Man starts to board D.C.-to-New York United flight. Then he sees the size of the plane

Musician Cristian Dennis (@cristiandennis) says he took a United Airlines flight from D.C. to New York, only to notice the plane was smaller than he expected.

He films himself taking a tarmac walk outside, which leads to his ride—what appears to be a 50-seat Bombardier jet. His video has more than 61,000 views.

“ Never flown from DC to New York. Do they always put you on a tiny … little plane like this? Do they always do this?” he asks.

Is there always a smaller plane for D.C. to New York trips?

Not every airline uses the same type of aircraft for regional routes, but United does typically use smaller, commuter planes for shorter flight times. United even has its own hourly shuttle service, which serves Washington, D.C. (DCA) and Newark (EWR). However, it's unclear whether that's the same route Dennis was taking.

Regional flights are short flights that connect certain airports within a hub. Generally, they come with smaller, 50-seat to 76-seat jets, such as the Bombardier CRJ-550 or the Embraer ERJ-175. They may also include bus or shuttle transport.

Why the smaller aircraft?

Reagan National is one of many airports that have a high-density rule. Only 60 planes can safely land or depart the airport per hour. Of those planes, 11 have to be from commuter carriers.

So, airlines such as United are, in some ways, incentivized to have regional routes and team up with regional carriers as a means of taking up those 11 slots.

Additionally, airlines such as United generally want to offer as many flexible routes between busy locations as possible. Washington, D.C., and New York are both central business hubs, which means that customers want a variety of travel options.

United's senior vice president, Sarah Murphy, said as much during a press announcement.

“Our customers who regularly travel between Washington, D.C., and New York — one of the busiest routes in the country — have told us they value convenient flights and a comfortable ride above all else,” she said.

Commenters give the same answer

In the comments section, viewers spelled out the same answer—Dennis was taking a regional flight. He and other passengers on the same route should have expected a smaller plane.

“Super common for short flights to be [Embraer's] rather than a big plane you're probably used to,” one commenter said.

Another commenter added, “[Yes,] because it's a very short trip.”

Some viewers recommended that the musician take an Amtrak or drive in the future to avoid a regional departure.

“We take the [Amtrak] from DC to NYC, you don't have to pay for baggage plus no TSA,” a viewer added.

“Anything from DC to New York, just take the train or drive it. unless it's business and on the company dime,” another viewer said.

@cristiandennis

Subplot News reached out to Dennis and United via email for comment.

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