Silly question but has anyone flown on an Embraer ERJ-135? I've never been on one but I know they are small. How big are the overhead bins? Are they big enough to take the small suitcases designed to fit in bins? I need to know this because it affects a trip I'm making at the weekend.

Not 100% sure on actual dimensions of the Embraer 135 Baggage Bins, but here is a cross sectional view of the cabin, showing you some dimensions.

But generally speaking it will fit a standard carry on bag. There is always additonal stowage in the aircraft (wardrobe/dog boxes) or when you check in they will have a bag guage there to check if it will go in the cabin or in the cargo bay.

You wont have a problem with it.

Hope this helps,
Matt

I've flown on them. The bins are very small, and they are only on one side of the aircraft. I'm not so sure about a "standard" sized suitcase fitting in there. A very small roller bag will fit, but anything bigger will be grabbed for gate-check in the departure lounge.

Postscript... I hope you ain't a tall bugger with long legs, else you'll need to fill that carry-on with Motrin...

Damn. It sounds like a CRJ (bog designed by a woman, I'm guessing).

The 60 minute connection in Newark is looking iffy, case-wise.

I always get my bags taken off me on regional jets nowadays - including standard-sized wheely cabin bag thingies.

It's okay though - you take it right to the aircraft, put it under the wingtip with the others, it's likely already got a special tag (or they stick one on there and then) so that at the other end it's offloaded right back to the foot of the steps and you pick it up as you get off.

I was going to say that - but that only works if you walk out to the aircraft and up the steps old-fashioned style, as I've done on Jazz flights YVR-SEA on a Dash-8. I was on an American Eagle flight a while ago on something about this size to Chicago, they checked my bag at the departure gate as we boarded via the airbridge walkway thingy, and I had to wait about 40 mins in baggage reclaim at the other end to get it back. Damn annoying, since the whole point of having a small case is not to have to check baggage in for a short trip, but at least I'd been able to take my laptop and a book out of the bag for the flight.

Could be worth checking with the airline concerned what their policy is?

That, I can cope with.

A 60 minute connection in Newark? Are you going from Canada or to Canada? From you may make, to you won't due to US Immigration. But I'm sure you know that.

He'll clear US Immigration in Ottawa, won't he?

Yes I will. By the time I get to the plane I will be on a domestic US flight.

Great thing about Ottawa airport. If you're going somewhere, you usually get to see somewhere else on the way.

Later this month I'm going to the UK. Via Toronto.

Is this the trip from Ottawa to Orlando and back via Newark and Ohio that you described in another post? That plus ERJ makes me guess Continental/Expressjet and that the Ohio connection is in Cleveland.

Am I right?

Newark is bad for delays, but Cleveland Hopkins is much less busy. Another bit of good news is that Cleveland's airport is every bit as attractive as the Sydney Tar Ponds. If you are in and out of Cleveland, give us a wave as you're overhead.

You utter plane spotter.

I'm not fussed what airports look like, provided there is a bar. My only concern is that my case gets to Orlando when I do. It failed to make the same connection as me in Chicago a couple of years back. I was not happy to walk around Phoenix for hours wearing the same Fall clothes I had left Ottawa in.

There's a tequila bar in the C concourse, a sports bar in the D concourse, and Great Lakes Brewing in the A concourse. I'm not a beer drinker, but the wife likes Great Lakes Dortmunder. She wouldn't drink Budweiser or the like if you paid her, so you might try a Great Lakes if you're not completely averse to Amercian beer.

I've always had good service from Continental, so I hope you and your luggage stay synchronized. Have a good trip!

My experience of American beer is rather limited. I'm quite familiar with what the main commercial brews don't taste like but I have only once, if I recall, tried something I'd never heard of before. It had an odd name that I don't remember and I'm not even sure where I was (Philly airport, I think). The beer was vile.