From the reports of friends and relatives who have flown recently, this is probably true because fewer people are flying these days. They say there are plenty of empty seats after the huge price hikes on every airline.
I gave up flying last summer when a two hour flight became a 10 hour flight. Never again. If I can’t drive, I stay home.
I have seen too many people lugging on large bags and then try to stuff them in the over head after the plane is 3/4 full.
I think it’s a bad move. The overhead bins are a pain for me and probably a lot of other passengers. This policy will encourage more people to cram even more luggage in the bins (imagine some moron using all possible force to pound their over-sized bag into a bin that also contains your luggage). This, I think, will further slow boarding and disembarking times.
I used to fly a lot, now only 3 times a year. When I go now though its for a couple weeks at a time, so carry on my back pack with the lap top and a change of clothes and Fed Ex the bags ahead.
Since I’m only 5’2” tall using the overhead bins is out of the question for me. One Halloween I was flying to the West Coast and had to make a connection in Cincinnati. A woman got on the plane with a pumpkin that was at least 15” in diameter and proceeded to stuff it in the overhead bin.