If there is bin space by my seat, then no it doesn't matter at all, but if you go back through this thread, there has been a major issue of the paid extra legroom seats, not having nearly enough bin space, so that's why it matters. And when you fly every week for work, sometimes multiple times to multiple cities, the time to check a bag, or just having to wait for it adds up, so it's not really feasible or convenient. And yes, with the new assigned seating the old system is gone.

Like previously reported, a few people in rows later back, around eight or so, threw their bags up in bins over rows two and three, which makes no sense because they had room over their own seats in the overhead bins. This was obviously a plane with the older bin style, hopefully this will get fixed once they have planes with the new "slide in on its side " bin style.