chollie

It's important to remember that not all folks in 'Y' are 'Kettles' trying to avoid baggage charges, either.

Plenty of them are 'entitled' elite flyers who didn't get the upgrade (some pretty long waitlists out there these days!), as well as those who don't pay bag fees because of CC benefits, etc.

I think there's going to be big kickback for any airline that tries to uniformly apply strict baggage rules. Plenty of elite flyers are going to kick back when they are forced to check a well-travelled expensive bag because it doesn't fit in the sizer - and when they realize they now have to buy a new, appropriately sized bag. I don't think any airline relishes taking that fight on.

Since the elite flyers are the ones who complain the loudest and longest, it would seem to me that it would make more sense for the airlines to ask why these elite flyers persist in carrying on bags instead of checking them. Address those problems - timely, reliable delivery of bags and security of bags - and I think you will also see more (not all, but some) people willing to pay to check a bag.

Even if I weren't an elite, I would never check anything I can carry-on during the outbound leg of a trip that entails travel on arrival. I do NOT want to arrive and find my bag has been delayed or rifled - I am often in a situation where there's no practical way for the airline to catch up to me and deliver my bag. Under those circumstances, I'd even pay to carry my bag on, just so I would be sure it arrived with me and my trip wouldn't be ruined.