Do people really value checking in with a physical person that much if you don't have any technical issues to work through?

I have to caveat that I'm GS so I do still get to check in with actual agents at ORD (though half the time I'm not checking bags so I just walk past them to use the security shortcut) but in general I have found the elimination of agents and lines and the increase of self-tagging of bags to be a MASSIVE improvement in airport operations. I have had many a trip in my early days of travel turn into near disasters when there were exceedingly long lines (yes even the Premier lines!) and I was cutting it close to the checked bag cutoff time.

While I understand it feels odd to not have the perception of more service when flying business class, the overall impact of self-tagging bags is universally positive in terms of allowing folks to cut it close and not run into issues with long lines mostly filled with people who came to the airport much earlier than they needed to for their flight.

I would never choose an airline based on whether they staff their check-in counters and for that matter, if my choice was between an airline without self-tagging that had routine lines to check bags, and an airline that was 100% self-tag but with agents to handle technical check-in issues and no lines - I would choose the latter every single time.