I recently traveled to Abu Dhabi after redeeming miles (90,000 miles and $46) for first class on Etihad’s A380 (the plane with the shower and onboard bar!). I decided to fly the AUH-JFK route which was about an hour longer than flying in the other direction (jet stream folks). I’ll post my review of each segment accordingly–this post is the first review of my trip.
- American Airlines CRJ-200 Review (Economy): ‘Twas the Worst of Times
- American Airlines 757-200 Review (Economy): ‘Twas Still the Worst of Times
- How to Layover in Amsterdam: 4 Hours
- Etihad A330-300 Review (Economy)
- Hilton Abu Dhabi Review (Executive Floor)
- Abu Dhabi Review
- Etihad First Class Lounge (Abu Dhabi) Review
- Etihad A380 Review (First Class) – A Plane with a Shower
Boarding (BWI)
I include this section because if you fly the CRJ-200 out of DCA, you’ll need to board from the dreaded Gate 35X (you take an escalator to the basement of the terminal where you board a bus to take to the plane). I flew from BWI to PHL and was excited to see that I would board the CRJ-200 from a real gate. You’ll also notice that the plan is barely larger than the luggage cart.
The Plane
The CRJ-200 sports 50 economy seats in a 2-2 configuration. There is no first class cabin. The extremely small bathroom is located in the rear of the plane.
The seats are just as uncomfortable as they look. The padding is insufficient and the seats barely recline. The headrests are not adjustable and do not feature entertainment systems or wifi.
The overhead binds are too small for typical carry-on luggage, so you’ll need to check your bag at the gate.
The photo is a little blurry but you can see that the seat is not much wider than my boarding pass. I sat in the first row which I believe is one of only 2 rows that features extra leg room.
Conclusion
Avoid this plane whenever possible. The seats are awful and you need to check your carry-on luggage at the gate. Bring your own entertainment and snacks.