The fact that you voluntarily clicked on an American Eagle ERJ 145 economy review tells me that you have concerns. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good news for you. It’s every bit as bad as you think it is.
Flying on an AA Embraer 145 is a cramped and uncomfortable experience. These are small airplanes with equally small seats, and you will have a very uncomfortable flight. I’m sorry.
Basically, the only good thing about the ERJ 145 is that it’ll be leaving the American Eagle fleet relatively soon. I don’t even drink, but I’ve got an ice cold Corona waiting in my fridge the day that happens.
AA3526
Flint, MI (FNT) – Chicago, IL (ORD)
Monday, October 17, 2022
Aircraft: Embraer 145 (ERJ 145)
Registration: N668HH
Duration: 43 minutes
Seat: 5A (main cabin)
American Eagle Embraer ERJ 145 side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our turbulence-ridden route from Flint to Chicago this afternoon as AA3526.
A full review of American Eagle ERJ 145 economy class from Flint to Chicago
Despite starting this review with a tone that only Negative Nancy could approve of, the truth is that I was really looking forward to this flight. Not only did I used to fly on these airplanes a lot back in the day, I was going to do it agin out of my true home airport.
I grew up just south of Flint, and FNT was the airport my family preferred over DTW due to it’s small size and easy access. Finally being able to begin an airline review from there was something special.
The Flint Bishop International Airport might not look like much (and I have absolutely no idea how they earned the “international” title), but it is where this American Eagle E145 review is starting today.
Arrival at the Flint Bishop International Airport
I normally think quite fondly of the past, but for some reason or another I assumed that flying out of Flint would be a miserable experience. It turns out that they have maintained the terminal building quite well over the years, and it ended up being one of the nicest little airports that I’ve been to in a good long while. It was good to see it again.
This may not be the most extravagant airport terminal you’ve ever seen (it kind of looks like a low-rent strip mall), but I’m proud to be standing here representing it. Thinking how weird it would be if I never moved to San Diego and became “FNTspotter” instead. The rental car counters are behind me, baggage claim is on the left, and the airline check in desks are straight ahead. It’s not very often that I can cover pretty much everything in one picture!This is the American Airlines check in area (complete with AA employees no doubt coming up with a plan to deal with angry passengers once they realize the flight to Chicago today is going to be delayed AF).Of course I didn’t even know about the delay yet. I was too busy patting myself on the back for arriving early and avoiding the crowds (lol).After checking in, proceed up this escalator to the second level. Reminisce about 1992 if you feel the urge (and you most certainly will thanks to the retro 90’s decor in this place).I’m so glad I got here early!This is either an airport on the break of bankruptcy, or one that isn’t normally so busy at this particular hour. It’s hard to tell really.Starting to wonder if I’ve somehow wandered into a place I’m not supposed to be…Fast forward a couple hours, and here is our plane to Chicago pulling up to the gate nearly an hour behind schedule. This is inconvenient!
The boarding process for flight number 3526 to Chicago
Finally! Due to the late arrival of the aircraft, I was 100% convinced that I wasn’t going to make my connection in Chicago. My only goal at that moment was to get content for this review, and I’d deal with figuring out how to get the rest of the way home to San Diego later. Sometimes, that’s all you can really do.
The mood here at gate 11 felt like it was somewhere in between “American Airlines sucks ***” and “holy **** I’m never flying American Airlines ever again!” You could see it on the faces of nearly everyone.I refrained from making any threats I couldn’t follow through on. I am an airline reviewer after all, so chances are good I’ll cross paths with American Airlines again relatively soon whether I like it or not. Dang it!BTW, the gate agents did an epic job of getting the boarding process started ASAP. There were still passengers walking off the plane when they called for zone 1 to board.Speaking of epic, how about this carpet??At least they were kind enough to get the jet bridge as close(ish) to the aircraft as they could for us.I’m probably going to miss my connection at ORD, so getting drenched (and perhaps losing a limb to hypothermia) wouldn’t have mattered all that much anyway. Welcome to the American Eagle E145! It’s been a while since I’ve been able to drag my bald head on the ceiling of an airplane (and I kinda liked it).Seat 5A is mine all the way to Chicago.Leg room is decent (even better than what you saw in my review of American Airlines A319 economy), but when it’s the only flight option you have, you kinda have to take what you get.When’s the last time you saw a squared off airline seat? I mean, other than my JSX (JetSuiteX) review.I didn’t realize it until just now, but the way I check the contents of the seat back pocket is a lot like how I’ve seen cautious mothers checking the diaper of a smelly toddler. You never really know what you’re going to find in there…This pic does a better job of demonstrating how tight these seats really are. It’s cozy!Despite it’s flaws, the 1-2 seating configuration makes the ERJ 145 a very good option for solo travelers.You’re darn right I’m studying the safety card (mostly because I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that a fully loaded E145 would sink like a rock in the icy water of Lake Michigan).
The departure out of Flint
The snow had turned to rain by the time we pushed off the gate, so there was no need to stop by the deicing pad on the way out. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because I was convinced that I was going to miss my connection.
That said, it was raining hard by that point, which completely prevented any decent views of the surrounding area upon departure.
Don’t worry, it’s not like there’s all that much to see out on the ramp here at FNT anyway.Not all airports can be as scenic as LAX or JFK, right?‘Later Flint!Whoa. I wasn’t expecting any noteworthy scenery during the departure process, but this’ll do. This’ll do nicely.
In-flight entertainment
Seriously? You’re really wondering what the in-flight entertainment options are on the American Eagle ERJ 145? Basically, you’re going to have to bring your own. Not only are there no video screens in these seats, there is no Wi-Fi either. RIP to those of you with a short attention span.
My chosen form of in-flight entertainment on this flight was trying to fend off a panic attack as we got tossed around in the rough air.Why does turbulent air have to look so pretty? The image stabilization on my iPhone camera was getting a workout!I think I’m gonna puke.
The food
Despite the lack of in-flight entertainment, the flight attendant did come by offering a bag of snack mix and a drink. I found it interesting that only half of the passengers on board today took her up on that offer.
Maybe the rough air was giving everyone motion sickness? Or perhaps they were too concerned about missing their connection in Chicago? Who knows. All I’m going to say is that the flight attendant had it easy on this flight.
Mini pretzels and a cup of water. I don’t think there’s anything else that would pair with a crusty old Embraer ERJ 145 as nicely as this does.I can’t recall if the concerned look on my face was because of the turbulence, or because I knew that the chances of making my connection in Chicago were slim to none. Probably a little bit of both actually.Still, it wasn’t hard to appreciate having any snack at all on a short flight like this.
A few words about seat comfort
Actually, there’s absolutely no comfort to speak of. The seats of these American Eagle Embraer 145 regional jets are as stiff as they look, and they offer very little in terms of padding and support. This is not an airplane that you want to be on for more than one hour. If I’m being honest, even 45 minutes was pushing it.
A regional jet experience so bland and unremarkable that I can’t even think of a caption for these pics. That doesn’t happen often!“Saggy old bag between my legs” would be an inappropriate thing to say, wouldn’t it?In all seriousness, this single seat was every bit as comfortable as the single seat in American Eagle E175 first class. I love the 1-2 seating configuration!
The arrival into Chicago
The rain had started to let up as we approached the Illinois shore of Lake Michigan, and we got a really nice view of the Chicago skyline on the way in. I was also really happy that the air had smoothed out during the approach, as the ride across lower Michigan (and the lake) was butt-clenching to the max.
The sunshine was nice while it lasted, but down we go…Land Ho!I’m still not likely to make my connecting flight, but at least I can rest assured that we won’t be crashing into Lake Michigan today. There’s some nice fall colors over here in Illinois as well!I used to know ORD like the back of my hand, but they’ve added so many new runways over the last 10-15 years that it’s more like the bottom of my foot now.I have no idea what runway we landed on, but no matter. Welcome to an about-to-be stormy O’Hare Airport.It’s true. Even if you are moving at a pretty good clip, taxiing to the gate will feel glacially slow when you know that your connecting flight has already started boarding.Let’s gooooooo!We haven’t even parked at the gate yet and I’ve already got a death grip on my backpack. I’m ready.Remember when I told you that a 1 hour layover is enough time in Chicago? If I succeed in what I’m about to attempt, I can start telling everyone that 18 minute layovers are ok as well.Make that 17 minutes. Air travel is fun, isn’t it?My apologies to this poor man for blowing past here in the jet bridge at well above the speed limit. I had a plane to catch! Which I did end up making by the way (just moments before they closed the boarding door). #whew
Pros and cons of American Eagle ERJ 145 economy class
If there’s one thing you really need to know about flying on one of these American Eagle RJ145s, it’s that it’ll be one of the most uncomfortable air travel experiences of your life. Whether you’re tall or short, fat or skinny, it’s not going to be fun. The following pros and cons list is a summary of how I really feel about it:
Pros
Boarding and deplaning is relatively quick thanks to how small the ERJ 145 is. You won’t have to wait very long in either scenario.
The 1-2 seating configuration is a godsend for solo travelers.
Cons
There are no first class seats on these airplanes. It’s all economy class.
The seats are extremely narrow, which is definitely going to be a problem for anyone carrying a little extra weight.
It’s noisy! Even when seated at the front of the airplane, wind and engine noise will become bothersome on longer flights.
Turbulence is a mother****** on the ERJ 145. It’s a very light airplane, and it gets bounced around easily in rough air.
I have to say that I was really looking forward to this trip report. Just because of the ERJ-145. Here in Germany/ Europe we can not fly on the ERJ145/ CRJ200 anymore. They are long gone and most of the time you’re flying A320/B737 between big cities. Even flights to the big hubs here are mostly A320/B737, here you’re now lucky if you’re on a A220 or ERJ-175. So, its very rare to fly anything other than the 2 mentioned aircraft types. Beeing 44 years now, I’m happy that I’ve flown the ERJ-145/ CRJ200 when it was still possible. I really enjoyed this trip report and I’m a little bit jealous that you can still fly those aircrafts in the US. And that you can fly from “secondary” cities (like Flint and many others) with a much higher variety of airlines and aircraft types compared to europe. So many thanks for this nice trip report. Greetings, Thomas from Germany
Thanks Thomas! I was secretly looking forward to writing this review as well – mostly because the origination point was from my childhood home airport, but the E145 did have something to do with it. They are becoming rarer in the US, which is weird to me still since I remember when it was impossible to go anywhere without seeing an army of these things at every airport.
I’m really glad you enjoyed this! These types of reviews don’t get much interest compared to the long haul business class stuff, but I still enjoy putting in the work to get them posted.
Very interesting review! I really liked seeing pictures of your former home airport, and it was nice to see a review of a quick hop on a regional jet.
While I agree that the E145’s cabin is very cramped, personally I think that the 1-2 config and large windows make up for it. I also think that its turbulence characteristics and steep takeoffs make it a very fun aircraft to fly on. Only turboprops are cooler! (Mainly due to how “exotic” they are)
Don’t get me wrong though, I love widebodies as well.
But, anyway, back to the point, I like the E145, but I can see how this was a horrible flight.
By the way, will there be a review of the following flight?
Thanks Peter! It’s been a while since I’ve done a review of a rickety old regional jet, so I quite enjoyed putting this one together. The 1-2 configuration certainly helped!
And nope, there will be no review of the ORD-SAN segment. I’m going to jump right into the reviews of my recent Euro trip (which will include some lounges this time)…
Comfort comes after safety. Erj145 is a plane that has never encountered any fatalities and even in emergency situations managed to have everyone landed safely. 0 injuries and 0 fatalities, take my comfort all you want as long as I get safely to where I’m heading. Embraer has been my top choice ever since I learned anything about aircraft’s.
That’s a very good point Eddie – it hadn’t occurred to me how safe the E145 has been compared to similar types. I just wish they would get around to updating the interiors.
Thomas
Hello Sanspotter,
I have to say that I was really looking forward to this trip report. Just because of the ERJ-145. Here in Germany/ Europe we can not fly on the ERJ145/ CRJ200 anymore. They are long gone and most of the time you’re flying A320/B737 between big cities. Even flights to the big hubs here are mostly A320/B737, here you’re now lucky if you’re on a A220 or ERJ-175. So, its very rare to fly anything other than the 2 mentioned aircraft types. Beeing 44 years now, I’m happy that I’ve flown the ERJ-145/ CRJ200 when it was still possible. I really enjoyed this trip report and I’m a little bit jealous that you can still fly those aircrafts in the US. And that you can fly from “secondary” cities (like Flint and many others) with a much higher variety of airlines and aircraft types compared to europe. So many thanks for this nice trip report. Greetings, Thomas from Germany
Scott (SANspotter)
Thanks Thomas! I was secretly looking forward to writing this review as well – mostly because the origination point was from my childhood home airport, but the E145 did have something to do with it. They are becoming rarer in the US, which is weird to me still since I remember when it was impossible to go anywhere without seeing an army of these things at every airport.
I’m really glad you enjoyed this! These types of reviews don’t get much interest compared to the long haul business class stuff, but I still enjoy putting in the work to get them posted.
Peter
Very interesting review! I really liked seeing pictures of your former home airport, and it was nice to see a review of a quick hop on a regional jet.
While I agree that the E145’s cabin is very cramped, personally I think that the 1-2 config and large windows make up for it. I also think that its turbulence characteristics and steep takeoffs make it a very fun aircraft to fly on. Only turboprops are cooler! (Mainly due to how “exotic” they are)
Don’t get me wrong though, I love widebodies as well.
But, anyway, back to the point, I like the E145, but I can see how this was a horrible flight.
By the way, will there be a review of the following flight?
Scott (SANspotter)
Thanks Peter! It’s been a while since I’ve done a review of a rickety old regional jet, so I quite enjoyed putting this one together. The 1-2 configuration certainly helped!
And nope, there will be no review of the ORD-SAN segment. I’m going to jump right into the reviews of my recent Euro trip (which will include some lounges this time)…
Peter
Glad to hear that the next reviews will be about your Euro trip! Really excited about seeing Long-haul reviews back on this blog.
eddie
Comfort comes after safety. Erj145 is a plane that has never encountered any fatalities and even in emergency situations managed to have everyone landed safely. 0 injuries and 0 fatalities, take my comfort all you want as long as I get safely to where I’m heading. Embraer has been my top choice ever since I learned anything about aircraft’s.
Scott (SANspotter)
That’s a very good point Eddie – it hadn’t occurred to me how safe the E145 has been compared to similar types. I just wish they would get around to updating the interiors.