Even the RJ in a regional is not the best. Example LGA - PWM (New York to Portland MAine) It is a popular route...we used to do it in a SAAB good flight for us 1.1 hrs....good revenue making but the loads got too be too high for a 34 seat plane. It went to the RJ (EMB 145) same problem...overbooked to 55 and the wieght limited on many days to 45....so 10 people get bumped.....the route might be better served by the old Folkers or a 717...so the answer will probroly go to the EMB 170...good for the customer but as we know the pay for the pilots on the 170 are not at "Airline Pay"
I agree...leave the short routes to the turbo-props...better fuel efficency, the proper regional routes....between 10K and 15K...less congestion on the center routes. I can not tell you how many times I jump to the head of the line at LGA because we are on a tower to tower route and an RJ going to the same destination is on the ground waiting for center airspace...a good example is LGA - ORF...White intersection is stopped but we go out at 7K and squeeze right on by....
Regionals in the regions and let mainlines do the long flights...more jobs in the "majors"
I had a delta jumpseater introduce himself to me as a "pilot for Delta...you know...the feeder for Comair"
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