Originally Posted by void
About 7 or 8 years ago CHQ management assured Delta that the EMB135 could get in and out of EYW and fly to MCO without any issues. They found out only a day or two before that it might not. After last minute scrambling and talking to Embraer they found out that the 135 could indeed do it with 37 people and full bags but only with a few hundred lbs above min fuel with no alternate. If any more fuel was added they would bump passengers. So they got away with it. However, on several occasions due to MCO needing an alternate they needed to fuel stop from EYW to MCO in RSW! Not one of Chautauqua management's (now Republic), finest moments.
That's an interesting story...
When I worked at AWAC we'd seasonally do EYW-MCO in the CRJ-200; I don't remember if we were pax-restricted on that particular segment (I do remember we didn't have more than a few extra pounds of fuel to play around with) but I seem to recall it not really being a problem to take 40ish people to Orlando.
I know Eagle used to do RDU-AUS in a E135 which I've always heard was "hot rod"...I presume the E145 I saw Freedom flying EYW-MCO during that time was better on that particular route?