enough in ORD? If the latter, then 2 hours may not be enough, right?
2) If I chose UK will I get only 1 checked bag as in the itinerary while with AI I can get 2 because of *G?
3) And I am assuming my wife and child do not get extra *G even though they are on the same PNR...right?