Ten years ago United Airlines took the crown for longest flight in a small regional jet, using an Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft. They beat their own Newark – Oklahoma City record (1,325 miles blocked at 3 hours 41 minutes westbound) with a flight from Houston to Williston, North Dakota. That was 1,330 miles.
Two decades ago Continental Airlines began operating the nation’s first cross-country one-stop route via small regional jet, Richmond – Houston – Palm Springs. Neither of those flights, though, was longer than 1,269 miles.
The Embraer 145 is a ‘small’ regional jet, usually outfitted with 50 seats. Operators don’t usually put in a first class or even wifi, thinking that the flights are short enough and passengers usually have no real competitive options.
The aircraft’s range can push 1,300 miles and a little beyond in optimal conditions. JSX, which flies all Embraer 135 and 145 aircraft, normally flies Dallas – Burbank (1,243 miles) and Dallas – Westchester (1,395 miles).
One flight on an Embraer 145, though, has been scheduled to fly… 2,249 miles?
I noticed that on August 4 JSX is selling Las Vegas – Westchester, and August 28 Westchester – Las Vegas. The flights are blocked at 5 hours 40 minutes and 6 hours 30 minutes respectively and are offered at $3,000 each way (!).
These are one-off flights, operated on those dates only, and take passengers nearly all the way across the country.
A JSX spokesperson explains,
We had a group booking opportunity we wanted to fulfill, but because they could not fill the entire airplane, the remaining seats were put into inventory. The flights are being served with an E145 with fuel contingency built in to the schedule.
I suspect that the flights will… not operate non-stop.
The truth is that while normally flying over 2,000 miles on a small regional jet would be unpleasant – when Continental started doing it with a stop all those years ago it was the epitome of flying misery – doing it on a JSX Embraer 145 seems downright pleasant… not like flying across the country in an internationally-configured aircraft with lie flat business class, but an incredible flight when taking off and landing at uncrowded private terminals and traveling with comfortable one-one seating, good service and the fastest wifi in the sky.
The 145LR cannot do this nonstop but the 145XR could conceivably do it in a pinch with favourable winds and low payload. I don’t believe JSX has any XR variants though.
During COVID, due to border closures and landing permit challenges, we had to ferry a 145LR nonstop from Victoria Falls to Libreville – just under 1500nm (1700 statute miles). That was around the limit of what the 145LR can achieve even empty with legal fuel reserves.
Also, one of the mining companies (might have been Vale, but don’t quote me) used to operate a 135 from Conakry in Guinea across the Atlantic to Natal in Brazil as a sort of corporate shuttle for their workers. That flight was just under 1600nm, but of course the 135 has longer range than the standard 145 variants.
Looking at the pic of the interior configuration of that JSX plane, I cannot imagine that (for me, anyway,) it would be an unpleasant fight. Is there any kind of food service on such a transcon flight in an Embraer? Just curious…
I wish that their network of cities were longer. What a great alternative to commercial travel.
I couldn’t find this bookable for those set dates that you mentioned.
At one time, it was possible to fly from LGA to LAX with a connection in Fayetteville, Arkansas (XNA, Walmart’s HQ). Both flights were American Eagle, unsure which company actually operated it.
Continental also used to operate BFL-IAH, coming in at 1,468 nm, using the E145
20 years ago, I was a regular on Continental ERJ-145’s between EWR and MCI. Not ideal at 1092 miles. Also did another trip both ways in 2008 EWR-OMA. Even less nice at 1132 miles. No wifi, no footroom, just a lot of no’s.
The 135/45 are miserable aircraft. I hate them more than the CRJ 200.
The real question should be:
What is happening in Westchester in August that attracts a profitable group booking on a regional airline who then tries to make a better profit selling the empty seat on the side?
Tennis anyone? After a round of golf? Cheerio!
United ( formerly Continental ) would operate Newark – Singapore non stop on a Regional Jet if it could. I’m surprised the longest RJ flight is not UA express operated.
When are we going to admit that the 737 really is just an overgrown/overly stretched airframe and is a regional airliner, too?
JSX is comfy wish they would fly more routes!!