Detailed seat map American Airlines CRJ 700 all economy. Find the best airplanes seats, information on legroom, recline and in-flight entertainment using our detailed online seating charts. George, Utah - The US regional charter operator SkyWest Airlines will acquire seven used Bombardier CRJ700. From early 2020, SkyWest will operate these jets on behalf of American Airlines under a multi-year contract. The contract incorporates ten CRJ700 in total.
Two planes made by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier have had to make emergency landings in less than a week because of a landing gear problem.
A Skywest Airlines plane landed Tuesday at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee after the cockpit crew reported that only two of the three sets of landing gear would lower. All 36 passengers and three crew members aboard the Bombardier CRJ200 deplaned safely.
Last Saturday, Delta Connection Flight 4951, operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport because of a problem with its landing gear. There were no injuries in that incident, which involved a CRJ-900 twin-engine jetliner.
An NTSB spokesman tells CBS News that the Board is specifically investigating whether there are 'commonalities' among the recent accidents involving Bombardier aircraft and not fully deployed landing gears.
NTSB Spokesman Keith Holloway says that while the Board has 'not initiated any special investigation per se' into Bombardier landing gears and, 'at this point, we have not made any connections between the two accidents.'
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In addition to the latest incidents, Federal Aviation Administration documents reveal at least three other landing gear problems with Bombardier jets since 2008.
Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne did not immediately comment on the latest problem in Milwaukee, but said Tuesday that there are no issues with the landing gear on the CRJ series planes.
'These aircraft are in service with more than 60 airlines over the world,' he said. 'The aircraft has logged more than 27 million flight hours and more than 22 million takeoff and landing cycles, so these are very good and reliable aircraft.'
Aviation experts note that while a plane landing without its full gear can be harrowing for those on board, usually such landings result in few injuries or fatalities.
'It creates a lot of sparks and damages the airliner to some extent,' said Doug Moss, a pilot who runs AeroPacific Consulting in Torrance, California. 'The general rule is no one gets hurt and they are fairly infrequent.'
A CBS News search of the NTSB database shows that, including last night's emergency landing, Bombardier planes have been involved in a total of seven incidents since June 2005 in which an emergency landing was made with a landing gear being only partially extended or not extended at all. Six of the incidents have occurred in just the last two years.
Prior Bombardier landing gear landing gear emergencies since late 2008 include:
On Dec. 15, 2008, a Mesa Airlines CRJ-900 landed safely at Chicago O'Hare Airport after the crew noticed an indicator light showing trouble with the landing gear.
On June 11, 2009, an Atlantic Southeast Airlines CRJ-200 couldn't extend its left landing gear but landed safely in Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport.
On May 23, 2010, a Skywest Airlines CRJ-200 couldn't extend its nose landing gear but landed safely at an Ontario, California, airport.
The New York Daily News reported that in April a 'gear disagree' message appeared on a South Africa Express CRJ-200 flight approaching Windhoek Airport in Namibia.
Airline safety consultant Keith Mackey said regional jets, because they fly more frequently, may encounter landing gear problems more often.
'A Boeing 747 typically flies longer-distance flights, but some of these (regional) planes can do 30 landings a day,' he said. 'Each time you cycle the landing gear, the probability goes up.'
A CBS News search of FAA records shows that the following U.S.-based airlines fly Bombardier aircraft. Noted below are the number of Bombardier planes each of the airlines have and which major carriers each regional airline serves as a feeder for:
Air Wisconsin (United Express) - 70
American Eagle - 33
Atlantic Coast (United Express) - 1
Atlantic Southeast (Delta Connection) - 164
Comair (Delta Connection) - 96
Express Airlines (Northwest Airlink) - 142
Horizon Air - 13
Mesa Airlines (America West, US Airways Express) - 72
Mesaba (Northwest Airlink) - 60
PSA (US Airways Express) - 49
Skywest (Delta Connection, United Express) - 244
American Eagle - 33
Atlantic Coast (United Express) - 1
Atlantic Southeast (Delta Connection) - 164
Comair (Delta Connection) - 96
Express Airlines (Northwest Airlink) - 142
Horizon Air - 13
Mesa Airlines (America West, US Airways Express) - 72
Mesaba (Northwest Airlink) - 60
PSA (US Airways Express) - 49
Skywest (Delta Connection, United Express) - 244
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An American Eagle CRJ-200 during boarding at LAX – Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
Occasionally, I’ll be as lucky as some of my AirlineReporter colleagues to be flying high in a premium cabin while being waited on hand and foot (see, e.g., David Delagarza’s vacation flight in first-class on ANA, or Jacob’s Pfledger’s mile-high shower on Emirates). But as most of us can attest to, sometimes (or most of the time) we have to schlep it to get to where we want to go.
My wife and I traveled to Europe for a two-week whirlwind honeymoon tour that included 10 cities in eight countries, as well as eight individual flights within Europe. We found a smashing deal from Delta to experience premium economy on Air France’s Airbus A380 to Paris. There was just one slight issue: our Air France flight took off from San Francisco, but we live in Southern California — over 350 miles away. The solution: flying in the much-maligned CRJ-200. What sort of life decisions did I get wrong to lead me to suffering this mighty indignity?
Airline: American Airlines (AA), operated as American Eagle by Skywest Airlines
Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-200 (CR2) – 50 seats, all-economy cabin
Departed: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Arrived: Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC)
Class:Economy
Seats: 3B & 11A
Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-200 (CR2) – 50 seats, all-economy cabin
Departed: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Arrived: Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC)
Class:Economy
Seats: 3B & 11A
Flight AA2865 | LAX-SJC | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Flight Time |
Scheduled | 1:05pm | 2:31pm | 1:26 |
Actual | 1:19pm | 2:08pm | 0:49 |
+/- | +0:14 | -0:23 | -0:37 |
A Quick Background and Subtext
While at first blush it may seem inconvenient to book an international flight departing from a far-away airport, there are reasons why sometimes it makes sense:
- The overall cost, including a separate positioning flight, is still lower than flying directly out of your home airport;
- Time is not an issue;
- You have reasons to visit the departure city, such as family, friends, and/or fun;
- You need the extra flights for elite qualification.
In my case, it was all of the above, so Bay Area, here we come!
![American American](/uploads/1/2/4/8/124893971/558008773.jpg)
Gate monitor for my American Eagle flight to San Jose – Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
Also working in my favor was the fact that the California coastal market is saturated with dozens of flights and thousands of seats a day, so it can be relatively inexpensive to fly between the Southland and the Bay Area, especially when a sale is in effect In our case, American (AA) and several other airlines offered flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to San Jose (SJC) for $62 per person, including taxes and fees. Even renting a car one-way from SJC to SFO was cheaper than renting for a day out of SFO, so overall costs worked in our favor.
However, while the competition uses larger aircraft such as Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s on the LAX-SJC route, AA uses the small Bombardier CRJ-200 (CR2). Was the potential suffering going to be worth it, or would I totally regret it?
An American Eagle CRJ-200 taxiing at LAX, with a new Embraer 175 following – Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
Checking In & At the Airport
Because we actually had tickets for a flight later in the evening but wanted to catch an earlier flight, we checked in through our mobile apps 24 hours in advance of our original departure to give us slightly higher priority on the standby list, which is partly based on actual check-in time (other factors include fare paid and elite status). While AA charges $75 per person to confirm a flight change on the day of flight, elite flyers (both of us have AA’s Platinum status) are allowed to standby for no fee, though at the risk of not having a seat available.
Rolling the dice on the early flight, we arrived at LAX early and headed to the Premium wing of the check-in area at Terminal 4. With just travel backpacks to carry on and nothing to check in, we skip the counters and headed straight up the escalators that lead to the premium security lanes, as well as TSA Pre-Check, to which we have access thanks to Global Entry.
After just a couple of minutes we were into the terminal. What many passengers don’t realize is that American Eagle flights depart out of a remote satellite terminal (affectionately known among frequent AA flyers as the “Eagle’s Nest”) that is accessible only by shuttle bus service that departs every 15-20 minutes, and takes about 10-15 minutes to get to.
Pro Tip: If you are flying on an American Eagle or US Airways Express flight, factor in another 30 minutes to get to/from the remote terminal from Terminal 4. There is no direct shuttle service from Terminal 6 to the Eagle’s Nest; you’ll have to take the shuttle or walk to Terminal 4 first.
Luckily a shuttle bus was just ready to depart, so we hopped on and the doors closed about a minute later. The ride from Terminal 4 took us out into the airfield roadway and all the way past Terminal 7. For AvGeeks, this is a fun ride on the airfield that gives great views of all the actively taxiing aircraft.
- The tarmac between Terminals 4 and 5 at LAX
- A view of LAX Terminal 6, with the tower and theme building in the background – Photos: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
- Our shuttle bus at LAX chasing a United 737-800
The remote terminal is barebones but comfortable. For premium flyers, AA invested in building a small but modern Admirals Club lounge in the satellite terminal. For other passengers, there’s complimentary Wi-Fi, a newsstand, and small cafe of deli items.
- Inside the American Eagle satellite terminal at LAX
- Entrance to the LAX Admirals Club in the satellite terminal – Photos: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
- Boarding at LAX, Gate 44C to San Jose on American Eagle
We approached the desk and ask to be placed on the standby list, landing in the first and second spots. Our plan worked out, as we took two of the last three available seats, out of a list of about nine standby passengers.
Boarding was announced promptly, and we headed out to the ramp under a covered walkway and met our ride… the CRJ-200.
A CRJ-200 at LAX, in the previous American Eagle Livery – Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
Onboard the Lowly CRJ-200
This small, all-economy 50-seater had seen better days. The poor thing hadn’t even received the updated AA livery. Skywest operates a fleet of CR2s under the American Eagle name for AA, primarily on the west coast. They also appear on small market routes for Alaska, Delta, and United, and if it’s one thing the various frequent flyers can agree one, it’s the disdain they have for the CR2.
The aircraft is old, the seats are cramped, and there is no possibility of upgrades. Their overhead bins are so small that only personal items can fit, so larger carryons like suitcases have to be left on a cart before the aircraft door, where the bags will be loaded into the cargo hold, to be picked up planeside upon arrival. Really, the only saving grace is their short range, meaning most passengers won’t have to suffer for more than two hours.
E-175 in American Eagle livery – Photo: airbus777 | FlickrCC
Much to many AA flyers’ relief, Skywest’s contract with AA will expire sometime in October. This means no more CR2s at LAX; instead, Embraer 175s from Compass Airlines will fly routes out of LAX, including to SJC. The E175 features 76 seats, including a proper first class cabin and larger overhead bins that will fit a normal roll-aboard.
We walked up the ramp, ducked into the narrow fuselage, and quickly found our seats. Anyone taller than 5’10” will feel the urge to slouch while walking the aisle; anyone over 6’0″ will definitely have to slouch.
We had exit row seats 8C and 8D for our original flight, but took the last available seats on our standby flights, which were 3B and 11A. Being a short flight, we didn’t mind sitting apart instead of bothering others to ask and move around, even if it was the first flight of our honeymoon. Being the proper husband, I allowed my wife… I insisted that she take… she chose 3B. I decided to live dangerously by taking 11A, which gave me a window to shoot photos from, but with only 13 rows onboard, I was near the very back.
- The flight deck of our American Eagle CRJ-200
- The cabin of our American Eagle CRJ-200 – Photos: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
- An American Eagle E175 off the wingtip of our CRJ-200, as if to taunt us
As expected, the seats are pretty narrow, meaning bumping shoulders with your neighbor more frequently. The window seats are especially problematic, as the curvature of the fuselage cuts into you legroom and head clearance.
The seats are thin and not padded well, but at least there seemed to be “normal” legroom. None of the modern accoutrements are present: no in-seat power, Wi-Fi, entertainment system, not even adjustable headrests. But at least the air vents were there; I hate when airlines don’t opt for installing the vents. Here’s to small victories!
- Legroom on an American Eagle CRJ-200
- The overhead passenger service unit on an American Eagle CRJ-200. At least there are air vents! – Photos: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
- Taking off from LAX on an American Eagle CRJ-200
One unique (in a not-a-good way) characteristic of the CR2 is that the windows are too low to look out of comfortably. When the CRJ-100/200 was first conceived, it was based off the Challenger corporate jet series. The seating and other furnishings of those private aircraft were installed on floor that was a bit lower, and the height of the windows were set accordingly. To be able to seat four-across for commercial service, the floor had to be raised a few inches; however, the window positioning remained at the same height. This issue was corrected starting with the newer, more modern cousin of the CR2, the CRJ-700.
After a short delay, we pulled away from the gate and made our way to the southern runways for takeoff. You can definitely feel the thrust of the little jet as it accelerates and rotates just past the midway point of the runway. With calm weather, we smoothly made the gradual right turn to fly along the coast up to San Jose.
- #SuccessIs getting a whole can of Coke
- The worst seats on an American Eagle CRJ-200: Rows 13-14, right next to the lavatory – Photos: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
- A US Airways CRJ-900 at an overcast San Jose Airport – note the APU intake in front of the vertical stabilizer
Inflight service on such a short flight was minimal but adequate. The flight attendant went down the aisle offering drinks. I gulped down my cup of Coke, and when the attendant saw my empty cup on the way back to the front, she offered me a full can.
In no time at all, we got the announcement that we are beginning our descent. Even though we departed with a slight delay, we got to the gate well before the scheduled time.
An American Eagle CRJ-200 parked at Gate 10 at San Jose Airport. Farewell, CR2… it’s been (kind of) real. – Photo: John Nguyen | AirlineReporter
Farewell, CRJ-200…
Perhaps we’ve all been a little too harsh on this hapless regional jet. While it may not be all glitz and glam, it served its purpose as a workhorse, and objectively I didn’t have too much to complain about. While a moot point now, I can say that I wouldn’t go out of my way to avoid flying a CR2 on a short route like LAX-SJC. Also, the Skywest crew was upbeat, professional, and efficient in performing their duties.
But times change, and the airline industry has decided that larger regional jets such as the E175 or CRJ-700s are the future. As a result, the CR2 has been rendered moribund (at least within AA; the CR2s are being shifted to Phoenix, the smallest hub of the combined AA/US Airways operation).
Travel was at the author’s own expense, and the views and opinions are the author’s own.
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