nearly

This is starting to sound complicated. I cannot go HBO on this occasion as the check-in bag contains tools. I won't need them later in the journey and don't want to have to lug the bag around with me, hence I wish to leave them at left luggage at T5 for two days. I know the visa isn't very costly, but really don't want the hassle of having to land myself at IST, wait for the bag, check it in again and then take it with me even though I don't need it.

CWS seems to be saying that I can't unload the bag and still board LHR-IST.

corporate-wage-slave

No, not quite. I am just indicating it is far from fail safe, and among issues it depends on your connection time at LHR.

If you go via LGW or LCY then you won't have a problem.

Takiteasy

If the OP offloads himself and the bag from the LHR to IST leg, goes to reclaim, finds the bag is taking too long to arrive and decides to exit and then check back in upstairs before conformance deadline, what happens to his bag once it arrives? Can he get it back from lost luggage a couple of days later?

FrancisA

It won’t go to lost luggage. It will stay airside and the OP will need to make an appointment to be escorted airside to collect it and clear customs.

Of course, none of this hassle would exist if those booked indirect routings actually flew the journey purchased.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, it will still be available to him/her on his return, but it will be in the lost property stream, which will make it tricky/slow to recover and involve making an appointment to go through the formalities, and there's a risk that someone will be helpful and send it on to Turkey anyway if they check the PNR.... I would allow a good 90 minutes to reinstate the ticket at LHR T5, it's not something that happens very often.

Basically either the routing needs to be changed (there is a JFK-LGW and JFK-LCY routing) or there needs to be plenty of time for the connection in London. Or obviously the OP prevails on the agent to short check to London, though that gets problematic if the JFK service runs late. Only the first clause comes with a guarantee of a swift bag return in London. IST is a reasonably efficient airport, given the size, and so provided the OP has a few hours before the next flight then going landside is only a bit of a nuisance. Scratching my head for other solutions, I guess a travel agent could ticket JFK-LHR-IST-UnspecifiedLocation in one ticket and the problem would be solved.

windowontheAside

OP is flying the journey purchased.