Originally Posted by
ajamieson
Are you on one ticket? If so, no problems.
Even with a through-tag you will have to retrieve your bags and re-deposit them at ORD customs anyway so the only benefit of through-checking is that you don't have to lug your bags from T5 to T1 in ORD.
The UA staff in the baggage re-check area at T5 always seem happy to tag and collect my bags there even when I am not through-checked to the final destination. They have the ability to issue boarding cards too IIRC.