Leslie Turk

American Eagle cuts flight time to Dallas in half

by Leslie Turk

American Eagle's decision to replace its 34-seat Saab 340 prop planes with 50-seat EMB-145 regional jets on all flights between Lafayette and Dallas/Fort Worth will slash flight time in half. "It'll cut the travel time from an hour and 45 minutes to about an hour," says American Eagle spokeswoman Andrea Huguely.

The airline will also be able to accommodate 50 more passengers a day, as it serves Lafayette Regional Airport with three daily flights to Dallas/Fort Worth. Huguely says growing demand prompted the changeover, which begins June 1.

The flights, which will not cost more, will be more comfortable and include an upgrade to all-leather seating. "There's a little more room on board, of course, because it's a larger aircraft," Huguely says. "It allows for some better connection times if [passengers] are heading on to another city."