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United Airlines debuts new, smaller regional plane at Harrisburg International
United Airlines debuts new, smaller regional plane at Harrisburg International
Passengers flying out of Harrisburg International Airport will now have the option to travel first class when on a regional flight through United Airlines.
Pilots from the Chicago-based airline flew the newest regional aircraft into the Lower Swatara Township airport on Friday as part of a national tour that stopped at a number of the airports United will frequent.
The new Bombardier CRJ-550 is one of the first of a fleet of 54 planes United plans to have fully operational by next year. The 50-seat plane differs from its other small regional aircrafts by offering not only an economy class, but also economy, economy-plus and first-class seating.
“Harrisburg is the exact type of market that this aircraft is suited for because it allows us to connect Harrisburg to our larger hubs with more frequency and better product selection than other aircraft,” said Mark Krolick, vice president of marketing for United Airlines.
The planes have 20 seats in economy class, 20 seats in economy-plus and 10 in first class. Economy-plus offers expanded leg room compared to economy class.
The airplane’s cabin differs from other regional airplanes with more legroom, space for roller bags and a self-serve refreshment center for first-class customers, said Krolick.
United expects that offering a fleet of planes with first class and economy-plus options will appeal to business flyers and members of United’s MileagePlus Premier program featuring complimentary access to economy-plus seating and eligibility for upgrades.
“Even if you are buying an international business class ticket, you might fly on economy from the outstation into the hub,” said Krolick. “Now you are able to fly in a premium product from Harrisburg to Chicago to Shanghai.”
The planes began carrying passengers at the end of October and currently offer 15 routes from Chicago, including Allentown, Harrisburg, St. Louis, Greensboro, N.C. and Grand Rapids, Mich. United plans to continue to grow its number of routes into 2020 to include stops to Cincinnati, Greensboro and Richmond from New York and Newark.
