Baggage space.
They have intentionally broken the boarding system in order to get people to pay for upgrades just to get that baggage space. During covid they boarded from the back of the plane to the front, and it was gloriously efficient.
Literally a shittier boarding process because it’s more profitable that way. Freeeee market! 📈📈📈
Back to front boarding is not that great, you want window to aisle boarding.
You want back to front and window to aisle. It won’t help when the plane loads front to back whether it’s window to aisle or not
At least for Delta, they’ll book your carry-on for free. So there’s that.
I think every airline who gives you a free carry-on will check it at the gate for you for free. In fact, they’ll often beg you to do so. But at that point you’re losing the benefits of carry-on baggage like access to your stuff during layovers, getting to skip baggage claim, and no chance for them to lose your stuff.