American Airlines along with other major US carriers rely heavy on regional operators to conduct flights from hub airports to smaller cities and or to routes with less capacity. In particular, American Airlines operates their Canadair Regional Jet 700 (CRJ-700) from major hubs including Chicago, Dallas, DC, New York and more. American’s wholly owned operator PSA Airlines will be flying us in economy class from Washington Reagan National (DCA) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) aboard a CRJ-700 regional jet.
Preflight Experience
This particular flight was redeemed with reward miles. The booking process was fairly straightforward as with any American Airlines operated flight. Arriving at Raegan airport bag drop is located on the second level adjacent to security. As this is considered an international flight bag fees are incurred for AAdvantage credit card holders. Bag drop was brisk and efficient. The same can not be said however for the TSA line which was quite busy due to the large amount of outbound flights in the morning. Since we had a little time to spare we headed over to the newly opened Admirals Club featuring the signature fireplace and expansive lounge space.
First Impressions
Boarding commenced right on time. Given the light load of only 27 passengers there were no formal boarding groups followed by military and extra assistance. The flight attendant working the front of the aircraft greeted passengers while the attendant working rear cabin hardly acknowledged passengers. The aircraft appears in clean shape sporting American Airlines blue and gray seats. Sitting down the seat features supportive cushioning with the exception of the backrest which is the “slimline style” seat. There are 46 economy seats with 31 inches of pitch and 17 inches of width. Overhead bins in the CRJ-700 are very small, so items larger than a backpack may have to be gate checked (no incurred charge).
Inflight Experience
Given the light load of only 27 passengers the takeoff felt more like a rocket than a commercial aircraft considering the CRJ-700 normally seats around 70 passengers. Upon passing through 10,000 feet the crew began the beverage service starting with taking requests for hot drinks such as coffee or tea. Afterwards a full snack and beverage service commenced. Complimentary options include sodas, juices and water. For snacks the sole option is Biscoff Cookies. Free streaming Inflight entertainment as well as with Wi-Fi is available for purchase. Given the short duration of the flight Wi-Fi wasn’t purchased.
Final Approach
Many aspects of this trip seemed to miss the mark despite being a short haul flight. The crew working this flight had a bad demeanor to them and it was clear that they did not want to be operating this flight. This is a stark contrast to the last PSA operated American Eagle flight flown where the crew went above and beyond. Typically some of the best domestic crews have been encountered on PSA airlines but this crew missed the mark. While the seat had decent lower padding, there was minimal padding in the seatback. While not a problem on this shorter leg, on some longer routes flown by the CRJ-700 the seats may become uncomfortable. While noting to write home about the flight did get us from point A to Point B on time with nothing more.