Originally Posted by redburgundy
For a soft-sided bag, is the pass/fail decision based on the manufacturer's fully-expanded size, or the size that is actually occupied due to the amount of contents? If a soft-sided bag is 17x12x8 but actually occupies only 17x12x6 because it isn't stuffed full, will it pass?
They stuff it into a gauge, if it fits the bag passes, if any part of the bag extends out of the gauge (including handle or wheels), if fails. Very simple test, and nothing to do with the published bag dimensions. Most bags that are "close" will fail, due to some spillover.