.... All I have to say is its damn funny to hear the reactions by republic guys when you point them out to ATC as a regional jet... its almost like you just told them they had a small penis, they find the need to go out of the way to defend thier "Mainline" jet. As for the 170 vs an rj... who the hell cares. If I had the choice I would probably like an E170, if only for the forward lav and 2 galleys. That said, I get paid more to fly my CRJ then they get to fly thier e170, and that is the biggest determiner for me.
As for the overheards, the 170 is MUCH better when it is NOT FULL, but when it is full it takes just about the same amount of time to get your bags and board as it would to just throw the bags in back, but the convenience factor is still there, so I would say vote goes to the emb. No one can deny it is a more comfortable airplane, but more and more it seems the RP "Mainline" pilots I talk to are just cocky as all can be and need to realize that just because you fly an E170 for regional rates doesn't make you a step above the rest. For the cool RP guys, sorry to write this, you know who you are and I am guessing a lot of you have seen the same things I have.
Oh yeah, MESA SUCKS.