Back to Squawk list
  • 19

Regional Jets Crowd Skies, Squeeze Fliers

eklendi
 
Of all the changes that have overtaken the airline industry in recent years, one of the most dramatic has been the rapid transition to regional carriers, as "mainline" airlines outsource more and more flying to their regional "partners." You may be surprised to learn that 53 percent of all commercial airline departures in the United States today are operated by regional airlines. (travel.usatoday.com) Daha Fazlası...

Sort type: [Top] [Newest]


DashTrash
DashTrash 6
Wow. Took a rocket surgeon to figure that one out......
Fltlvls
Sean Armstrong 3
Mr. McGee needs to get some of his facts straight before he writes his article.RJs take up the same amount of airspace as a 747, so they aren't "crowding the skies".With regards to the 2004 Pinnacle crash,that was a non-revenue flight therefore there were no passenger fatalities.As for the Air Midwest crash, that was no fault of the airline or the pilots.The Captain of that flight was a good friend of mine so I become a little defensive when it's brought up.Not all regionals are always at the bottom when it comes to mishandled bags either.Serious flaws in this article that piss me off.I was a pilot for the regionals for 12 years and not all things are true in this article.
scruffair
Ben Spangler 2
You're missing the point regarding RJ's "crowding the skies." The point being made is that if they could reduce the number of flights by upgauging the aircraft. The main reason airlines are outsourcing to regionals is so they can market frequency - which is creating more crowding because of more planes with less capacity.

I'm not saying that I necessarily agree with this... but that's the view point.
Fltlvls
Sean Armstrong 2
The flying public needs to make up their minds what they want.They didn't like props so along came the RJs and more frequency..Now they don't like RJs and the frequency..I give up!!
AccessAir
AccessAir 1
People were not educated about props....Airlines did nothing to dispel false assumptions about prop planes being unsafe. I listened one day in amazement as I watched a Trans World Express ATR-42 prop plane taxi into the gate at Moline. This was probabaly back in 1989 or 1990. This guy stood at the window telling his son, "here comes one of those old fashioned prop planes." Not granted I hate ATRs, but I told him that there was nothing old about that plane, that it was barely a few years or so old... He looked at me like I was off my rocker....
It doesnt help when a commuter airline has an accident either....Especially when you have people like that think they are experts making comments they arent qualified to make scaring the travelling public...
AccessAir
AccessAir 1
Thats exactly the point...plain and simple.....The problem is that people think that they are entitled to have 1000 choices for everything...We have a wishy washy society....
JJ7
JJ Johnson 2
Regional jets are smoother and faster than any Airbus product. The only thing I don't like is the windows are too low you can't really see out well. Also the Bombardier if you sit in the middle when the gear goes down on approach it sounds like the bottom is coming out of the plane.

conmanflyer
conmanflyer 1
isn't the gear coming down exciting? ever sat by the engines in the back when the reverse comes on?!
HIZZHONER
Ed Wagner 2
I fly out of smaller airports all the time and the only choice I have is RJs. I don't mind (in fact prefer) the CRJ-200 models because they are only 50 passengers and you don't feel like you're being loaded into a cattle car when boarding. Recently we were put on a CRJ-900 and it was awful. Cramped seating, crappy boarding experience because everybody is carrying as much luggage as they can aboard with them to avoid fees....so the ailse are jammed (narrow in the 900 anyway) with people trying to fit bags into the overhead and then on de-planning it is the same thing. I actually miss the old SAAB 340Bs!!!! (not wanting to give away my age but I really enjoyed the old Fairchild/Fokker 50s)
AccessAir
AccessAir 1
Hey Ed,
My Favourite plane is the F27 series, specifically the Fairchild FH-227!! :)
I miss seeing the regional prop planes...Im tired of the Regional Jets...
fydman57
i would take a crj900 or emb 175 or 190 over an old md 80 or md 83 or boeing 737-300 anytime
Fltlvls
Sean Armstrong 2
It's always relaxing to sit in the very back of an MD-80 with no window next to the screaming engine that you hope doesn't let go and you get killed by the shrapnel coming thru the cabin, which by the way actually happened on a Delta flight many years ago in Pensacola,Fl
MimosaDrive
MimosaDrive 1
Also happened on a National Airlines DC-10 in 1973. 1 passenger was sucked out of a window when shrapnel shattered a window. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Airlines_Flight_27
kman101
Kevin Romero 2
I would have to agree with that statement. The "newer" ERJ's and CRJ's are more comfortable for a 2 hour ride then the 80s running around out there.
MimosaDrive
MimosaDrive 1
I also prefer ERJs and CRJs over the Boeing and Airbus aircraft typically used on regional routes. Much more comfortable to sit in - especially in the 2 - 2 seating configuration.
AccessAir
AccessAir 2
Regional Jets are being used on routes that were once flown with Props....
I love Regional Props, nothing wrong with them. The airlines have done themselves a disservice by indoctrinating passengers into thinking that prop planes are unsafe, and some certainly have. When the regional/commuter airlines divested themselves of the smaller prop planes in favour of 50 passengers regional jets, they also divested themselves of many smaller communities that need air service to maintain their viability in commerce and trade.
Looking back at what the original intent of what the Regional Jets were built for according to past Air Transport World magazine articles, the Regional Jets were supposed to be used to relieve congestion at larger hub airports by bypassing those hubs and flying more linear or direct routes. Unfortunately, The Major airlines decided to substitute their own metal for commuter airlines flying Regional Jets on Looooong flights, or worse close in cities. It makes no sense for a major airline to fly a regional jet 6 times a day when 3 or 4 of their own flights will do. What the major airline saves in fuel and resources on the ground eaten up by having to pay the regional airline their franchise fees and ground handling. Where is the savings? Plus they are pumping 2-3 more flights into the ATC system to accomplish this and causing more congestion!!!
The code shares between commuters and majors has not solved this problem at all.. Honestly, code shares should have never happened between majors and commuters....
smphillipstx
Stephen Phillips 1
As the paying customer, I prefer to get their fast!
smphillipstx
Stephen Phillips 1
correction "there"
conmanflyer
conmanflyer 1
Delta has 15 round trips from ATL-MCO per day, along with other flights from MSP, DTW, LGA
conmanflyer
conmanflyer 1
correction.... utilizing 757-200s and 757-300s
Dave81
David Schleck 2
Since when does a Brasilia only hold 9 pax?
jmedina94
Julian Medina 1
That is definitely inaccurate.
indy2001
indy2001 2
I detest RJs, especially the claustrophobic Embraer ERJ135/145 version on which anything more than a paperback book or Ipod must be placed in the baggage hold. American uses them exclusively for the 8 daily flights between KIND and KORD. United has 11 daily KIND-KORD flights, although they use the slightly larger ERJ170 and CRJ700s on some of them. These flights are supposed to be approx. 1 hour in length, but many times I've spent much more than that due to holding or other delays. I'm sure that's typical of services from other Midwestern cities, and it creates a nightmare for ATC.

I would much rather see 2 or 3 of these RJ flights combined and replaced by a single MD80 or B737. But frequency seems to be more important than comfort or efficiency. On AA we fly through KDFW whenever possible because those flights are all MD80s. It may cost a bit more and there are only 5 daily flights, but that's fine with us. KDFW may be out of the way, but the larger aircraft makes the flight so much more bearable.
bishops90
Brian Bishop 2
I've alwaus wondered aboit the frequency vs capacity thing myself. Kgsp is my home (commercial) airport and there's an RJ to KATL almost every hour. Plus they (Delta) do also have some DC95 and 738 service. Same with KCLT to a lesser degree. If I'm connecting, I'll allow plenty of time anyway, so frequency is not that big of a deal.
AccessAir
AccessAir 1
Yes, and that mysterious need for high frequency of flights is just what causes all the delays..
Unfortunately, 9/11 helped to contribute the proliferation of the RJ epidemic... In the latter part of October of 2001, United proceeded to divest itself of 99 jets, 75 Boeing 727-200s and 24 737-200s....if not more....What replaced them? CRJs!!!! Thats It wasnt too long after that Delta and American dumped their fleets of 727s. Its a monkey see monkey do industry...And still thru it all Southwest has never thought about downsizing their aircraft size....Hmmm, makes ya think, eh?
alwilson565
Alan Wilson 2
You get what you pay for. If the flying public were willing to shell out more cash, mainline carriers wouldn't be trying to find ways to cut costs. If they weren't trying to cut cost they would be flying their own metal.

[This poster has been suspended.]

Fltlvls
Sean Armstrong 2
First year pay yes..Senior Captains at regionals are making over $100K a year
thunderland2
al fredericks 1
BY THE WAY - old props. the rattles, squeaks, thumps, gear up/down, engines vibrating, prop pitch sounds. ALL MUSIC TO MY EARS. that why i feast on flying and all it entails. even the sounds or turbines reving up, thruat reversers thundering in my ears. flyiny is the trip. not must get there, computor ussage. JUST ENJOY THE SENSATIONS OF FLYING. PERIOD
thunderland2
al fredericks 1
THATS A DC-3
thunderland2
al fredericks 1
SETTLE DOWN ALL. I WOULD JUST SETTLE FOR F-27'S, PROVEN, RELIABLE, COMFORTABLE. I'mmmmm ah, a DC- AH A LOST TREASURE.
FedExCargoPilot
FedExCargoPilot 1
The reason for more frequency is for more demand of business travelers traveling through the eastern corridor. You are not going to put a 737 between Newark and Reagan! People wont like one 737 per day everyone has different schedules and will take Amtrak instead, which is ok. Same with Houston to Louisiana, Chicago to the east coast. Even though there is more regional traffic, it takes 3 to 5 to pollute like a 737! I also disagree with seat comfort, I've flown Expressjet, Chautauqua and Skywest, CRJ700 and ERJ 145. RJ45 is my favorite plane to sit in for flights under 3 hours and are far more comftorable than the mainline fleet!
Topper1
W S Webb 1
It should help to keep everybody 160-180 to the OM.

Giriş

Hesabınız yok mu? Kişiselleştirilmiş özellikler, uçuş uyarıları ve daha fazlası için şimdi (ücretsiz) üye olun!
FlightAware uçuş takibinin reklamlarla desteklendiğini biliyor muydunuz?
FlightAware.com'dan gelen reklamlara izin vererek FlightAware'in ücretsiz kalmasını sağlamamıza yardım edebilirsiniz. harika bir deneyim sunmak adına reklamlarımızı anlamlı ve öne çıkmayacak şekilde tutmak için yoğun şekilde çalışıyoruz. FlightAware'deki whitelist adsreklamları güvenilir olarak görmek hızlı ve kolaydır, veya lütfen premium hesaplarımıza geçmeyi düşünün.
Kapat