To our surprise Fetcher didn't start meowing loudly or clawing at the woven sides. After a few minutes of silence from within the case we unzipped it, expecting him to leap right out. Instead he just lay there purring!
He has been subdued the past few days after getting into yet another fight over the weekend and arriving home with several cuts and scrapes which appear to be healing nicely. (The vet will check him out tomorrow.)
Meanwhile, he seems to like the new carrier, which bodes well for all of us surviving our trip next week.