I originally wrote this review back in 2019 (on my old site). I did not realize I had saved the contents and was planning on just starting a new review, but the aircraft and seats are the exact same since that initial review so I will just update the catering (unfortunately has deteriorated a bit), Wi-Fi and IFE from the initial review.
American Eagle is a regional carrier for American Airline that is made up of several smaller companies; Envoy Air, Republic Airways and Skywest Airlines. When I initially wrote this review Compass Airlines had a large presence at LAX and had a few flights a day between SAN & LAX. Unfortunately, the Pandemic took care of both Compass and that route. SkyWest has replaced Compass at LAX and still has several routes with the E175. While not reinstating the flights between SAN & LAX caused me to have to drive to LAX more often than I would like there is some good news for San Diego County residents. American has started twice daily service from Carlsbad CLD Airport to Phoenix using the Embraer 175. This is as far as I will discuss the regional airlines that make up American Eagle as it can get confusing. So, while the crew of each of these subsidiaries can work for different airlines (SkyWest operates for American, Alaska & Delta) the equipment and service are basically the same for all of the American Eagle flights. That also goes for the difference between the E175 and E170's. The First Class cabin and experience will be the same.
For the most part the E-170's & 175's specialize in the less traveled mid-range routes that cannot support traditional size jets (LAX - OKC, DFW - FAR, ORD - ICT, MIA - SYR etc.). However, you can also occasionally find them on popular routes to increase frequency (LAX - SFO, ORD - MSP) and with a range up to 2200 miles, on some longer routes as well (I believe their current longest route is just under 1500 miles between PHX & Appleton, WI).
The first time I flew on the Embraer 170/175 was with LOT Polish Airlines from Warsaw to Krakow shortly after they took delivery of the first of this family of aircraft. I was immediately impressed that this plane was not the same as many earlier Embraer's and CRJ's (Bombardier's Canadair Regional Jet) I'd been on. It wasn't cramped with small overheads, nor did you need to bend over to walk down the aisle. While it is still a regional jet and not nearly as spacious as even the smallest Airbus or Boeing jets, it is a much more comfortable aircraft to travel on then either the CRJ-700 or 900. Besides the greater height, the most appealing attribute with the E175 is the size of the windows (they are larger than even some of the larger jets) and the overhead space. On the two side in First Class the overhead is very large, easily fitting a typical 20"-22" carry-on (roll aboard) headfirst, and thus eliminating having to gate-check your bag (and the long wait standing in the jet-bridge waiting for it to be brought up). The only downside to such a large overhead over the D & F seats is that on the A side the overhead is very small and can only fit a jacket, purse or small backpack. In Economy, the overheads are the same size on both sides and can still fit most carry-ons (just may have to put in sideways). So, in both cases if you are last to board you may still need to gate-check your bags as the space fills up quickly.
I have flown on way more E175's than E170's (AA has about 125 175's and 40 170's) but both planes will have the same configurations in First Class (E170 has fewer Economy seats). Four rows in a 1x2 configuration. A single side (A seat) and a two-seat side (D&F) for a total of twelve seats. My favorite seat is 1A. Besides being both a window and aisle seat and having two lights and vents overhead, the leg room is very generous in the bulkhead (1D&F the same). Rows 2 through 4 have about 37 inches of seat pitch, but the bulkhead easily has over 40 inches. I have a hard time reaching the wall with my feet. The other seats leg room are ok, it just doesn't t have as much as American's other narrow-body First Class seats. As with any other plane, the bulkhead has a much smaller seatback pocket. The seats and headrest (adjustable) are leather with the same grey color scheme as American's mainline fleet. They just aren't quite as big nor as wide (20" as opposed to 21" of width) as AA's narrowbody jets are. Plus, they do not have the storage area under the armrest like the A321, A319 or B737 have. There is a small drink tray that comes out of the armrest and a power plug and USB port under that. The tray table (folded) while small is sturdy and large enough to support a full meal tray, but it does not have a device holder attached to it. Rows 2-4 seat back pockets have a lot more storage than the bulkhead seat pockets. There are two Lavs on these aircraft. One forward and one in the back. Overall, the seats and cabin are still visually appealing, however, some of the interiors are starting to show their age.
The service on American Eagle is very similar to what you would find on any First Class domestic flight with American (https://www.patstravelreviews.com/post/american-airlines-a321-first-class-review)There On my original review I noted that there is always a blanket on the seat as you arrive, but that is no longer the case. Blankets & pillows were also casualties of Covid. Much like on mainline First Class flights, you may or may not be offered a pre-departure drink (PPD). This has been the case for a while; however, I would say that the instances of being offered a PDD has gone down since my initial review (and another cost saving holdover from Covid). If offered, it is either just water, orange juice/water, or if lucky, a drink of your choice. On longer flights (LAX to OKC) a hot towel is handed out after take-off. Now, that was then. I must admit that in the last 5 years I have not flown on as many longer E175 flights as I did prior (mostly due to the removal of the SAN-LAX route but also their catering - which I will touch on in next paragraph) Of the few flights I have flown the hot towel was not offered, now I only looked back to a flight I took from IAH to ORD (E170) last year and DFW to FAR last month (Feb '25) so I cannot say they have also been eliminated. On longer mainline domestic flights in First Class a hot towel is usually offered, but I have been on a few flights where wasn't. So, I cannot say with certainty they too have been eliminated. My guess is they have.
There are two flight attendants on the E170/E175 and the one assigned to First Class also helps out in Economy. They tend to be younger and a little less jaded than their mainline counterparts. On short hops like DFW to OKC you will get a drink of choice and a packet of Premium Nuts. On slightly longer flights (DFW to ICT or ORD to MSP) a Snack Basket is passed around that has a variety of Salty & Sweet Snacks. I am not sure if there is mileage divider on what is served like AA's larger planes. With American proper just a packet of nuts is served under 500 miles, Snack Basket 500 to 899 miles and a full meal above 900 miles. I have received baskets under 500 miles on American Eagle, but don't know if there is a distinct cutoff between the basket and just nuts. Interestingly on my initial review I bragged how American handed out a Snack Basket on the 25 minute flight between LAX & SAN. American Eagle follows same guidelines on full meals. They are served on routes over 900 miles. When you look at details when looking at a flight (on AA's site or app) it will say whether Breakfast is being served in First or Lunch/Dinner. This is the most disappointing change since my initial review. Because the meal you are served is far from the Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner you would receive on mainline flights. It is more like a Snack. Now, I am fairly certain that none of American Eagles E175's have ovens (some of Delta's do/did) so all the meals are of the cold variety. I will leave my description in the next paragraph of the meals from my original review and a photo of Breakfast from 2018 (Cereal). The photos of the Boxed Meals are what have been served the last few years. There are two choices (can't be pre-ordered) for the meal, an AM Box (Protein or Vegetarian) or PM Box (also Prot & Veg). These Boxes consist of a small salad and dip, some salty/savory packets and a sweet option. I have also seen sandwiches instead of the snack options. On my most recent flight to Fargo there was a small salad, hummus, packets of dried pork sausage, flatbread, protein bar and cookie. Last year I flew IAH to ORD and received a similar meal, only fruit instead of hummus. Can't say I am a big fan of any of these meals. If given my choice I would fly on a mainline jet on routes of this length. In fact, I am flying from ORD to IAH on an A319 in 2 weeks and there are six meal choices (both hot & cold) to pre-order and will be two choices on board (one cold one hot). The E175 from IAH to ORD will get these Boxed meals. On mainline flights you'd also get a ramakin of heated premium nuts. On flight from IAH, they did serve the Premium Nuts Packet before the meal (other flight - just Lunch). This is probably a decision made by the flight attendant due to time constraints or just laziness (same for PDD). Drink with the meal or snack is served in real glass while the PDD is plastic.
*** (From original review) Of the flights I took there was always two choices. For breakfast the choice was Cereal (with fruit, yogurt, and cinnamon rolls) Lox & Bagel, or an Egg Salad Sandwich (also included yogurt and fruit). Prior to Lunch/Dinner a small bowl of cashews & almonds is served with your drink, like with their mainline service, but unlike on their larger jets, these nuts are not served warm. The options for Lunch/Dinner was an Asian Noodle Salad with a cold chicken breast on the side or a sandwich (either Pastrami or Turkey). The salad included a packet of breadsticks and with both, a surprisingly nice dessert. Because there is no oven, they substitute the usual Chocolate Chip Cookie that is served on these length flights with a Cake or Tort. On shorter flights, including the 25-minute SAN - LAX a snack basket is passed out. The American Eagle snack basket is the same as American offers in First Class and does change from time to time. The current selection includes a small packet of Sea Salted Mixed Nuts (almonds & cashews), Sea Salt Popcorn, Biscotti, Salted Caramel Pretzels, Breakfast Squares, and very tasty Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Something I did not realize and for a change an improvement from my initial review. AA's E175's did not have power plugs nor USB port. So that is a nice addition within the last 5 or 6 years. The Inflight Entertainment (IFE) on the Embraer's is very similar to American's Narrow body fleet. The movie and TV options are the same. The E170/E175's do not have live TV like their bigger brothers have and the Wi-Fi & IFE is not gate to gate. It starts and stops at 10,000 feet. This is a little bit of a pain as many routes are around or below an hour, so it doesn't leave much time to watch on those routes. I believe the Wi-Fi is still powered by gogo Inflight. The B737 & Airbus' Wi-Fi is through Viasat. Outside of the need to wait to reach 10k feet the Wi-Fi packages are the same. This means the pricing is very inconsistent and costly. Wi-Fi rates range from $8/hr to $18/hr. This still baffles me as Delta & United's Wi-Fi is inexpensive or even free. Now American does have a program where you can watch an ad and get 20 to 30 minutes free Wi-Fi (this option wasn't available on my last flight) and better yet, T-Mobile customers get free Wi-Fi for duration of flight. I don't think gogo's speed is as good as Viasat's, but that is something that always seems to be improving. All of American Eagle's E175's have Wi-Fi and have own-device entertainment (as does the CRJ 700 & 900). Further, all their wireless entertainment options are free in both First Class as well as Economy. American's entertainment portal only has video (no music or games). There is a decent amount of content for both movies and TV. The movies are uncensored and consist of recent releases, favorites/classics, children's and a few international films. There is also a large selection of television programming. Drama's, sitcoms, children's programs, and documentaries. My only complaint is they tend to keep some movies around for several months and there are not enough sitcom episodes (you can watch an entire 22-minute episode even on short flights). This is only an issue for someone that is flying frequently and doesn't know how to pre-load entertainment on their device (guilty of that). To be able to access American's Wireless Entertainment you have to download the American or gogo app. Do this before you are on the plane. You can also access your American app or aa.com for free as well as a few of AA's partners. Lastly, the free T-Mobile Wi-Fi is only available on your phone. The prompt won't appear with tablets or laptops. As a side, I have had issue's connecting to the Wi-Fi on Regional Jets (all airlines) with Chrome (due to security) and had to connect with Samsung Internet.
I have never been a fan of regional jets and think they contribute to overcrowding and delays at some airports (a B777 and a CRJ-200 take up the same landing and departure slot). But they are a very important part of the aviation industry and the lifeblood of many midsize or isolated cities around the globe. By far the E175 is the best Regional Jet (along with E170, E190 and E195). While the service on the CRJ 700 & 900 is the same as the E175 the passenger experience is not. When flying between two larger cities I will still opt for flying on a larger jet (like a B737 or A320). However, with the Embraer 175, I enjoy the 1x2 seating and the convenience they provide. Also, First Class fares tend to be slightly lower on flights operated by American Eagle over American, plus it is usually much easier to get upgraded on the E175. As an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member I cannot remember not getting upgraded on the E175 (and I certainly can't say that about their non regional planes).
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