Indeed. I was caught out by this flying to Istanbul this weekend. My up to the minute data point - flying out to IST on Thursday all wheelies were checked at Heathrow but on board the crew were happy to allow those whose bags had survived this process to use the overhead lockers. Yesterday's BA677 from IST was, however, an object lesson in who really counts at BA. We boarded, the gate was swung away, and the crew came down opening every bin and forcing everyone (except row 1) who had attempted to use them to put anything other than duty free carriers under the seat. Then the gate was re-attached and we waited a good half hour for "two passengers who through no fault of their own" (per the pilot) had been delayed at passport control. Eventually two uniformed BA flight crew sauntered on to the 'plane carrying enormous (no way carry-on limit compliant) wheelies, placed them in the overheads without a word from the cabin crew, and took their seats, leaving the flight crew to try to make up the lost time on the flight back. So the moral is, if you like the idea of flights being held for you, don't bother persuading BA to give you a Premier card, just qualify as a pilot!