Featured image credit: Shub Goswami

Brace yourself it’s another flight related blog. I always come back with the best mile high stories to share (that’s in my humble opinion of course). So buckle up for this story. If you’ve never flown in an American Eagle, it is a tiny aircraft. It fits a max of 50 people (number is based on my count – the actual count may possibly not vary). I flew on an American Eagle on my flights to and from Toronto.

First of, I absolutely hate domestic flights in the United States (yes I know I’m talking about an international flight in this case but you get the gist of it). I feel very unwell when the pilots are about to land the plane because the way they descend their plane makes your insides feel like it’s moved down by a few inches. I kid you not. So given this is a small aircraft, you endure that feeling during take off and landing.

On my flight to Toronto, I sat in the very last row, row 23, and had a passenger sitting next to me. But luckily the seats across us, also row 23, were empty and she decided to move across so that both of us could have ample space, which was great and actually what we both needed. This aircraft can get full but it’s hardly ever overbooked. Given the size of this aircraft, it’s no surprise that the overhead compartments are also tiny. Hence on my flight to Toronto I had to keep my backpack under the seat in front of me. In the US, travellers mostly tend to carry a small carry on style suitcase with all of their clothes rather than check-in luggage to avoid costs associated with checking in luggage.

Hence, during boarding, the airline staff usually advise that if a passenger is carrying a rather large carry on item, they will check it in. And when it’s done at the last minute, it’s usually free of charge. In the case of American Airlines, if your carry on is anything bigger than a backpack you get a ticket from the airline crew, which has a number and you hand over your suitcase to them and it flies in with the checked in luggage. Once you land, however, you have to wait on the jet bridge as soon as you’ve just got off the plane and you’ll be handed your bag over there. It will not come to the baggage carousel. In my case, as I was seated at the last seat on my flight to Toronto, I was one of the few people who had checked in luggage and by the time I got off the plane there was a line full of passengers waiting to get their bags. Baggage claim in the United States and Canada takes a bit longer as there aren’t many carousels to match the incoming flights. Hence most if not all of the carousels usually look after multiple incoming flights.

On my flight back, that was a rather full flight. There’s so much I want to write about flying on an American Eagle and at the same time I find myself tongue tied not knowing what to write. All I can really say is, flying on an American Eagle is an experience in itself.

Have you ever flown in an American Eagle or a similar aircraft? What was your experience like?

Until next time,

MiliG