rattlehead190777

Next week I have to fly from JFK to DTW and then from DTW on to ORD.
I'm going to be using a Delta Connection flight - with Mesaba I think - and I know they run a CRJ 900 on one / if not both of these routes.

My question is, how do they handle carry on luggage on these small planes ?
The CRJ's have very limited overhead storage space - its nearly impossible to fit a roller bag in and I even have a very small roller bag which I know will not fit.

I fly most of the time up and down the West Coast with Alaska / Horizon and they use CRJ's and have their "a la carte" service where you place baggage on a cart next to the plane and collect it from a cart near the plane as you get off . Do Delta connection flights do the same sort of thing ?

Would be great if someone can let me know - I really do not want to end up checking luggage if it can be avoided.

Ocn Vw 1K

rattlehead190777, welcome to posting on FlyerTalk! As the best place for your thread is the Delta SkyMiles forum, I'll move this thread there. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

fgirard

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.5.0.175 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

As for DL connection, they'll "pink tag" it, which is like the AS "a la carte" service, if it does not fit in the overhead bin.

3Cforme

I have found the pink tag service available for all CRJ, CR7 and CR9 flights, but not always so with the big Embraers. Yes, rollaboards can fit into Embraers, but certainly not very many of them.

MSP_Monopoly

The CRJ-900 is a really nice plane, enjoy!

OHDL1

That's "usually" on the Shuttle America aircraft. It's their company policy NOT to pinktag or gate check bags. If it doesn't fit...it's tagged to your final destination...to be picked up off the carrousel.

MSPeconomist

I sometimes fly the Mesaba CRJ900s and they are nice for little planes, although the lavatories are compact and tough for tall people. My most recent such trip was last week. When they were first introduced, some of the GAs made announcements to the effect of "we're proud of these planes, they do have bin space, so please do take your reasonably sized bags on board," although on full flights, they watch the bags more carefully.

If your roller bag is small and not overstuffed, it will fit if there is bin space when you board. I have one that's exactly legal and if it's not overstuffed or if I can squish the outside compartment a bit, it fits. Once a GA said it wouldn't fit and gave me a gate check tag for it, but I carried it on (I was in FC and boarding with the first group) and it went into the bin with no problem. Another time it was really overstuffed, I gate checked it, and DL damaged the bag, which made the claim process interesting since my record didn't show any checked bag to be damaged.

So it really is likely to be your choice either to do the gate check and retrieve it on the jetway when you land or bring it on board with you, which tends to save a bit of time if you're sitting toward the front.

My experience is that some GAs appreciate your asking for the gate check tag early before boarding begins and others (rudely) insist that they're not giving them out until at the scanner when you actually board the plane.

If you keep an open mind, you'll discover that this is really a nice little plane, all new looking and spiffy, with generally good FAs.

edweird

What I've seen ASA do is the cart thing if you board and deplane using the walk up stairs. If they are using an normal airbridge, you'll drop it off before the flight, and claim it after the flight just to the side of the end of the airbridge, just outside the plane. On arrival you wait along side the airwall out of the way of other folks exiting, and then they haul the bags up the outside stairs and into the jetway a couple at a time for folks to claim.

Sometimes if it's a small airport with no connections, and a simple baggage claim belt (like DAB) where the bags are simply put on a belt outside that runs inside to a common pickup area, they *might* tell folks to just grab them in baggage claim along with checked bags, but they'll announce this if it's the case.

pmaddock

Caution if you get the A side of FA the bins on that side are rather limited. They'll handle a purse or other small bag but that's just about it.

AGENT02

I get the CRJ900s enough... the GAs seem to be 50-50 in terms of carry-on Nazi's (EVERYTHING MUST BE GATE CHECKED - EVERYTHING!) or pretty laid back about it.

I was nervous about it enough on my MSP-BDL leg a few days ago to not bring my Coach leather weekend duffel that I usually do in fear they were gonna force me to toss it underneath.

glasnost7

Am I correct in assuming, on a CR9, that the 22" TravelPro will fit if it's not overstuffed? I'm in F on a DCA-JFK flight.

MSPeconomist

A legal carryon that isn't overstuffed should fit in the bin over the "2" side of FC on a CRJ-900. You don't even need to place it lengthwise.

chrisj85

I have an Air Boss shoulder bag that I usually take as my one carry on:
http://www.redoxx.com/air-boss/91018/product

It will definitely fit in the CR9 and CR7 overheads, except for the really small ones above the first class A side seats. I don't know if it would fit in CR2, haven't flown one of those in a long time.

I have also been able to fit a small and not overstuffed rollaboard on the CR7 in the past.

glasnost7

Thanks, good to know! We're on the C/D side and booked this flight hoping we wouldn't have to gate check. Now I just hope you guys at DL don't have the gate lice problem we do over at UA.

apolloms

It's DL policy. they do it on all E170/175 flights on both Shuttle and Compass.