American Airlines Small Jets With No Middle Seats Just Got A Big Makeover

American Airlines has taken delivery of its first Embraer E175 regional jet with new Recaro R2 coach seats, adding adjustable headrests and personal device holders to a plane that already has one of the best features in domestic flying: no middle seats anywhere. I like the look. American’s regional jets are getting the same attention to cabin design as their bigger planes, and satellite wifi (but not Starlink) has addressed the biggest reason I used to avoid them. First class food still needs work. American tells me the seats are designed to maximize personal space and leg room without compromising comfort. That’s a weird juxtaposition – how would more space and legroom compromise comfort? Embraer announced the delivery today, making American the first U.S. airline to put Recaro seats on the E175. This follows the report I shared on October 11 from aviation watchdog JonNYC, whose source had spotted new economy seats on an Envoy E175 with device holders and adjustable headrests. We now have the official announcement and better photos. What Changes With The New Seat The photos show blue upholstery, contrasting tan headrests and a much more intentional design than the gray American Eagle passengers used to get. This builds on the regional cabin refresh I first covered in June 2025. There are several changes here: Adjustable headrests. The R2 offers a headrest that moves vertically and has adjustable wings, so you can position it to support your head. A separate shelf for your device and drink. The seatback photo shows a small folding shelf with a device support and cup holder above the main tray. You can watch something without giving up the entire tray table. A slimmer seatback. Embraer says the design creates more knee room while preserving cushion comfort. A thinner seat can give your knees more space even when the distance between rows stays the same. I find these uncomfortable on longer flights. It means less padding, which isn’t great on my back (or bum). Other Airlines Use This Seat—What Do Passengers Think? Recaro’s R2 is a lightweight seat designed for short and medium haul flights. It was previously called the BL3710. It’s new to American’s E175s, but it’s an established seat family. Recaro advertises the R2 at less than 10 kilograms. Lower weight means less fuel burn. Southwest uses a customized R2 on its newest Boeing 737 MAX 8 deliveries. On Southwest I’ve found the seat to be fine, even on something as long as DC – Austin. Alaska selected the R2 for its 737-800 and MAX 8 cabin program. KLM uses the R2 at the front of its Airbus A321neos. Finnair selected it for the first nine rows of its refurbished E190s. Both pair it with the simpler R1 farther back. IndiGo uses it in coach on its two-cabin A321neos. Other announced customers include Luxair for its E2s, airBaltic for its A220-300s, LOT for its 737 MAX 8 and regional fleet program, and Japan Airlines for its new 737 MAX 8 fleet. Satellite Wifi Makes The E175 Much More Appealing I’ve long liked the E175 cabin. First class is 1-2, so the single seats give you both a window and an aisle with nobody next to you. Coach is 2-2. And the fleet generally offers a good selection of Main Cabin Extra seats, although the number varies by layout. For years the problem was the internet. I avoided regional jets when I could because old Gogo air-to-ground service made it too difficult to work. American’s regional satellite upgrade uses Intelsat which is flying on more than 520 American regional jets. These planes aren’t included in American’s announced Starlink rollout, which covers the mainline fleet. United already has Starlink on regional jets. I’d like American Eagle to get it too, but moving beyond the old air-to-ground system has already made these flights far better. First Class Meals Still Need To Catch Up American says this delivery is part of creating greater consistency between regional and mainline flying. They should apply that thinking to the food. American Eagle first class passengers don’t get hot meals. That’s not surprising – the planes don’t have galley ovens. But before the pandemic, American served proper plated cold meals on regional flights, and I often preferred those to what they served on mainline. The plated tray meals still haven’t returned. Instead, passengers on meal-length flights get an inferior boxed product. Bring back good cold entrees, proper dishes and a tray on those longer regional flights. American already served them on aircraft without ovens before 2020. Topics on this page