My 3 sisters and I are considering booking a flight from Buffalo to Fort Myers via Cleveland. When I view the seat selection I see that the portion of the flight from Buffalo to Cleveland is on an 'Embrarer RJ135/145' airplane. The seat map shows 50 seats. My sisters haven't flown alot and I think they're a little concerned about the size of the plane. Since I'm the one handling the booking, I feel responsible.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who is familier with this type of plane and can give me any information either good or bad.

I look forward to receiving your comments.

Thanks very much.

The flight is operated by a division of Continental Airlines, and it's one of the regional jets that have become extremely popular with the major airlines in the last decade. The airplane is a pure jet, not a turboprop, and is quiet. It is a smaller jet, make no mistake, but generally comfortable and you won't notice much difference between traveling on a RJ versus most other single-aisle aircraft as far as the flying experience goes.

Plus, the left side of the Embraer jets are single seats, which I love when I travel alone.

I fly Continental a lot and like these smaller jets. The are very quiet and decent seating for short hops. There's usually a limited beverage and nuts/pretzel service.

Yup, they are about one-third the size of the a 737 (which I dislike), but they are comfortable planes that do the job well.

Your sisters being concerned about size of plane probably concerns safety rather than comfort on that short flight. I have flown a lot but share their irrational fear of smaller planes )known in my household as "fake planes"). While this fear may make sense with single-engine 2-person planes, even I know it is silly for the type planes used by airlines.

The only real concern you might have is one of scheduling, as in many airports these smaller planes are more likely to be delayed or cancelled due to weather. I have no idea if this is because of their size or just that the airline wants to clear out as many people as possible so sends out the larger planes in priority.

I think we will all get to see more of these type planes for shorter flights in the future.

Not to worry. Those are jets, not turboprops, so they are faster, not bumpy, and in my imaginination at least, safer.

Also, they have really nice leather seats. And there are no middle seats.

But the best part is that the overheads are so small that they will let you put your baggage under the plane before you get on. That way you can carry a big bag and not have to worry about hoisting it over your head to try to cram it in the overhead.

I flew one out to Indy and back a couple years ago and it was great. A smooth ride, nice and cozy, and you get to eyeball everyone on the plane so you know who you're riding with.

No worries.

Just about all the major airlines are now using these small jets because of fuel efficiency. They are a bit less roomy inside, but not horrible like the old prop-jet "puddle jumper" planes. They are a bit noisier than larger planes but it is not awful. Bottom line, it's a tradeoff to keep fares reasonable and service into locations where there ar not high volumes of business, and we just have to get used to it.

Instead of Express Jet, you might look into JetBlue. They service Buffalo. There would probably be a stop at JFK, but the planes are larger and much more comfortable and each seat has a personal TV, makes the flight seem to go faster.

Hope this helps. Have a great trip.

The regional jets are noticeably tighter on room than the mainline jets, but just as safe. Bumpy air is not any more dramatic. Carry-on limits are much more stringent, as others have noted.

Some major carriers are replacing mainline jets with the regional jets on longer flights-- not because of fuel efficiency, but because the pilots of smaller planes get paid much less than those flying mainline metal. Not an issue with discounters like JetBlue and Southwest-- they only fly one type of mainline jet.

Actually, Jetblue has Embraer 190s on order. Even they find that not all destinations can support a A320 with frequent flights. The 190s are larger regional jets with 2-2 seating.

As others have mentioned, regional jets are not very efficient, with pretty high operating cost. However, RJ pilots do make a lot less than mainline ones; and they are cost-effective as feeders to mainline flights. Independence Air tried to use regional jets alone in their system, and is bleeding money left and right.

We flew one from Boston to Buffalo. The ride was fine and as others have said the two seats on one side and one on the other is better than getting stuck in a middle seat. The only drawback was the fact that when they needed to check a fuse that kept popping, the mechanic had to stand in the doorway of the cockpit with everyone on the plane breathing down his and the pilots' necks. Sort of disconcerting. I think he got an owner's manual out of the glove compartment to solve the problem. Also any oversize carryons that they put under the plane are returned to the passengers on the tarmac. Probably wouldn't want to wait around in the rain or snow.

Thank you so much for all your replies.

Gail, your comments were right on. It is definitely the irrational fear that smaller translates into less safe, but everyone's positive comments I know will help allay my sisters' concerns.

Wantsomesun, I looked at JetBlue and would have booked through them, but the difference in price was approx. $100 and I was trying to keep costs down for everyone.

Thanks again all for taking the time to reply.

Kiddo

Did you try the JetBlue website, the prices there can be much lower sometimes.

I flew on one these planes and was very impressed with the quality. When I asked where these planes were made she told me Brazil. Best plane I've ever flown.

Coming from Richmond, we fly these all the time to hubs. They are totally safe and fine to fly. I do not like the prop planes. These are just mini jets!