Ultimately it depends upon the length, purpose and destination of the trip. My trips tend to be about a week, long haul.
- I don't go to work after the trip, but to the hotel or home, where I try to stay awake until bedtime, so waiting for a bag (it's almost always waiting for me, anyway) is not an issue.
- Checking a bag takes no time at all - 2 minutes at the outside, so the time argument just doesn't stack up.
- I hate being encumbered with lots of clutter in an airport - I have a roll-a-board laptop bag cum briefcase and that's it.
- I don't have to worry about the liquids ban, worrying about shampoo, sun cream, toothpaste, shaving gel etc. Plus I can happily bring home a bottle of wine or whatever.
- I need at least two suits for a week, two pairs of black brogues, five clean shirts etc. plus whatever I need for the evening, plus back ups if a shirt turns out to have a spot on it - there's no way that all fits in anything smaller than a proper suitcase.
- But a two day trip would be fine, or even a one-week sun and pool holiday.
- Conversely, adding a raincoat, sweaters or an overcoat blows that out of the water.