JungleBus

While I get that the general drift of the last few post is that certain Compass pilots are apparently concerned about the size of their talliwhackers and compensate by boasting about the size of their plane, I gotta ask...

Do any of *you* consider the Embraer 175 to be a regional jet? I certainly don't. It belongs at mainline. I don't say that for my own edification, I derive no pleasure from the fact that I'm flying it at a crappy "regional" airline. Just saying that I don't think we should buy into the labels that management has concocted for their own purposes simply to take a few cocky a-holes down a peg or two.

Edit: Reread the posts I was replying to and nobody really said anything about it being an RJ other than in the context of a quote. So don't take my post as a reproof, but more of a general comment on where most Compass guys are coming from on the RJ label.

saab2000

I don't know what a 'regional' jet is. Still trying to figure that one out. I would bet that half the routes I fly would have been flown on a DC-9 or 737 15 years ago.

The concept is brilliant marketing by airlines and aircraft manufacturers and is now simply accepted and used to keep costs down. Ironic because the 50-seat 'regional' jet probably has the highest CASM of any jet in the skies.

The EMB-170/175 and 190/195 are certainly not RJs. They're just marketed as such but are absolutely mainline size and capable aircraft. The 175s that Republic flies have 86 seats on them! And fly routes which are several hours long. Not bashing Republic. But they're not RJs.

RJSAviator76

Sadly, my type rating says ERJ-170, ERJ-190...

Furthermore, I don't care what anyone says... if an FO qualifies for food stamps if he has any family, and the captain makes under 70k a year flying for a scheduled airline - in my book, they're flying a regional jet.

Justdoinmyjob

SO by that logic, if Low Cost Airline were to pay their pilots that amount
to fly 757s, would you then consider the 757 a regional jet?

Pay has nothing to do with whether it's a regional jet or not. That is another topic completely.

Maybe in the beginning, you could say the word applied to the 50 seater, but the airlines started flying the plane well outside of the original mission profile and changed it for better or worse. Now it is a term applied to airplanes by management in order to manage pilot expectations of pay and QOL. Make them think they are "second class employees," and you can get away with treating them like dirt.

evilboy

Ok, I must add my 2 cents to this conversation...hell, my 25 cents!.

A REGIONAL AirLINE is a somewhat small to mid size operator (amount of planes, capacity in those planes, and some might say total yearly revenue), that concentrates mainly in a REGION. Their original intent as part of their operations is/was to serve a specific REGION. Comair's is/was the northeastern region, ASA's the southeast, Skywest's the central/west, etc., etc., etc.
Now some of them thru the years have grown to EXPAND their REGION due to better/bigger/modern aircrafts (Brasilias vs 700/900, Saabs vs ERJ, etc.), but the intent still remains the same. They still serve a REGION, although that my be a larger one at this point (i.e. Republic, Compass, actually pretty much all of them). But one thing still remains constant, the serve a REGION. You may have an occassional crossing to Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, but they don't cross the pond on any direction with 150+ passengers. They are limited and/or concentrated in the lower 48.

Now, a REGIONAL AirLINER/AIRCRAFT is anything these companies fly. Whether a CRJ (Cannadair REGIONAL Jet) or ERJ (Embraer REGIONAL jet), and pretty soon the MRJ (Mitsubishi REGIONAL Jet), they are REGIONAL Jets. And as far as MY understanding, and MY OWN concerns, until any of them are used directly by ANY MAINLINE company to carry passengers on regular basis to points outside this country of more than 3 or 4 hours with enough passengers to REQUIRE at least 3 Flight Attendants, they will remain REGIONAL AIRCRAFTS.
I'm sure some of you by now are thinking the 190s at JetBlue and USair. Good point. They are NOT the main equipment for the routes they SOMETIMES are used for. Those companies use them as relievers (over/under capacity), seasonal (high/low season), and for no longer than 3 hours legs to foreign/outside destination.
Now, please feel free to contradict me with a good argument, preferably with some opposing evidence, and as always in a nice manner.
Thank you and have a great day!.

Ftrooppilot

Characteristics of Regional Airlines

• Regional air taxi airline (carriers) fly and operate a fleet of aircraft with up to 9 passenger seats[2], and may or may not operate with its own airline brand or identity. Most usually aircraft are routed via the point-to-point on-demand or limited schedule transit models of aircraft routing.[3]

• Regional commuter airline (carriers) fly and operate with their own ICAO or IATA codes, their own call sign, with a fleet of aircraft with 9-19 passenger seats, no flight attendant, non-stand up cabins, and function with or without an individual identity and brand, even though an individually operating certificated regional airline company. In many instances, the regional commuter airline may be owed by a conglomerate airline holding company, or may be a completely independent and individually owned regional commuter airline company. Most usually aircraft are routed via the point-to-point transit models of aircraft routing.[4]

• Regional feeder-airline (carriers) fly and operate with their own ICAO or IATA codes, their own call sign, and fly and operate aircraft with 9-99 passenger seats, without an individual identity or brand, even though an individually operating certificated regional feeder airline company. In many instances, the regional feeder airline may be owed by a conglomerate airline holding company, or may be a completely independent and individually owned regional feeder airline company. Most usually aircraft are routed via the hub-and-spoke model of aircraft routing.[5]

• Regional airline carriers are federally operating certificated airlines which operate their own fleet of aircraft with their own brand, ICAO or IATA code, and their own call sign, upon a fleet of aircraft with 9-99 seats and always include at least one fleet of aircraft which requires a flight attendant. Typically aircraft are routed upon both the hub-and-spoke and the point-to-point transit models of aircraft routing.[6]

• Airline carriers operate their own fleet of aircraft with their own brand and identity, ICAO or IATA code, and their own call sign. Federally operating certificated regional airlines[7] are considered airlines.

• Major airline carriers operate their own fleet of aircraft with their own brand and identity, ICAO or IATA code, their own call sign, and operate at least one fleet of aircraft with more than 99 passengers upon their federal operating certificate. Major airlines have revenues greater than $1 billion[8] U.S. dollars in revenue during a fiscal year. Regional airlines are never considered major airlines although in many instances, the regional airline may be owed by a conglomerate airline holding company, and have revenues greater than $1 billion U.S. dollars in revenue during a fiscal year.[9][[10]