* It costs money to check a bag. It costs nothing to carry it on.

* There is a non zero chance of a checked bag getting lost or damaged. The chances of that happening to a carry on are essentially 0.

* 15 minutes to get your checked bag may be the average. Sometimes the carosel has already started by the time I get there, but other times, I've waited nearly an hour (looking at you Salt Lake City).

So what your saying is that the cost + added risk + added time is worth it to you vs queueing at the gate to fight for overhead. I suggest you pay the $15 upgrade to get in the front of the queue instead of the $25 bag fee and just carry on.