OH MY GOD, THIS PLANE IS SOOO small!!!!

This seems to be a HUGE issue. Working for a regional airline means a lot of nasty comments about the SIZE of our aircraft. It gets old hearing flight after flight how small the plane is.
We get comments such as:
 "Is this plane big enough to make it there?"
 "Oh my god this is soo small!"
"This isn't a real airplane!"

I assure you that it is and it's financially smart for airlines to fly us rather than their own for little routs and hops from place to place.


How do you know if you're flying on one of these?


Very simple! Pay attention when you're purchasing your ticket!
When you start looking at flights you'll see all the information such as flight number, departure and arrival times, and even the airline.

Frontier Airlines 1735 operated by REPUBLIC AIRLINES

See the highlighted part? See where it says "operated by"? Yup, guess what that means. You're on a regional aircraft!


More examples:

Continental Airlines 2974 operated by EXPRESSJET AIRLINES INC DBA CO EXPRESS

United Airlines 7252 operated by UNITED EXPRESS/MESA AIRLINES


It's listed on every website. This is the way that you can find out what type of aircraft that you are on. If you are scared of flying then don't do this. Pay attention to what your fingers are doing on the websites and you clearly review ALL of your flight details.


Many of the regional airlines actually have better service than on a mainline flight. Most regional airplanes do not hold more than 100 people (mine holds no more that 76) making it so that only 2 flight attendants are required per the FAA (one flight attendant per every 50 seats/ passengers on an aircraft). The inflight service whether done by one or both flight attendants is more prompt considering that it is a smaller aircraft. If it's a regional for Detla, then the same service items are offered. The same for United, Continental, Frontier, etc. So you're getting the same service from most likely younger! One small fall back is the smaller overhead bins. Now, this still allows you to bring your carry-ons, just like any other mainline airline. What happens though when they don't fit? We gate check them. You get a tag from the airline that goes on your bag and it's left in the jetway as you board. They then go under the aircraft separate from the regular checked luggage that isn't screened the same way. When you land (and not necessairly your final destination) you re-claim these bags as you deplane the aircraft. These bags do not have ANY of your flight information noted on them except the flight number sometimes that you are currently one (good reason to get a new one for each flight. There is also normally a smaller portion that tears off that has the same number listed on it for reference in case for some reason the bag is misplaced. Best part of this? You don't have to struggle to get it into the overhead bin and you don't get charged for your luggage being checked! Now, listen up for a minute! Some mainline airlines, when checked in completely full will make customers gate check to their FINAL DESTINATION at no charge. This means if you're going from MCI-ATL-AUS  and your bag gets checked to your final destination then you will pick it up in BAGGAGE CLAIM in Austin. If it was gate checked on a regional you would pick it up when you got off in Atlanta and recheck it again when you board on your next aircraft to AUS. There is a difference so you have to pay attention to the announcements that the gate agents are making!