American Airlines has taken delivery of the first Embraer E175 regional jet fitted with new Recaro R2 economy seats, becoming the first US carrier to put this seat model on the type. If your domestic itinerary involves an American Eagle regional flight, this is the plane you'll increasingly find yourself on — and it's arguably the most pleasant small jet flying in the US right now.
The E175 has always had a layout worth seeking out: coach is 2-2, so there are no middle seats anywhere, and first class is 1-2, meaning solo travellers get both a window and an aisle to themselves. What's new is the seat itself. The Recaro R2 brings adjustable headrests with movable wings, plus a small folding shelf above the tray table with a device holder and cup holder — so you can watch a film without surrendering your entire tray. The slimmer seatback frees up knee room without changing row spacing. The trade-off, as frequent flyers note, is less padding, which some find less comfortable on longer sectors.
If the seat looks familiar, that's because Recaro's R2 (formerly the BL3710) is already flying elsewhere: Southwest's newest 737 MAX 8s, Alaska's 737-800 and MAX 8 cabins, the front rows of KLM's A321neos, Finnair's refurbished E190s, and IndiGo's two-cabin A321neos, among others. It weighs under 10 kilograms, which trims fuel burn — a win for the airline even if passengers mostly care about the headrest.
The bigger comfort upgrade on American's regionals happened quietly beforehand: satellite wifi. More than 520 American Eagle jets now carry Intelsat satellite internet, replacing the old air-to-ground service that made working en route a chore. Note that these planes aren't part of American's announced Starlink rollout, which covers the mainline fleet — United already has Starlink on its regionals — but the Intelsat service is still a huge step up.
One gap remains: food. American Eagle first class doesn't get hot meals because the jets lack galley ovens, but pre-2020 the airline served decent plated cold meals on these routes. Those have been replaced by boxed products, so don't book a regional first class ticket expecting the mainline dining experience.
Why does this matter for travellers? If you're choosing between connecting flights on American, a routing on an E175 now offers a genuinely better experience than many larger planes: no middle seats, satellite internet, and a more considered cabin. It won't fix everything — the catering especially — but for short and medium hops across the US, the much-maligned regional jet is having a moment. Credit: View from the Wing
