Sign of the times

I just bought a ticket to go see my aging grandmother in November.

CLE-IAD-FRA-MAA and back–18,000 miles, $1700 ticket=9 cents per mile

CLE-IAH-YVR and back—6000 miles, $1000 ticket= 17 cents per mile

Time between purchasing tickets: 2 months.

Now the question: 2 smaller bags that are easier to take on the train, or 1 large bag? I guess it depends how much United is going to charge.