American upgrades regional jets with power, fast Wi-Fi, and bigger bins

Published on Sep 30, 2025, 4:02 pm CDT

5 min read

Short-haul flights on American Airlines are poised to feel more like mainline service. The carrier is refreshing cabins across its Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900, and Embraer E170 and E175 fleets, adding new seat materials, power at every seat, and high-speed Wi-Fi. American says the first reimagined aircraft will debut before the end of 2025, with a phased rollout over the next few years. A new midday snack basket will also appear on regional routes, and the airline is working with Embraer on larger overhead bins to ease carry-on crunch.

Key points

Why it matters: Regional jets feed hubs for long-haul trips; better cabins improve the first leg of many journeys.
Travel impact: Power at every seat, faster Wi-Fi, and snack service expand to American's CRJ and E-Jet fleets.
What's next: Complimentary Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members begins in January 2026 across most of the fleet.
Bigger overhead bins are being co-designed with Embraer for future E175s.
First refreshed aircraft arrive by late 2025, with a multi-year retrofit plan.

Snapshot

Many U.S. travelers begin overseas trips with a short regional hop to a hub like Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) or Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). American's upgrade brings power outlets to every seat, refreshed upholstery, and fast satellite Wi-Fi on regional jets that operate these feeder segments. A new midday snack basket, previously limited to mainline, will appear on regional flights, smoothing the experience between legs. Looking ahead, American plans to roll out complimentary Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members starting in January 2026, and is collaborating with Embraer to introduce larger overhead bins on future deliveries to reduce gate-checks and speed boarding.

Background

America's hub-and-spoke system connects hundreds of smaller cities to major hubs, where travelers transfer to long-haul flights. The model allows airlines to aggregate demand from many spokes and offer more total destinations; in practice, it means a significant share of legacy-carrier passengers make at least one connection. U.S. DOT analysis shows that, in 2017, more than 30 percent of passengers on the three legacy carriers connected to another flight on the same airline. For international travel, connections via hubs such as DFW, Miami International Airport (MIA), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) are common, especially from smaller markets that cannot support nonstop long-haul service. Comfort and connectivity on the short-haul leg can shape the entire trip. Flight Delays and Airport Impacts: September 30, 2025

Latest developments

Power at every seat and fast Wi-Fi on American Eagle

American's regional refresh standardizes key amenities with mainline. Updated seats with new coverings, universal power at each seat, and high-speed satellite Wi-Fi are being installed across the CRJ700, CRJ900, E170, and E175 fleets operated by American's regional subsidiaries. The first aircraft with the new interior is set to enter service by late 2025, with additional frames cycling through modification lines over several years. Executive leadership underscores that reliable connectivity is now table stakes, tied to the airline's move to free Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members beginning in January 2026. In parallel, a new midday snack basket on regional routes narrows the gap with mainline service, particularly for travelers making mid-day connections at hubs.

Larger overhead bins coming to E-Jets

To reduce carry-on conflicts on popular E175 routes, American is working directly with Embraer on new, larger overhead bins for its larger regional aircraft. The airline anticipates introducing aircraft with these bins in the coming years, which should boost roller-bag capacity, cut gate-checks, and streamline boarding. While timing is staged with future deliveries and retrofits, the intent is to make the regional experience more predictable for travelers who rely on a single carry-on from origin to final destination. These bins will be particularly helpful on high-demand hub-spoke sectors where flights run full and turn times are tight.

Analysis

Regional jets are the front door to American's global network. By aligning amenities like power, fast Wi-Fi, and consistent snack service across CRJ and E-Jet cabins, the airline reduces friction on the first and last legs of complex itineraries. That matters because a sizeable share of legacy-carrier customers connect through hubs, and many international journeys begin with a short spoke flight. Complimentary Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members in January 2026 should further differentiate the experience, provided performance remains stable under free-tier loads. The overhead-bin project with Embraer is a smart, operationally meaningful fix: more bin volume helps speed boarding and protects tight connection windows at hubs such as DFW and CLT. Taken together, these steps reflect the industry trend toward making regional aircraft feel less like a compromise and more like a seamless extension of mainline service. For travelers planning Europe trips this fall and into 2026, these upgrades should make the hop to the hub less of a hassle. For broader border-control changes you will encounter after the hop, see our coverage of the EU's upcoming biometric Entry/Exit system. EU entry/exit system rollout: What travelers should expect

Final thoughts

If your international journey starts with a short-haul hop, American's regional upgrades aim to make that spoke flight feel more like mainline. Power at every seat, faster Wi-Fi, and a midday snack basket improve the onboard rhythm, while future E175 bins should ease carry-on stress during busy hub connections at DFW, CLT, MIA, PHL, and ORD. With complimentary Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members slated for January 2026, the airline is aligning regional and long-haul experiences across the network. For many travelers moving through the hub-and-spoke model, that first leg sets the tone-and soon, it should be a more comfortable start to the trip on American's regional fleet upgrades.