Some travelers dread the prospect of flying with regional carriers and their smaller (and often outdated) aircraft. But some lucky Delta flyers boarding Delta Connection jets will be in for a treat.
SkyWest – one of Delta's largest regional partner carriers – recently began flying the first of its vaunted Bombardier CRJ-550 jets for Delta Connection. And that's a big win: It's a fan-favorite configuration with just 50 seats, dedicated luggage lockers for full-size carry-on bags, and even a nifty walkup snack bar at the front of the plane, too.
Schedule data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the first Delta Connection flights on the CRJ-550 – only between Salt Lake City (SLC) and a few small mountain towns nearby to start. But that same schedule data shows it will begin flying between Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and some smaller cities come September. And with nearly 19 of these snazzy planes eventually expected to enter service for Delta Connection, according to FlightGlobal, it should become more common over time.
Here's a look at some routes where you'll find CRJ-550s flying for Delta in the not-too-distant future.
On any Delta Connection flight, you're still far more likely to board other planes like the Embraer E-175 or other Bombardier regional jets. But while rare, this one a big step up.
Each CRJ-550 plane has just 50 seats onboard. And Delta has them configured to maximize space, with 10 first class seats, 20 Delta Comfort Plus, and 20 economy seats at the back. There's no seatback entertainment and no free inflight Wi-Fi – at least not yet – but it should feel newer and far more spacious than your typical regional jet.
While many flyers will be stepping onto a CRJ-550 for the first time, it's not technically a new plane.
Instead, SkyWest is merely reconfiguring some of their existing Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jets, with 65 to 70 seats, to freshen things up inside while decreasing the seat count. Airlines like United and now Delta have leaned on this downsizing to bypass so-called “scope clauses,” agreements with pilots that limit how much flying the mainline carrier can farm out to regional partners.
But planes with 50 seats or less don't count. And that's given rise to the CRJ-550, a far cozier regional plane flying for United … and now, Delta.
Bottom Line
Some lucky Delta flyers who typically might frown at the prospect of a Delta Connection regional flight will be in for a treat as the airline's regional partner SkyWest begins flying its revamped Bombardier CRJ-550.
These CRJ-550s sport roomier seats (and fewer of them) plus additional features like a walkup snack bar and dedicated luggage locker. While these planes will still be fairly rare, they should become more common over time on Delta regional routes.