[SammyKid11]

Raising AK/AQ:
1) Thins the field, which you want.
2) Obtains greater preflop value for your hand.
3) Increases your FE on the flop (ie - flop comes T-high, you've missed...but your opponent who calls your raise with 66 is unsure of what to do, and many times folds).
4) Increases the chance of stacking a lesser ace or king (more money in the pot, harder for them to lay down a worse TP).
5) Over the long haul, will increase the number of times you stack someone when you raise with AA-QQ. If you don't raise AK/AQ, SOME people (esp. at higher levels) will start to notice that and won't pay you off on your bigger hands...whereas if you DO raise AK/AQ, some of your bigger donks will call your AA raise with 33 and then push when no AKQ hits the board...a lovely thing when you're holding an overpair. In short, provides deception (granted, this is an ancillary benefit of the raise).

Now...I know that when you raise, get called, miss, c-bet, only to be forced to fold...that sucks. But it's also what the mind remembers most about AK/AQ. You don't remember all the times that you raise and pick up the blinds or get called by one or two people and pick up nice little pots whether you hit or not. Those hands just don't stand out as being nearly as significant in the long run, and I think we easily forget the +tEV value of raising these hands preflop.

Note: I do agree, with AQo and late-middle to late position with 2+ limpers in front of me, I'll limp. But with AK or AQs, I still raise. Also, remember your gap concept and don't call more than min-raises or raises where you've totally been priced in with AQ (esp. offsuit and/or OOP).