I hear what your saying I just don't see it that way. I don't like big rj's any more than the next guy but they have been held to 76 seats for a long time. Hence why I barked at his reference.
When I was at Mesaba we flew Avro rj85's for NWA.
BAe 146-200 and Avro RJ85
The 146-200 features a 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in) fuselage extension and reduced
cost per seat mile. The -200 first flew in August 1982 and entered service six months later. The RJ85, the first RJ development of the BAe 146 family, features an improved cabin and the more efficient LF 507 engines. Deliveries of the RJ85 began in April 1993.
The RJ85 seats up to 112 passengers.
That was 16 years ago. Sorry I thought we were talking about something new that wasn't from almost two decades ago. They flew with 76 seats back then.....just like the smaller cabin longer range equivalents do now.
I also think the MTOW was about 10,000 lbs heavier than the ones we have now, although we do have more of them, which isn't good in itself.
I am glad that we are getting 88, new to us, 107 seat(ish) aircraft to fly.
The
Boeing 717 is a
twin-engine,
single-aisle jet airliner,
developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by
McDonnell Douglas as the
MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the
DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has design
range of 2,060 nautical miles (3,820 km). The aircraft is powered by two
Rolls-Royce BR715
turbofan engines.
I guess we should call those 117 seat planes though.
For my history of going back 40 years and referencing NWA, the smallest they flew, I believe since I was born, was the DC-9-10, seated to 78 seats? but we should call that....a 90 seat plane?
Capacity 
Flightcrew of two.
10 - Seating for 80 in a single class at five abreast and 86cm (34in) pitch. Max seating for 90.