Regional jets carry 28 to 110
passengers usually in rows of two by two
or one by two. While introduced to replace turbo props on
short
flights because of their speed, perceived safety and modern image,
they
are now being used to replace main-line jet routes and to fly new,
longer
routes.
Some RJs have higher interior
ceilings and wider aisles than
turbo-props yet still feel cramped when full. There is
usually
minimal carry-on space but you can often leave and retrieve your
luggage
beside the plane, saving a trip to the luggage carousel. On
short
flights, the faster speed of the RJ makes very little difference
compared
with turbo-props but they can get above the bad weather and make
the
flight smoother.
Turbo props have been used to
feed the hubs of the major airlines from
near-by cities usually within 450 miles. That is a two hour
flight
and about the tolerance of the passenger. The major airlines
are now
using RJs on flights over 3 hours to more distant cities. In
some
cases, the RJs are replacing 737s and MD-80s while some RJs are
opening new
routes to/from the hubs. Some RJs have the range to go 2,000
miles
or over 4 hours.
Major airlines limit the number,
size and locations of RJs they or
their commuter partners can fly. I will not get into the
specifics
but they cost less to fly per passenger mile.
I feel there are two reasons that
we will see more RJs:
- With
the hassles of security, passengers are more willing to tolerate a
longer flight in an RJ rather than make connections. For
example:
flying from Lansing to Atlanta, you must connect in Chicago,
Detroit,
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, etc. Whether flying to the
first hub
in a turbo-prop or RJ is irrelevant. If Delta offers a 2 1/2
hour
non-stop from Lansing to Atlanta, the passenger will take it if
the price
is the same or close. If you want to go from Shreveport to
Denver
and United offers a non-stop in an RJ, why change in Memphis,
Houston, St.
Louis or Dallas? Non-stop RJs will not have the frequency
that will
be offered by connecting but the passengers will prefer non-stop
RJ
flights.
- The major carriers are under direct
attack by low cost carriers like
Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier, AirTran, Spirit and more. The
majors must also
compete indirectly with each other. If they can offer (via
their
commuter partners) RJ non-stops, they can protect their customer
base
while attempting to gain market share. The major carriers
can not
survive a multi-front war.
Bottom line:
Look for new service between
secondary cities and
hubs in the 400-2,000 mile range. Also look for RJs to
replace
some main-line jets when the contract with the main line employees
allows. RJs: cost the airline less to
fly, go fast, are quiet, fly high, economically fly up to
2,500 miles,
serve smaller cities without forcing a connection and are
fairly new. This is
great news for service to/from smaller airports.
RJ Detail:
There are 2 major RJ
manufacturers: Bombardier
(CRJ) and Embraer
(ERx). You can visit their web
sites for more detail and photos.
