You know that feeling when you're walking across the tarmac at a tiny airport in the Midwest and you see a slender, low-slung jet waiting for you? That's almost certainly the CRJ 700 American Airlines uses to connect the dots between massive hubs like DFW or Charlotte and the rest of the country. It’s a plane people love to complain about. It’s small. The overhead bins are, frankly, a joke. But if we’re being real, this aircraft is the reason you can get from a place like Manhattan, Kansas, to London with only one stop.
The CRJ 700, or Canadair Regional Jet 700, isn't actually flown by American Airlines pilots. It’s operated by regional partners like SkyWest or PSA Airlines under the American Eagle brand. It’s a fascinating piece of machinery because it sits in that "Goldilocks" zone of aviation—bigger than the cramped 50-seat "puddle jumpers" of the 90s, but small enough to land on runways that would make a Boeing 737 pilot sweat.
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What it’s actually like inside the CRJ 700 American Airlines cabin
Honestly, the first thing you notice is the height. If you're over six feet tall, you're going to be doing a slight neck-tilt the moment you step through the door. It’s cozy. The seating is a 2-2 configuration in Main Cabin, which is a massive win because it means no middle seats. Ever. You’re either at the window watching the clouds or on the aisle with quick access to the tiny restroom in the back.
American typically outfits these with around 63 to 65 seats. There’s a First Class section, which usually has nine seats in a 1-2 layout. If you can snag that single seat on the left side (the "A" seats), you’ve basically hit the regional travel jackpot. You get the extra legroom and a bit of prestige without having to share an armrest with a stranger.
Main Cabin Extra is the middle ground. You get a few more inches of legroom, which doesn't sound like much until your knees are bumping against the seatback pocket for two hours. The standard economy seats have a pitch of about 30 or 31 inches. It’s tight, sure, but for a ninety-minute hop from O’Hare to Cedar Rapids, it’s manageable.
One thing that genuinely catches people off guard is the "Valet Tag" system. Because the overhead bins on the CRJ 700 American Airlines fleet are so narrow, anything larger than a backpack won't fit. You’ll see a stack of yellow or red tags at the gate. You attach one to your carry-on, leave it at the end of the jet bridge, and then wait in the freezing cold or sweltering heat at your destination for a ramp agent to hand it back to you. It’s a bit of a dance, but it beats paying checked bag fees.
The mechanical soul of the regional jet
The CRJ 700 was a response to the "scope clauses" in pilot contracts. These are complex legal agreements between major airlines and their pilot unions that limit how many large planes regional partners can fly. Bombardier (the original manufacturer, before they sold the program to Mitsubishi) designed the 700 to fit perfectly within these rules while offering better economics than the older CRJ 200.
Under the hood—or rather, on the tail—you’ve got two General Electric CF34-8C5 engines. They are remarkably reliable. These engines allow the plane to cruise at speeds around 515 mph. It’s fast. In many cases, it’s actually faster on short routes than the big mainline jets because it climbs to altitude quickly and doesn’t spend as much time taxiing.
The range is surprising too. A CRJ 700 can fly over 1,300 miles. That’s enough to go from Dallas all the way to the East Coast without breaking a sweat. However, weight is a constant battle for the flight crew. On hot days or short runways, you might hear the gate agent asking for volunteers to take a later flight because the plane is "weight restricted." It’s not that the plane can’t lift the weight; it’s about the safety margins required for an aborted takeoff or an engine failure.
Why the CRJ 700 matters for the American Eagle network
Without this specific airplane, the American Airlines network would basically collapse in the smaller markets. It’s the "spoke" in the hub-and-spoke model. If you live in a city like Champaign, Illinois, or Greenville, South Carolina, the CRJ 700 American Airlines operates is your lifeline to the global economy.
It’s about frequency. American would rather fly a 65-seat jet four times a day to a small city than fly a 150-seat jet once. Business travelers need those options. They want to fly out at 7:00 AM and be back by dinner. The CRJ 700 makes that financially viable for the airline because it’s relatively cheap to operate compared to a mainline Airbus A319.
There’s also a level of pilot training here that goes unnoticed. The CRJ is a "hand-flyer's" airplane. It doesn't have the sophisticated "fly-by-wire" systems that prevent a pilot from making certain maneuvers like a modern Airbus does. The pilots flying these for American Eagle are often some of the sharpest in the sky, building thousands of hours in demanding regional environments before moving to the big jets.
Comparing the CRJ 700 to its rival: The Embraer E175
If you ask any frequent flyer, they’ll tell you they prefer the Embraer E175 over the CRJ 700. Why? It’s the windows and the ceiling height. The Embraer feels like a "real" plane, whereas the CRJ feels a bit like a "tube." The windows on the CRJ 700 are notoriously low. You have to slouch a bit to see the horizon.
But the CRJ 700 has a sleeker profile. It’s built like a sports car. It handles turbulence differently—some say more "honestly"—than the heavier Embraers. While the passenger experience might be slightly lower on the CRJ, the operational reliability is top-tier. American keeps them around because they simply work. They are the hammers of the fleet.
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Practical tips for your next CRJ 700 flight
If you see "CRJ 700" on your boarding pass, don't panic. Just prepare.
First, pack a small "seat bag." Since your rolling suitcase is going to be gate-checked (valet tagged), make sure you have a small pouch with your headphones, charger, and snacks that you can pull out before you leave your bag on the jet bridge.
Second, avoid the back row. Row 17 or 18 (depending on the specific layout) is right next to the engines and the lavatory. It’s loud. The CRJ 700 is a rear-engine aircraft, meaning the quietest seats are actually in the front. If you’re in First Class or the first few rows of Main Cabin, it’s actually a very quiet, pleasant ride. In the back, you’ll hear the hum of the GE engines for the whole flight.
Third, watch the bins. If you have a soft-sided duffel bag, you might actually be able to squeeze it into the overhead bin, saving you from waiting on the jet bridge after landing. Hard-shell "spinner" bags have zero chance.
Lastly, be mindful of the cabin temperature. Because the plane is small, the air conditioning system has to work overtime to keep it cool on the ground. Once you’re at 30,000 feet, it can get chilly fast. Wear layers.
The future of the CRJ 700 at American
You might wonder how much longer these planes will be around. With the rise of the "next-gen" regional jets and the push for better fuel efficiency, the CRJ 700 is definitely in the autumn of its career. However, American Airlines has invested heavily in cabin refreshes for many of these planes. You'll see updated seat covers and, in some cases, high-speed Wi-Fi.
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As long as there are smaller cities that need a connection to a hub, the CRJ 700 American Airlines relies on will have a home. It’s an essential bridge. It’s the plane that gets you home for the holidays or to that crucial business meeting in a city you’ve never heard of.
Actionable steps for your next trip:
- Check the Aircraft Type: Look at the "Flight Details" on the American Airlines app. If it says CRJ 700, expect to valet-tag your luggage.
- Select Seats Early: Aim for rows 1-8 for the quietest experience. If you’re a solo traveler, try to splurge for seat 1A, 2A, or 3A for maximum privacy.
- Download Entertainment: Most CRJ 700s do not have seatback screens. American provides free streaming content to your own device, so make sure your phone or tablet is charged and you have the AA app installed.
- Prepare for the Jet Bridge: If you are connecting in a hub like Chicago O'Hare or Philadelphia, give yourself an extra 10 minutes of "buffer time" to wait for your valet-tagged bag to be brought up from the cargo hold. This is the #1 reason people miss tight connections.
The CRJ 700 isn't the most glamorous way to fly, but it's a remarkably capable piece of engineering that keeps the world connected. Respect the little jet—it's doing a lot more heavy lifting than it gets credit for.