Originally Posted by
VegasGambler
OPs statement that other pax's bags would not have fit in the sizer is to be taken with a grain of salt since he didn't actually try to fit them in. We have no effect that their bags would have fit. We only know that his bag didn't fit. The same bag, not expanded, should be fine.
I don't think it's a bad estimate by the OP. The vast majority of bags don't fit the sizer, it's evident on old a320s and non-refit 737s. Many bags struggle to fit in the overhead bin, which is several inches larger than the sizer in all directions.
It's extremely frustrating to have grossly inconsistent rules. That said, there's no real recourse here as the sizer is the rule of law. You just have to suck it up and deal with it. Odds are that you won't have a problem on the next 100 or so flights.