It's not a cheat, but it's cheaply implemented lazy feature and lacking any ingame effects which (imo) would benefit it.

I prefer not to use it but i do find myself wanting to get something done before i have to go do something or other irl, which is when i use it.

When i'm in the middle of [censored] nowhere, and my horse isn't around i simply fast travel or when i need to get to the other side of the world to deliver something..

No it's not cheating and here is why:

I have no time to constantly walk everywhere. Most of the quests keep sending you to the other end of the map and back again. I have work, a social life, other hobbies and have a household to maintain. I want to enjoy as many quests and cool things as i can and constantly walking isn't a part of that.

I haven't used the cart though. Everywhere i fast travel i have, at some point in time, walked to.

I'm sorry... I didnt mean to confuse you. I meant im not into forced immersion. If it comes, great! If it doesn't, oh well. I guess seeing so many people talk about MAKING things more immersive has started to make it the definition in my mind.

I think this whole issue boils down to the serious lack of patience with people nowadays. I myself have a job and a 2-year daughter, and still find time to play maybe 1-2 hours a day. Do I get frustrated because I can't finish a quest before I need to go to bed because I choose not to fast travel? No. I can do it tomorrow. I can start on another quest instead, one that will take me halfway back to where I need to be to finish the first.

I am so sick of the instant gratification that is becoming so much a part of our culture, and that is resulting in the simplifying of our games. Why does everyone have to have everything NOW?

I'd like to start with a line from a Three dead trolls in a baggie song. "Yeah, but I got a girlfriend and things to get done...". I have two kids, a wife and a full time job and I don't have the luxury to use my free time walking around in a fictional world all the time. I fast travel if I need to finish up a quest before work (I work nights) or one of the kids wake up or something like that. If I HAVE the time, I will explore and wander off the beaten path. But to call it cheating? nah.. Not in my book.

It's not cheating as it was designed like that. I would be "cheating" if you had to change the game or use a console command to do it. But using a deliberate feature of a game can in my opinion hardly be considered cheating.
On another note, who are you cheating? I'ts not like any other person in the entire world gets affected by your fast travelling is it?

"M'aiq can travel fast across the land. Some lazy types take carriages. It is all the same to M'aiq."

Well put, my longtime Elswyr friend. Well put indeed, for it matters not. M'aiq is unconcerned that I hitch rides, nor am I concerned that he travels quite swiftly. And my father? He'll catch up eventually, and that's ok too.

Bill Murray...
Meatballs...
Rallying the competitors...
...It just doesn't matter! It just doesn't...

People take "Fast Travelling" to literally. If you think it is "cheating" or a lazy way out, you are just plain stupid. Hours do pass in game time depending on distance. You still walk the distance, it's just a fast forward in time.For example, if I need to return to somebody because I have something of importance, I can fast travel and imagine circumstances along the way. The imagination is always better than reality.

I hate fast travel in general, but I actually use it sometimes in Skyrim.
For instance, if I've come to a dungeon, but is almost encumbered.... I walk to the dungeon and get it marked on my map. Then, I fast travel to a city to get fully unencumbered, and then fast travel back to the marked dungeon.

Walking back and forth in such a time would be very "painful" in my opinion. In those cases, fast travel is very useful and those are pretty much the only times I use it.

Needs a "No its not cheating, but it breaks immersion." option.

Edit: What I like to do though, is if a quest sends me somewhere, I will walk all the way to the location, and then just fast travel back.