Originally Posted by
CaseTractor
Last week I saw a Mesa (Skywest?) 175 RJ flight from the Terminal B RJ gates to LGA. I was somewhat surprised scope limitations did not prohibit that route from being an RJ. Is it allowed because LGA is technically not a Hub? Or can they do anything they want with RJs so long less than a certain amount are flying?
Either way I was frustrated it was one less New York overnight in our system, and my 50 seat RJ to podunk regional airport is often broken, late, or weight limited forcing me to buy the one way rental car home. I wish the 175 was going to my podunk regional, not LGA.
Rant over...
I’ve seen E175s on 1500nm flights. From a hub to a large city. I’ve seen Houston to PBI on an E175. That e175 could have been an A319 or 737-700. The 175 at all major airlines are deployed on routes that could be served by mainline aircraft. The point of the RJ is to serve out stations that are too small for a large jet. But let’s be real the 175 and CRJ900 ARE large jets. Theoretically let’s say United has expanded to the limit and they are looking for new ways to expend then tapping into those very small underdeveloped markets where the -200 has pulled out of technically can add customers to the system. It’s just does the revenue make up for the costs. There is no longer a regional airliner. E175 are mainline jet size airplanes. It’s just that majors no longer operate DC9s/737-200s/etc. Delta is the only exception with the 717 and now the A220. The regional made sense when they flew B1900 or metro or E120. Now they are just being used because they are “cheaper” which I’m not even sure they are anymore.