AMERICAN EAGLE review :  10 June 2009 : by Karri Ojanen

YYZ-HEL-YYZ. I had booked a return trip from Toronto to Helsinki via JFK. The New York - Helsinki leg was on Finnair, and the service on those flights was great, but the Toronto - New York connection was sold to me as Finnair codeshare on American Eagle. Quite soon after I had arrived at Toronto, checked in and gone through security, it was announced that the American Eagle flight to JFK will be delayed by an hour because of "bad weather" at JFK. For me the delay meant missing my Finnair flight from JFK to HEL, and so as soon as I heard about the delay, I tried to track down the American Eagle/American Airlines staff in Toronto to see what can be done to help me make it on the Finnair flight. However, the AE/AA staff was nowhere to be found. When I finally got to talk with them, I talked with several people, whose advice was basically just this: "Well, there is another Finnair flight from JFK to HEL the next day, you just catch that one instead." When I finally made it to JFK, an hour and 10 minutes late, the Finnair flight was leaving in 2 minutes. We were at gate 34 and Finnair at gate 4. I ran all the way, and made it. Obviously, my bag didn't. I would've liked to see AE/AA help me somehow along the way, but nothing was offered. Glad I made it though, and I got my bag the next day.

AMERICAN EAGLE review :  12 May 2009 : by D Morton

YYZ-ORD-YYZ. Booked flights on American Eagle online then realised that they use rather small aircraft and regretted it! However, our return flight from Toronto to Chicago was pretty good. Check in and bag drop was fast, efficient and the AA staff on duty were courteous and friendly. Admiral's Club lounge was ok at both ends - complimentary glass of wine in ORD. Both flights on time and the advantage of these smaller Embraer 145s is that they can be filled and unloaded quickly. Efficient FA each way if not over friendly and complimentary soft drinks served. Seat belt sign on for duration of flights each way, a few bumps here and there. Seats were comfortable enough for a one hour flight and leg room was ok (neither my partner or I are particularly small people). Landed early at Toronto and sat on runway for a few minutes waiting for gate to become available. But all in all a pretty good experience for the fare.

AMERICAN EAGLE review :  1 December 2008 : by M Dorrell

ORD-BUF - a short hop on American Eagle and a very decent experience. Check in was fast and efficient and I was told I would be better off checking in my one bag on the airbridge which was very helpful. Boarding on time and I settled into 1A. It was nice to have some extra legroom at the front and not a problem being opposite the tiny galley - the crew member relieved me of my carry-on as no underseat storage and was prompt in asking if I needed it after take -off and also in returning it at the end. Flight left on time - plane was clean and we arrived ahead of schedule. Bags were quickly returned to the airbridge on deplaning. Overall short but very sweet experience.

American Eagle review by Ron Miller

24 May 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

St. Louis to Nashville return. Both flights left and arrived exactly on time. Both planes were clean and orderly. Even though both were "regional jets" I had a exit row on the way out, and row #1 on the way back which meant plenty of leg room both ways. The in-flight service was fine considering both were 1 hour flights.

American Eagle review by Maria Ionita

11 April 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Toronto to Louisville return, via Chicago - Plane was 45 minutes late at departure, which meant that I had to run to make my Chicago connection (they literally closed the door after me). We flew on Embraers on each flight - interiors in pretty poor shape, and quite dirty, with in-flight magazines looking as if they had been used to clean the floors. The seats were incredibly narrow and all planes were full. Service was very friendly, though, with the hostesses apologetic for the hideous quality of the snacks. Free soft drinks departing from Louisville, but not from Toronto. I flew on an award ticket, but I'm not sure I would pay full price for such a trip.

American Eagle review by Edgar Nelson

31 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

As a Platinum Exec with AA, was disappointed when Eagle took over for AA between PVD and ORD, when AA abandoned the PVD market. I miss the MD-80's more every time I travel. PVD ground agents are sadly misinformed, poorly groomed and sarcastic. My last trip started out with a last minute announcement that the jetway was 'broke' and we had to descend two flights of stairs, and walk across an icy tarmac to the RJ140 that had seen better days. My seat (on the single side) was broken in the 'recline' position. Arrived ORD forty minutes late, was held on the taxiway another half hour because we lost our gate slot. The return flight was no better. I've had just about enough of American Eagle and this poorly run operation.

American Eagle review by R Chaudhury

10 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

YUL-JFK and return. Not much to say on this 1 hour flight. American Eagle got the job done. There were no surprises, which on a short flight, is a good thing. I knew I wasn't going to get any food, and I didn't. I knew I was going to get a drink with a cocktail napkin, and I did. The aircraft was a cozy ERJ-135. I really didn't care because the flight was so short. AE got me from point A to point B in a timely and efficient manner.

American Eagle review by C Kelsey

27 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

MIA - Cozumel. This is a "new" service being offered but that is the only thing new about it. I will never fly this service again unless they upgrade the aircraft. Passengers were told the flight was delayed 5 minutes when it was actually one hour. Due to a mechanical issue they had to switch planes. 20 minutes after takeoff we were informed that we needed to return to Miami because of the failure of the aircraft transponder. This was a further one hour delay. The plane was a turboprop that was filthy, old, and the bathroom was cramped (even by aircraft standards). There was no running water to wash hands. Neither my seat nor the gentleman's next to me could recline because they were broken. I had no legroom and I am 5'2.

American Eagle review by Simon Harris

6 September 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Los Angeles - San Diego return. The route is short, less than 30 minutes in the air. The aircraft was functional, they got me to where i wanted on time and without fuss and that is what you want on such a short flight.

American Eagle review by Simon Prendergast

25 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

JFK-YUL and return. The outbound flight was delayed an hour not because of technical problems with the aircraft or traffic problems but due to the stupidity of ground staff as they were unable to find and inform the passengers of the departure gate. Once onboard the tiny and very cramped aircraft which looked as if it had seen better days, the lone flight attendant began yelling abuse to the ground staff and then seemed to take her frustrations out on an elderly lady who was suffering from airsickness sitting behind me. On the return leg, once again we suffered a delayed departure this time due to late arrival of aircraft however we did not recieve any information from staff and all passengers were left to rely on the departure screens for updates. After we finally boarded, we were offered a selection of no more than 2 beverage options (water or orange juice). American Eagle prides themselves on being the worlds largest regional airline, but the fact of the matter is it by far the worst.

American Eagle review by D Nichols

20 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

I fly American Eagle about every two weeks, year round. Equipment-wise, the ERJs and CRJ-700s are late model and sophisticated. The pilots are likewise. BUT what I can't understand is that virtually every Eagle flight I take, is late. Regardless if clear skies, no air traffic problems, my flights are still late. And I mean late, like an hour or more. I just dont get it. AA must be crunching these RJs into and out of the hubs with not enough time to recover any lateness. This is both DFW and outlying stations.

American Eagle review by Harry Albright

10 April 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

JFK-YYZ-JFK. Very poor. Embraer 140 on the way to Toronto, 135 on the way back. "Service" on these 90-minute flights consisted of one soda (actually a glass half full of ice topped up with soda) and that was it. Not even a pack of nuts. Compared to other domestic US services this is appalling. Even Southwest gives you more. I like the Embraers for a short flight though. Staff were so-so. On the way out, one passenger made a mistake on her Canadian customs form and asked for another. The FA said he had no more, although I later saw him putting a handful away in the galley. On the return, we were delayed to to weather in New York. The staff in Toronto kept us fully up to date with what was happening, and we eventually left and arrived two hours late. The FA on the return was more friendly and we had a nice chat (I was in seat 1 next to the galley) even though her day had been extended by several hours. All in all I would avoid American Eagle in the future and try to book connecting flights on AA's mainline services.

American Eagle review by C King

6 March 2007

Flew 3 American Eagle Flights over the last few days (EWR to Logan, Logan to Toronto, Toronto to LGA). Weather was poor so there were delays but out of Logan to Toronto 3 planes were tried before they could find an operational one (which came from St Louis and we were therefore delayed 3-4 hours). The age of this fleet (mostly Embraer planes) seems to mean there are frequent delays due to faults, and planes are also very cramped. Not recommended over other airlines running 737s which seem to have better reliability and more room.

American Eagle review by J Hunsaker

26 February 2007

DFW-SGF return. Planes were fairly old. Flight Attendants on both flights were fine. The one on the return leg to DFW was excellent. Came down the aisle and personally asked each passenger if they needed connection info. Only a beverage service on this short flight. But American Eagle has convenient times and decent fares.

American Eagle review by Gregg Hillier

14 February 2007

DFW-PIT r/t on CRJ . This plane is awful for flights over one hour - much less flights lasting 2.5 hours. The trip from DFW-PIT was tolerable because my Dad was sitting next to me and the FA's were friendly and made several trips through the cabin with beverages. Return was miserable. Cancelled flight resulted in my Dad and I being placed on different flights. I sat next to an overweight gentleman who smelled worse than the single lav in the back. FA's were rude and screamed at people who had to wait in line for the Lav. Drinks were served only once . Avoid these wretched airplanes if possible.

American Eagle review by R Roy

26 January 2007

I mistakenly flew this carrier LGA-DCA thinking it was a shuttle service It is not. Service is poor and flights cancelled/ late -- my return from DCA was delayed 2 hours while crew tried to figure out whether they had reached their flight duty time limit or not. On this route use USairways or Delta -- they are the only real shuttle operators and committed to appropriate service levels and on time flying for the premium sector fares charged on this route.

American Eagle review by Simon Briggs

8 November 2006

ORD to BWI. The flight was late departing by about 15 mins, but we arrived on time. The flight attendants spent the entire flight (almost 2 hours) in the cabin serving drinks and chatting with passengers. It was one of the best flights I have been on in recent years! I know corners have been cut and flying isn't what it used to be, but I really enjoyed this flight. To me, an airline needs to get me from A to B with as little fuss as possible. American Eagle exceeded my expectations! Good job!

American Eagle review by Alexander Mayhew

1 November 2006

BOS-DCA and DCA-JFK. Both flights heavily delayed by adverse weather so out of AA's control. Leg room is minimal on these regional aeroplanes so a bit of forward planning to secure the exit row is well advised. Air hostess was robotic in each direction when making announcements especially the JFK flight when after collecting all the empties prior to landing, she announced that she would be coming through the cabin to pick up the empties and clearly thinking out loud announced "oh, I've just done that haven't I". Transferring at Kennedy is much better than I thought with the Skytrain and was able to change terminals and clear security in less than 25mins.

American Eagle review by Toby Newman

26 August 2006

JFK-DCA in Economy. Having read reviews of JFK being like a third world airport I was prepared for the worst and was pleasantly surprised by the ease of transferring from our QANTAS flight that arrived at Terminal 9, which was quieter than expected for 5pm on a friday afternoon, to Terminal 7. Using the SkyTrain we had left the door of one aircraft and was at the American Eagle terminal in less than 30 minutes. Terminal seven was desserted and a clean, airy and generally impressive terminal to be in. After breezing through secuirty, made even easier by the friendly staff, and not requiring check in as QANTAS had already given us boarding passes in Sydney it was just a matter of finding the gate. Boarding was lighting fast for the 40 seater Embraer RJ 140 and although the wear and tear of this regional plane was evident it was still comforatble for such a small aircraft. This was helped by some research on this website for the best seat which confirmed an exit row was a necessity if you were tall, we organised this on purchasing our tickets. The flight attendant, although like an automaton when addressing the cabin in general, showed a personality when it came to one on one service however being presented with a beverage that was more than luke warm even though it was supposed to be ice cold was a surprise. The flight departed and arrived as indicated on our itinerary as American Eagle had factored in to the travel time the 30 minutes spent on the ground waiting to take off at JFK. Although the baggage claim at DCA was a minefield of displaced luggage our baggage had made it through from Sydney, Australia. Overall this was a very efficient flight and a good way to finish 24 hours of flying. American Eagle also proved it is a viable connection for internatonal carriers.

American Eagle review by G Gaggioli

22 August 2006

YYZ-BOS & IAD-ORD on American Eagle as part of RTW trip (economy). First sector was a strange flight (Embraer RJ). After boarding we were told that the pilot was not on board and that he should have arrived shortly. The single FA was drinking from a Mc Donald’s glass in front of everyone and also went to the toilet before taking off. Despite there were only about 20 passengers, she run out of beverage choices after serving about 10 of us. Only one drink was available after that. Flight left late, but arrived on time, seating was comfortable. Second flight also on a full Embraer RJ. The check-in agent put me on stand-by without telling me. As I questioned why I wasn’t allocated a seat, she told me that seating was locked up on American Eagle flights from IAD and that I’d get a seat at the gate. At gate I found out that almost all other passengers had their seats allocated at check-in already. I managed to get a seat anyway. After boarding some baggage was taken off the plane and put in the front compartment (so we were told at least), but somehow it didn’t arrive in Chicago. Flight was on time and smooth, with very friendly FA. American Eagle is much better than its mother AA as regards flights, but their customer commitment is just as bad. 6/10 for the flight comfort, 0/10 for the rest.

American Eagle review by J Steyer

10 June 2006

Dallas to Chicago Midway on a CRJ with American Eagle. The flight was fine for todays standards. Flight attendants are more polite then they are on American. When I got to Chicago my bag wasn't there. I asked how a bag can get lost on a direct flight and was told they can only fit so many bags on the airplane and there was probably too many. Too many! How in the world does an airline buy a plane that won't hold everyones luggage. My luggage didn't arrive till the next day about 30 hours later. I had to attend a meeting in jeans and tennis shoes. Travel today isn't what it used to be.

American Eagle review by Louise McDonaldson

1 June 2006

I recently took my first trip on this airline, and only have positive reports. On my flight out of Chicago, I was connecting, so I didn't deal with check in. Boarding was done quickly and efficiently, and the terminal was large. Once on the plane, the quarters were small on the ERJ 145, but I had an A seat and it was very comfortable. The lone female flight attendant was extremely friendly, and although there was no inflight service, she was eager to talk to as many passengers as possible on the 40 minute flight. On the return flight, out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, check-in was easy, and boarding was once again efficient. We left on time, and this flight, there was drink service, no snack, but it was only 40 minutes long. I actually wondered if the FA (male, not friendly at all) would get the drinks out in time. After the drinks were served, he pretty much stayed in his jumpseat, and he didn't make friends with the passengers. Overall, American Eagle is a great shorthall airline, I would definitely reccommend it for your next short journey, but I don't know what it would be like to take one of their longer routes. Also, the seatbelt sign never went off, and upon landing in Chicago, we had to wait about 20 minutes for a gate to open up, and some people almost missed their connection.

American Eagle review by Ken Steel

8 November 2005

I regularly fly between ORD and HPN. Up until recently the service was operated by AA using Fokker 100s and sometimes a Boeing 737. Now the route is serviced by AE using various RJs. My only complaint with the equipment change is that now there is no room for rolling carry-ons, only a laptop case (if it's thin enough). Having to do a "gate check and claim" is getting to be a real pain, especially when making a tight connection at ORD.

American Eagle review by Christopher Tesoriero

9 October 2005

BOS - LGA. American Eagle was and still is a good regional airline. Recent flight from BOS to LGA was as pleasant and enjoyable as a 20min flight could possibly be. Aircraft was ERJ- 135. Comfortable enough. The single f/a was kind and polite to all the passengers and offered a full beverage service, plus AA's new snack boxes available for $3. The snack boxes weren't that good but nonetheless they offered a generous selection of assorted snacks. AA has to cut back somewhere to save $, but at least they are generous enough to offer some form of food. Those who didn't purchase a snack box were given pretzels. To round of the flight, a beautiful sunset view of Manhattan and the Bronx was seen from the aircraft. Welcome Home! Flight arrived on time, and collecting bags was a breeze. Thanks American Eagle!

American Eagle review by N Murray

31 August 2005

Was meant to fly RSW-MIA on American Eagle in July with a connection to LHR. Inbound flight was delayed due to severe thunderstorms. AE organized 'ground transportation' to Miami - which involved cramming everyone into an 8 passenger minivan. As we were sharing with a rather large family our bags had to be kept our laps. An uncomfortable 3 hours later we eventually arrived at Miami - the AA check-in staff could not care about our trip and had no record that 7 people had been sent from Ft Myers in a van, and they had closed the check-in for our London flight. After some choice words with the supervisor, one of the few English speakers in Miami airport, we were whisked to the departing aircraft on one of those beeping karts. Our bags arrived 24 hrs after our flight. My advice - if you want to get to Miami from Ft Myers, just drive as American Eagle may end up sending you on the Interstate anyway!

American Eagle review by David Lloyd

31 August 2005

NAS - FLL. The flight boarded on time and landed a full 20 minutes early, allowing me to catch my connection to FLL. Check-in staff were very helpful by checking my bags through to LAX. NAS airport was once again a nightmare for security checks, but this is not the fault of AA. Inflight service was limited to a few rounds of water and juices, however this was quite acceptable due to the duration of the flight. Cabin crew gave out customer opinion forms on boarding and I wonder whether this led to the passengers being given a more comprehensive safety demonstration than normal? That being said, this was a satisfactory flight with - thankfully - no nasty surprises with baggage unlike my previous flight on Eagle from MIA.

American Eagle review by David Lloyd

17 August 2005

MIA-NAS, American Eagle Coach. The flight was delayed for 20 minutes as the cabin crew had not assembled, leaving the passengers waiting in a mini-bus on the tarmac. The flight time is only 45 minutes so I did not expect much in the way of service, however a (non-alcoholic) drink was offered. I had thought that this flight was not going to be too bad, however my hopes were dashed when I found that one of my four pieces of luggage (checked through from BGI) was missing. Presenting the AA luggage enquiries agent with the check luggage slip I was told that it didn’t appear anywhere on the computer system and in fact, could be anywhere!! However, she then told myself (and a lengthy queue of other bereft passengers) that there was too much luggage for that flight, and the balance would be delivered on the next flight (which arrived 5 minutes later); this did not apply to me, I was informed, but I should check the carousel anyway. Luckily my remaining item was delivered. Three of the four pieces of luggage had their padlocks cut off; when unpacking I noticed there was a piece of card in one of the bags from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to state that because they are required, by law, to open some bags for physical inspection, they are empowered to remove any padlocks and other security devices. This, I know is not the fault of the airline, however they could have informed passengers about luggage being delivered on the following flight (according to one of the Redcaps at NAS this happens every day) – another example of the American Airlines bureaucracy (and in some cases their employees) not caring about passengers.

American Eagle review by Jonathan Brennan

29 June 2005

DCA-BOS on June 20th. Took this afternoon shuttle from Washington DC to Boston to connect with an American Airlines flight back to London-Heathrow. The aircraft type - ERJ-135 was extremely small and claustrophobic. Leg room and storage space for baggage was poor, but fortunately the flight was only a little over 1 hour in duration. The level of service was good and the flight attendant was friendly. Overall the level of comfort was fair but like I said I would not want to travel with American Eagle on a longer flight.

American Eagle review by Bruce Allen

29 March 2005

ERJ-135 (EGF 3495) DFW-SHV. Flight time just under an hour. Check at Dallas was smooth and efficient. Plane left 20 minutes late to a problem with the lavatory. Everything else went smoothly. Not much legroom, but not really a complaint since you don't spend much time on these short-hops planes anyway. Service was good, and flight attendant was friendly. Capt even let me up front after the flight to take a picture of the cockpit! This is my second AA Eagle flight, and I'll be back for more. The new ERJ's a nice, albeit a little small, but a great improvement over the old turboprops. (quieter too).

American Eagle review by Nestor Rohowsky

29 March 2005

ORD-IAD-ORD flying on EMB-145 regional jets. Both flights were surprisingly comfortable and smooth, the flight attendants were cheery and did everything in their power to make the flight experience as pleasant as possible. There was decent legroom (very important to me!) and the seats seemed to be a little wider than those on some mainline aircraft. My only "complaint" is that AE doesn't serve MDW. Nevertheless AE earns a big thumbs-up!

American Eagle review by Graham Norman

24 February 2005

MIA to MHH (Marsh Harbour, Bahamas). Check in at Miami was speedy and efficient. Flight was on time. Facilities in Marsh Harbour are very basic - baggage is picked up on the tarmac beside the plane - but everything was handled well. Return flight was efficient and on time too. The plane however was very tatty, at least by European standards, but American is strapped for cash and maybe can't afford to replace these ancient relics.

American Eagle review by John Weber

25 January 2005

Flew roundtrip from STL to ICT. Carry on bags had to be gate checked as there is very little storage area on the plane. I am 6'5" and could not stand up in the plane. Seats were fine. Got the emergency row and had lots of legroom. FA's on both flights were great. It was a big surprise compared to American Airlines. Both flights were less than half full. FA on STL to ICT leg offered two drinks to all passengers. Nice flight crews and very nice flights.

American Eagle review by Michael Docster

8 January 2005

MCO-NAS return on a small ATR-72. No real big complaints, except there was no control of the cabin temperature while on the ground, so until we were in the air it was extremely hot. I guess they should try to have a different aircraft on this route as there are almost always high temperatures in the Bahamas year round. There was only beverage service, but on such a short flight that was all I really expected. Ground staff were friendly, but US customs at NAS was a royal pain. They only had two agents and the queues were backed up almost out the front door! On the other hand, things were handled quite efficiently at MCO. All in all a good experience.

American Eagle review by N Fotheringill

30 November 2004

American Eagle from YYZ-BOS as part of an American Airlines ticket that took us from LHR-ORD-YYZ-BOS-LHR. This particular leg was the best of the lot - it was a brand new Embraer 145, just a week since its delivery to the airline and it had that new aircraft smell - akin to the 'new car smell' but just a little different! Comfy enough for a short flight, though one member of the party had to sit at the back for take off and landing. This caused much amusement! The big difference from Eagle and American mainline was the attitude of the flight attendant. There was only one of them but she was chatty and smiled throughout the flight. What a difference to the surly old grumps on the transatlantic flights. As for the other parts of the flight, there were the same old slow moving lines at the check-in as with other American flights but the flight itself was most pleasant.

American Eagle review by Christian G Villegas

19 July 2004

Just returned from SNA-SFO-SNA flight for the weekend.  I found it to be quite a positive experience. Reservation agent was very gracious and accommodating. Ground crew at check in both in SNA and SFO very helpful towards passengers despite the presence of self service check-in booths at the airport. The lone flight attendant greeted passengers and was very pleasant (she was able to efficiently serve snacks and beverages to about 50 passengers and still strike a conversation all in a very short amount of time) and appeared happy about her work. Equipment used was a Regional Jet which had very limited legroom and space but not much to complain about as the fight only lasted a little more than an hour. Only drawback was the price. $170+ incl. taxes i think is too steep for such a short flight. Other than that, hey, they've got themselves a repeat customer!

American Eagle review by Elizabeth Selzer

11 September 2003

Just got back from a quick trip to Boston on American Eagle. It was not a good experience and I am happy to share my thoughts. I booked on American Eagle because I was returning with a friend. If I had been traveling alone, I would have chosen another airline based on price. American Eagle was the most expensive! My Baltimore flight  was canceled with no explanation, compensation, or reassurance. I was finally booked on a 4 hour later flight. Returning on Sept. 7, 2003,  my luggage was lost and I have yet to get a call explaining the circumstances. the flight attendant was rude and made the short flight uncomfortable. Almost 24 hours later, no luggage, no phone call, no explanation. I will not travel on American again.

American Eagle review by Grzegorz Czubacki

25 January 2003

I have flown AE before on a connection from New York to Reagan National in Washington DC. The security measures I can understand - the captain said if anyone got out of their seat 1/2 hour away from KDCA he would divert to Dulles. The service on the EMB 145 aircraft was nice, despite there being only one flight attendant. There is an apparent lack of reading material on the flights, but a good snack and drink can overlook the bad reading material.

American Eagle review by Jeffrey D Sarver

24 October 2002

Oh, for the odious comparisons! When I was a boy in Peoria, Illinois I used to regularly fly Ozark Airlines and their trusty old Fairchilds with the wonderful, huge oval windows. The short flight to O'Hare was a scenic thrill, even over gently rolling Illinois cornfield country. Reading the commentary about American Eagle I can't help but wonder if there really is anything akin to positive "progress" in the commercial aviation industry. Now when I visit "home" I fly the American Connection via STL or Eagle out of ORD and can't help but compare the experience unfavorably with dear old Ozark. The Am. Eagle seats on the ATR-72s (no longer on the O'Hare run) are about the same width as the Ozark FH7s and the aircraft is just about as noisy. The peanuts have turned into pretzels and the refuse is still dumped into a little garbage bag as the FA staggers up the aisle before landing. I like turbo-props and see no real necessity for the new regional jets on short hauls, and I would never fly in one of them on a flight over an hour for fear of dislocating various bones and ligaments. I suppose their substitution for larger jets on longer-runs are mostly a cost-cutting device for the unimaginative airlines who think the flying public won't notice the difference between a Canadair pencil and an Airbus 320 or Boeing 737. But I don't really see how American Eagle regional jets or indeed the turbo-props can be competitive in the BOS-NYC-DC commuter market against USAirways Airbus's with the wider coach seats or even the Delta Boeings, though the regional jets have wider seats than the Boeings, truth be told; we aren't supposed to notice that either. As a citizen, now, of Sarasota, I can't help but wish that American Eagle had retained its popular SRQ-MIA services that connected this travel-mad community to AA's hub instead of entering the cut- throat-glam northeast corridor competition. I suppose the northeast corridor needed another airline in that commuter free-for-all more than Sarasota needed any AA service at all! So as far as I'm concerned; American Eagle...who cares?

American Eagle review by Chohong Choi

24 May 2002

I have also flown the New York-Washington, DC route on American Eagle. The aircraft used was small (probably no more than 30 seats) and propeller-driven. But seating was adequately-comfortable, even if the flight lasted only about an hour. Our inflight meal was mainly juice and peanuts (or was it cookies?). No problem with that. On the return flight, one of the flight attendants happened to be a comedian, so we also got some "entertainment". That, plus a huge stuffed Tweety Bird as one of the "passengers". When we alighted from the aircraft, our luggage was waiting for us right on the airfield. No need to wait on the conveyor belt. If what's being said about propeller aircraft being phased out is true, then that is a shame. On such a short route, a propeller aircraft is not at a disadvantage. I've also flown on a jetliner between New York and DC, and the flight times were about the same.

American Eagle review by Chris Gowdy

16 May 2002

American Eagle offers the best product. Cookies on a flight a little over an hour! And the props - I agree they should keep them around.

American Eagle review by M Moxley

15 April 2002

I've flown American Eagle on numerous occasions and find it even better than American Airlines itself. On what US carrier do you find a turkey sandwich, bag of carrots, cookies or good quality, drinks provided on a short haul flight? This is one of the best regional carriers there is.

American Eagle review by Ben Patience

10 April 2002

In regards to J. Holborow, turboprops are more cost efficient than jets. On a short flight from DCA to JFK jets are not necessary. In fact if I were traveling from New York to Washington, I would only consider flying (vs AMTRAK), if I were making a flight connection at JFK. The main reason US commuter carriers are switching from props to jets, is because of attitudes on behalf of the largely ignorant American public. They believe that just because something guzzles more gas, then it must certainly be superior to something that is more fuel efficient.

American Eagle review by J Holborow

22 November 2001

I have just read the flight review on American Eagle. I know it is not a fairly recent addition but this airline is still operating turboprop aircraft on the JFK/DCA route - unbelievable! However the reviewer seems to have gotten lucky - I got no food on my flight, no bar service, the flight attendant and ground staff attitude was indescribable. Why anyone would travel this airline I cannot imagine. Indeed, why this airline, with its horrendous service and museum-like planes is still operating when many good airlines are failing is beyond my realm of comprehension.

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