>>Is it really too much to check the bags in and wait at the baggage carousel at the other end to retrieve them?
Yes, because the airlines I usually fly with have a single manned desk for check-ins, so whenever I fly with anything to check I literally have to add 60-90 minutes just for standing in a queue to check it in. It's obscene. So I'd rather travel "light" and fit everything I need in a bag that's allowed on board and go straight through departures. And then of course there are things I wouldn't ever check in - my laptop and camera - so they need to come with me on-board anyway.
Yes, because the airlines I usually fly with have a single manned desk for check-ins, so whenever I fly with anything to check I literally have to add 60-90 minutes just for standing in a queue to check it in. It's obscene. So I'd rather travel "light" and fit everything I need in a bag that's allowed on board and go straight through departures. And then of course there are things I wouldn't ever check in - my laptop and camera - so they need to come with me on-board anyway.