seratonin7

I noticed on Saturdays US runs a CR9 on the PHX-CLT route. Do you think this is a repositioning flight or US is going to start using Rj's on almost transcons? Could the aircraft handle CLT-PHX, or only eastbound flights that long? There are only 4-5 seats taken for this week (12/29). I wonder what the F passengers will be served. Do the Mesa FA's have any training for meal service? The website doesn't say anything about a meal.

burlax

Be thankful you're not flown on a kite.

whytravelsomuch

I love how people on this board "freak out" when they see something out of the ordinary in terms of a flight that only operates on a few days and then doesnt reappear. Did anybody ever think its an easy way to add on extra capacity during a peak travel season when otherwise??

Plus a CRJ900 depending on engine configuration can reach up to 2300 miles.

bevoinva

I don't know - the kite might be more comfortable.

seratonin7

Freaking out? Really? When I truly freak out usually the police get called!

Looking at other flights that day there doesn't seem to be a lack of capacity (12/29), many of the flights are pretty light.

Alphaguy

Ah... perhaps its a prisoner transfer? I call the CRJ the prison ship or Canada's revenge to the world...

My butt hurts just thinking about sitting in one of those that long!

coachrowsey

OP just be glad you're not on it

phlwookie

Assuming this is US 2650, it arrives in CLT at 11:28pm, too late for connections, so it needs to rely completely on local traffic. As the 29th is a slower travel day in the middle of the holidays, I'm a bit surprised they're running it all, though it appears to be a weekly flight. It may indeed just be a repositioning flight that they elected to make a revenue one.

The CRJ-900, even in coach, is much better after the interior refresh and addition of F. Previously they had some of the least comfortable seats I'd ever flown in, but I no longer avoid them.

BoeingBoy

I think we probably have a winner. Mesa Air Holdings is based in PHX so moving the CRJ-900's back and forth for maintenance is necessary.

Jim

AirShuttle6162

Back when I was at Mesa (6+ years ago now) we were doing CLT flights from PHX, but there was a stop in IAH. So its not something that is all that unheard of.

CLTmech

In my experience here at Mesa (and since the CR9 came east), any flight that is CLT-PHX or PHX-CLT only are generally either a reposition or ferry. Revenue flights usually have/had a stop in IAH/SAT/AUS/MEM depending on which city US had the express flights for both CLT and PHX going to (might have an east/west system swap in OMA now). The planes have the range to do the flight directly when empty, but I think there may be load/weight limits that affect whether the flight could be made with a reasonable load of pax.

There are no provisions to allow for meal service other than the snack baskets placed on the longer flights. Galley equipment has 2 trash carts, 2 drink carts, 2 liquor bins, and 1 operational beverage maker for coffee/hot water (#2 is still installed, but deactivated due to annoying ground power issues). No real place to store or heat meals unless they get stacked in one of the closets, and served cold.

The CR9s currently go out to PHX and TUS for MX A-checks or other special items, but some of that work is supposed to be coming to CLT in the next few months.

whytravelsomuch

Its not a regularly scheduled weekly flight. I only appears on a few Saturdays over a peak travel period.

Michael El

It's probably just temporary because of increased travel to and from the bowl games.

WiscAZ

I have a hard time believing that they would put in an extra route for bowl games...

buckeyefanflyer

Many airlines do put on extra flights for bowl games.