United Airlines is replacing overhead bins on large regional jets, specifically Embraer E175s operated by SkyWest. While the airline is behind schedule in rolling out its ‘United NEXT’ interior, which includes larger overhead bins, for the mainline fleet it’s adding the larger bins (but not seat back video) to these big regional jets.
The airline says that 50 of their 76-seat planes will have these larger overhead bins by the end of the year, and that they may expand this “to more than 150 aircraft by the end of 2026” noting that (while they’re behind airlines like American with bigger bins) they’re the first carrier to offer them on this type of plane. It’s estimated that:
- They will no longer need to gate check 1 million passenger bags per year, across 150,000 flights operated by these aircraft.
- That means on average more than six passengers are having to gate check their bags per flight today on planes with just 76 seats.
- These new bins will car “up to an extra 29 carry-on bags” (80% increase)
Large regional jets are important to big airlines. While they’re more expensive to fly per seat, the total cost of a trip is lower. They don’t need to fill as many seats to make money. That makes them great for flying to smaller cities and feeding passengers into hubs for connections.
At American Airlines they’re even more important, because American is allowed to fly more of them than any other U.S. airline under its pilot contract – and because American’s strategy is leaning into these planes to serve small sun belt markets with more flights than competitors. American plans to install high speed wifi in these planes, besting competitors, but has no plan to add bigger overhead bins.
And larger overhead bins is the ultimate in win-win.
More bin space is great for customers:
- Most customers have to pay for checked bags. They’d rather carry on.
- People don’t want to waste their time at baggage claim, and United isn’t as good as Delta or Alaska at delivering bags to carousels in a timely manner.
- Checked bags get lost. United’s lost luggage performance fell last year, and was almost as bad as American’s (which is perpetually towards the bottom among U.S. carriers)
More bin space is great for airlines:
- It reduces the need to gate check bags.
- This is work at the last minute, right before push back.
- It can cause a delay of a few minutes, and those delays have ripple effects throughout the day and can be costly to the airline.
A lot more people bring bags onto the plane because of bag fees, and that causes schedule and reliability issues and the need to make investments retrofitting aircraft interiors. There are real costs associated with bag fees that are often ignored. But given the system that’s in place, bigger overhead bins are great – for both customer and airline.
The only problem with these bigger bins? To maximize use of space passengers generally need to turn bags on their sides. They do not do this. Passengers are going to need to re-learn how to stow their bags.
@ Gary — Making United most premium!
UA recognized the disadvantage of small overhead bins on the CRJ series and added the closet on the 550s so this is a logical follow through. I don’t think you can put something like this on a CRJ so the closet is the only option and that does require removing seats. The CRJ 900 could accommodate more seats than 76 but is limited by pilot scope requirements so a closet could be used. Still, people prefer the E jets more.
It is possible they can get these overhead bins where they can’t get them for mainline jets because of different suppliers. It is also possible that Boeing production slowdowns allow for more product for retrofits rather than new aircraft across the entire aviation sector.
AA has now passed UA has having a higher percentage of its network operated on regional jets so what AA does is critical. DL has the lowest percentage but uses a higher percentage of its RJs from its LGA, JFK and BOS hubs which means a higher percentage of point to point flights – which also could lead to a lower tolerance for having to gate check a bag.
and bookshelf style overhead bins work if FAs are in the cabin and personally reminding people to turn the bags sideways or doing it as part of the boarding process. Some FAs are great at rearranging bins to create more space regardless of the type of bin and others just shut the bin when it looks full regardless of what passengers have done.
good step for UA but RJs still are more costly per seat to operate than mainline aircraft. with Boeing production delays, the RJ will remain a major part of UA’s domestic system for the rest of the decade.
@ Tim — No one here cares about the cost to operate a specific type of aircraft. The passenger comfort on the 550s is far more premium than anything Delta would ever dream of offering.
you may not care but airlines do what they have to do for costs; do you really think that stuffing planes full of bags is just about what the customer want? Of course it is also about costs.
And a closet full of bags is not premium to even standard overhead bins. Having to line up to dig your bag out which might be buried by someone else’s bag is not premium; it is better than having to gate check but any overhead bin is better than a closet.
And American and Delta does have a higher number of mainline domestic aircraft than United while DL has the highest percentage of domestic flights on mainline aircraft.
UA is moving positive. I don’t think it is possible that you can see they can an advantage; they reduce one of their disadvantages.
“The only problem with these bigger bins? To maximize use of space passengers generally need to turn bags on their sides. ”
The new bins just upgrade to what most 737/A320s had a decade ago where the rollaboard handle faces out (can be wheeled into or out of the bin). Current E175s require the 22″ dimension of a rollaboard parallel to the cabin. These will not have the bags on their side.
@ Tim — I think 42 inches of pitch is way more premium than Delta’s 36-37 inches.
the vast majority of passengers don’t get anywhere that pitch on any aircraft but there are indeed seats on DL jets – esp. overwing exit rows – with lots of pitch
and the extra space on large RJs is driven by scope clauses. You might choose to focus solely on cusotmer preferences but if costs weren’t a factor, airlines would offer far more services than they do. but they don’t
@ Tim — Yeah, but some do. In this case, United does. I have no concern for what lies beyond the curtain. Airlines can make the pitch 28″ for all I care.
your comments regularly prove that you are only focused on your interests. The vast majority of people have bigger minds.
the overhead bins will extend the full length of the cabin so the peasants get to use them too.
And as noted, the problem w/ RJs is that the current overhead bins do not allow placing large bags parallel to the seat rows.
There are few aircraft that have bag length deep overhead bins on the two seat side even of mainline jets (such as the A220 and 717/MD80 family) so these bins will narrow the headspace in the center of the cabin
“ your comments regularly prove that you are only focused on your interests. The vast majority of people have bigger minds.”
READ THIS AGAIN TIM. THIS IS YOU TO A FREAKING T!
@ Tim “your comments regularly prove that you are only focused on your interests. The vast majority of people have bigger minds.” Yeah- pot, kettle, black there pal.
I discuss a wide range of topics.
Whether you like the conclusion I come to is immaterial.
Specific to this thread, UA flies many more flights in major markets compared to AA and DL mainline.
AA has a higher percentage of total RJs to its total system.
DL has the most mainline flights, fewest RJ flights, and most RPMs of the big 3.
those are clear facts.
UA and AA have the most likely need to retrofit Ejets but I would imagine AA, AS, DL and UA will all do it for newer aircraft – just as they do for mainline aircraft.
One reason passengers may be confused by instructions like “turn the bags on their sides” is that it’s hopelessly ambiguous. Which side?
But at least larger overhead bins are one more tiny step in the slow march to the holy grail — a dedicated, numbered, overhead bin for each seat on the plane. The all the ridiculous, expensive and time-consuming games and strategies to get on the plane before others do will finally come to an end.
I love the closets on the CRJ-550. As I get older with a bad back, not having to retrieve my carry-on from an overhead bin is an attractive proposition. Of course, Timbo, you’ve never flown on a CRJ-550 and don’t realize how popular it is with us UA flyers. So go ahead and suffer in those old 717s and those idiotic A220s. 2-3 should have died with Douglas.
Gary,
Please explain who this Tim Dunn guy is. I understand that you are compensated for you posts, that I read most days. I also read most of the responses. But this guy seems to make it his job to just wait for your posts and then write more than you did. Who is he please? Does he do this on multiple posts or just yours? Do you guys have a personal animosity toward each other? If so, why? Really just want to know why we ALWAYS hear from this one guy.
Tim, why can’t you see that you annoy many, many readers with your ridiculous comments? Gene, Nathan, Roberto, have all pointed that out here… and many others. You constantly complain about others, but you are the prime example of the commentor who adds nothing to most posts. Like this one. No one cares what you wrote.
@Freddog – I can share that comments don’t make a material difference in revenue for this site.
I actually did meet Tim Dunn once – we happened to be on the same flight. It was neither on Delta nor American!
I have no animosity towards him. I do not agree with him all the time for sure. And I think he sometimes unfairly mischaracterizes my positions and argues strawmen. But for me it is never personal.
As to where else he comments, I really don’t track that.
but you bothered to reply. and so did they.
and, once again, you and others are incapable of discussing the topic since you are fixated on me.
let this sink in:
UA flies many more flights in major markets compared to AA and DL mainline.
AA has a higher percentage of total RJs to its total system.
DL has the most mainline flights, fewest RJ flights, and most RPMs of the big 3.
UA has more reasons to fix the carryon limits on regional jets; while AA has more regional jets, they fly them to many more smaller markets.
Ultimately, these larger overhead bins will end up on all of the big 4’s E175s.
Would like to hear from “TIM” as to why he just waits for Gary’s posts. Are you obsessed with him? Do you do this to others elsewhere? Please give it a rest dude!
It’s not always a matter of bin size or space but the numbnuts airlines who insist on gate checking EVERYTHING so they can make some push back time.
Looking at YOU, American. The ONLY ones who’ve insisted I gate check in a FC seat without even stepping on board the effn aircraft.
Premium.
I rather enjoy Tim’s comments. Often informative. I am puzzled by the Delta superiority fixation, though. However, I’m even more puzzled by the harsh responses to him.
What I appreciate on this type of jet (E170 & E175) is the two by two seating. Way more comfortable than E145 or CRJ which has as much room as the back seat of a FIAT 500.
The larger overhead bins and WiFi makes the E175 more livable.
Stop your carping, Be happy!!
It just means that the assholes that usually bring oversized bags into the cabin will now bring BIGGER oversized bags into the cabin . . . nothing will change. The Keiths and Karens will still think they are privileged and all that.
It just means that the assholes that usually bring oversized bags into the cabin will now bring BIGGER oversized bags into the cabin . . . nothing will change. The Keiths and Karens will still think they are privileged and all that. Just check the bag and be done.
Overhead bins should be eliminated. Things have changed so much with people abusing the system. We would be able to get on and off a plane so much faster if there were no overhead bins, One airline is already doing it and said it is great.!
Increasing overhead bin space is a step in the right direction. Allowing checking of one rollaboard carry on sized bag for free while disallowing a carry on would probably be cheaper and more cost effective. Another limitation that would probably free up overhead space would be to have a weight allowance that is fairly restrictive. I have flown on Asian airlines with 7kg limits and 10kg limits and even one with a 5kg limit. I have flown JetBlue’s Blue Basic a number of times and that doesn’t include a carry on. The times I flew it, I could add the cost of a seat, add the cost of checked bag each way and add the cost to choose a seat each way and the total was still less than the next higher priced seat that came with seat selection and a carry on. Doing that I could carry more but I would have to wait for my checked bag.