I don't think that the airlines could ever do away with commuting. The above mention of AirTran is a great example. Enough pilots would walk away if this happened that it would create an immediate problem.
I don't see either scenario as likely, but I bet that before they do away with commuting, they build our commute into our duty. My old charter company did this, as does NetJets among others. I wouldn't even care if they paid me for it, as long as I was on duty.