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Embraer E-190

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Butts

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Is there any finer craft traversing the UK skies at the moment than this hardy "train slayer".

2 abreast seating with plenty of leg room and comfortable to boot.

My Aircraft of choice for UK Domestic Travel - thank god the Q400's have bitten the dust.

BA Cityflyer is better than BA proper as it seems to specialise in these versatile wonders of the air.
 
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Davester50

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Is there any finer craft traversing the UK skies at the moment than this hardy "train slayer".

2 abreast seating with plenty of leg room and comfortable to boot.

My Aircraft of choice for UK Domestic Travel - thank god the Q400's have bitten the dust.

BA Cityflyer is better than BA proper as it seems to specialise in these versatile wonders of the air.
Fine, until the clauses limiting it's seat count disappear.
It'll be the same legroom as the departed E170s if they can.
 

Aictos

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Is there any finer craft traversing the UK skies at the moment than this hardy "train slayer".

2 abreast seating with plenty of leg room and comfortable to boot.

My Aircraft of choice for UK Domestic Travel - thank god the Q400's have bitten the dust.

BA Cityflyer is better than BA proper as it seems to specialise in these versatile wonders of the air.
I've never been on a Q400 but I've on a few E190s and like the OP they are my preferred aircraft type for flying around the UK and Europe for the same reasons as the OP has kindly pointed out. Indeed when BA decided to cancel the Heathrow to Vienna leg of my flights from Edinburgh to Vienna via London, I went with KLM CityHopper via Amsterdam for the simple reason that they operate E190s which I prefer over A319s/A320s/B737s etc....

As to BA Cityflyer while they do operate the type, has the OP tried using KLM CityHopper who also operates the type.

The E-190 is very good, but I think the 737 is better.
I'm not a fan of the 3+3 seating as the leg room isn't as good as the Embraers.
 

Bletchleyite

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The E-190 is very good, but I think the 737 is better.

Really? The 737 is a 1960s design which is seriously showing its age, with countless bits bodged on but seriously in need of a full ground up redesign. I would compare it to if we were still churning out PEP EMUs or something.

Of that size of aircraft the A320 series is unquestionably better in every way, but I agree with the OP that the E190 is something quite special.
 

507021

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Really? The 737 is a 1960s design which is seriously showing its age, with countless bits bodged on but seriously in need of a full ground up redesign.

Of that size of aircraft the A320 series is unquestionably better in every way, but I agree with the OP that the E190 is something quite special.

I agree the 737 is in dire need of a clean-sheet replacement, but for me it's still the best jack-of-all-trades airframe in service.

However, I also think Boeing need to hurry up replacing the 737 and the 757 properly. The A321XLR looks rather impressive based on what I've read about it.
 

TheEdge

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I agree the 737 is in dire need of a clean-sheet replacement, but for me it's still the best jack-of-all-trades airframe in service.

It really isn't. There is a reason the A32x family has now outsold the 737 family, which is impressive given it first flew in 1987 compared to 1967 for the original 737. The appearance of the A321XLR really throws a cat among the pigeons in the mid range market.

I do wonder what we would see if Embraer went for a full size narrow body airliner, because I'd agree the E-190 is the nicest jet I've flown on for some time, and that was a Flybe example in their late days. But they really have the regional market tied up in a neat little package.
 

Alfonso

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Is there any finer craft traversing the UK skies at the moment than this hardy "train slayer".

2 abreast seating with plenty of leg room and comfortable to boot.

My Aircraft of choice for UK Domestic Travel - thank god the Q400's have bitten the dust.

BA Cityflyer is better than BA proper as it seems to specialise in these versatile wonders of the air.
They're very nice, but mainly because BA city flyer decided it was better to keep to under 100(?)seats to save employing another member of cabin crew hen e the decent leg room. 2+2 seating is always very nice ,as the ex-head of SAS put it , nobody has ever asked for a middle seat on a plane.
 

507021

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It really isn't. There is a reason the A32x family has now outsold the 737 family, which is impressive given it first flew in 1987 compared to 1967 for the original 737.

I was expressing an opinion, not trying to claim it as fact.
 

Davester50

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They're very nice, but mainly because BA city flyer decided it was better to keep to under 100(?)seats to save employing another member of cabin crew hen e the decent leg room. 2+2 seating is always very nice ,as the ex-head of SAS put it , nobody has ever asked for a middle seat on a plane.
Exactly.
As I said, see how long that rule lasts especially now the 170s are gone.

The CS300/A220 is a nice aircraft.
 

AlterEgo

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They're very nice, but mainly because BA city flyer decided it was better to keep to under 100(?)seats to save employing another member of cabin crew hen e the decent leg room. 2+2 seating is always very nice ,as the ex-head of SAS put it , nobody has ever asked for a middle seat on a plane.
The “clause” limiting CityFlyer’s E190s to under 100 seats isn’t about cabin crew provision but the types of contracts - and wages - the pilots are on.
 

Bletchleyite

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Having a family of five, 3+2 seating is also welcome

To be fair, 3+3 is fine if the middles are empty. A good way to near-ensure this is, unless the flight is totally full, to pay for the exit row and select one that already has one person in the window or aisle, as almost nobody will pay for a middle, even with more legroom, and a person already being there precludes a couple joining you.
 

Royston Vasey

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Is there any finer craft traversing the UK skies at the moment than this hardy "train slayer".

2 abreast seating with plenty of leg room and comfortable to boot.

My Aircraft of choice for UK Domestic Travel - thank god the Q400's have bitten the dust.

BA Cityflyer is better than BA proper as it seems to specialise in these versatile wonders of the air.
Not to mention still specialising in complimentary food and beverage service!

BA city flyer decided it was better to keep to under 100(?)seats to save employing another member of cabin crew hen e the decent leg room.
That may or may not be true of BACF, but it was certainly true of American's 737-800s about ten years ago, they physically blocked both middle seats in rows 16 and 17, to reduce capacity from 154 to 150, so that only three flight attendants needed to be on-board rather than four. For a while, if I couldn't choose an MD80, A320 or E190 and had no choice but fly a 737, they were even better than the exit rows 14 and 15! https://onemileatatime.com/americans-new-best-coach-seat-on-the-737/. They've since increased capacity to 160 and the blocked middles are long gone!

As for 737 vs A320, 737s are 7" narrower than A320s, give or take an inch per seat, and you can feel that inside the cabin, both in width and head/shoulder room.
 
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Butts

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BA Cityflyer provided a snack and a Bar Service in Economy when I used them to go to Belfast on my first trip about a month ago.

On BA proper they get a bottle of water and a biscuit.

I was in Club but they got a packet of crisps and a drink I think.

The stewardess made some witty announcement to the effect it was a Bar Service - not a free for all (that's only in Club)

One annoying aspect of The Embraer is peasants from Economy "breaching the curtain" to use the toilet at the front :E
 

Brooke

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As a regular traveller Ireland <> UK <> Switzerland, E-190 is really one of the best in my view.

Vastly superior to the dated Avro RJs and awful Q-400s that thankfully seem to be finished now.

I’d put the A200 pretty much equal - it’s more spacious, has bigger windows and seems to ride bad weather better - but conversely I like the “cosyness” of the window seats in the E-190 (and the fact they warm up quickly at 6am in winter!)
 

Aictos

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I fly this aircraft often in the USA - a massive step up from the CRJ 200 and Q-400. I do like it
Never been on those aircraft but where I can, I try to fly E190s where possible Just wish KLM CityHopper actually expanded to serve LTN as a alternative to the likes of easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air and El Al.
 

superalbs

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They are definitely the best plane I have flown on! Had a lovely trip from Tbilisi to Baku, then Wien to Minsk and Minsk to Frankfurt the week after.

Far more pleasant than the 3+3 jets that I had on the same trips for other journey legs.

Also agree the Q400 were pretty grim.

Really? The 737 is a 1960s design which is seriously showing its age, with countless bits bodged on but seriously in need of a full ground up redesign. I would compare it to if we were still churning out PEP EMUs or something.

Of that size of aircraft the A320 series is unquestionably better in every way, but I agree with the OP that the E190 is something quite special.
I think Russia is still making units based on the original Riga EMU design (1950s), and the VL10 locomotive design (1960s).
 

Butts

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It's weird as in the past when I used to praise Flybe Embraers people used to come on and chastise me for not liking environmentally friendly Q 400's.

Glad to see the aficionados have come out of the closet and endorsed my views on the E 190.

Is there anyone out there who prefers Q400's ?
 

nlogax

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E-190s are just fine, though for whatever reason the interiors remind me a little of the ancient C487s that used to trundle along the Waterloo & City. Might be the shape of the seats.
 

route101

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Only flown the KLM E190. Decent seats, low seats I noticed. Window alignment to seats wasn't great.
Flown BA E170 to LCY.
 

rf_ioliver

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The E-190 is very good, but I think the 737 is better.
It seems to have found a niche with Finnair - nice aircraft, prefer it to its smaller stablemates. I hear good things about the A220 series but not had a chance to fly on one yet.

The 737 .... erm, no....
 

Bungle

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Really? The 737 is a 1960s design which is seriously showing its age, with countless bits bodged on but seriously in need of a full ground up redesign. I would compare it to if we were still churning out PEP EMUs or something.

Of that size of aircraft the A320 series is unquestionably better in every way, but I agree with the OP that the E190 is something quite special.

Quite. I’ve flown both. The 737 does the job it was designed to do, but from a technical point of view there is no comparison - the Airbus is superior in virtually every way.

Never flown the Embraer series but as a passenger they are lovely for short hops. Not sure I’d want to be doing more than a couple of hours in one though.
 

TheEdge

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Never flown the Embraer series but as a passenger they are lovely for short hops. Not sure I’d want to be doing more than a couple of hours in one though.

They seem to manage fairly well in the US on longer routes. Although my understanding is their use on trips to Spain is what was one of the nails in Flybe's coffin.
 

squizzler

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It's weird as in the past when I used to praise Flybe Embraers people used to come on and chastise me for not liking environmentally friendly Q 400's.

Glad to see the aficionados have come out of the closet and endorsed my views on the E 190.

Is there anyone out there who prefers Q400's ?

Yes. Because propellers. Whereas the E190 is just another boring twin jet.

Mind you, I did a couple of hops in them and I liked the civilised takeoff, almost train-like in its gentle acceleration and climb which contrasted with the catapault effect of the big props on the Bombardier. Got the impression it’s rather underpowered.
 

Aictos

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I've flown on the Embraer E190s on London City to Dublin, Dublin to London City, Edinburgh to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Vienna by far the most comfortable aircraft on regional flights which covers the majority of Europe and I've flown on the Airbus and Boeing rival models.

The legroom is usually about 81cm compared to 74cm on the aircraft operated by their rivals or indeed the same parent company yes I'm referring to BA plus the 2+2 seating makes for a more relaxed atmosphere.

Indeed for me I like the comfort that the type delivers and for those who think they are under powered haven't been on one departing from
London City as they don't struggle with that takeoff at all.
 
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