My 7 Favorite Commercial Airplanes, From Regional Jets To Jumbo Jets

My seven favorite airplanes, in order, are the Bombardier CRJ900, the Airbus A320, the Boeing 777, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Airbus A350, the Gulfstream G700, and the Cessna Grand Caravan EX. Together they cover almost everything that flies people for a living: a 90-seat regional jet, the world’s best-selling single-aisle family, two long-haul twins, the most passenger-friendly widebody built, a 7,750 nm business jet, and a single-engine turboprop that lands on gravel.

This isn’t a ranking of the “best” aircraft by any one number. It’s a list of the planes I find most interesting to fly on, watch, and read about, with the specs that explain why. If you want the quick version, the comparison table below has all seven side by side. If you want to know what makes each one special, and what’s not so great about it, keep reading.

 

All 7 at a glance

Rank	Aircraft	Category	Typical seats	Max range (nm)	Engines	First flight
1	Bombardier CRJ900	Regional jet	76–90	1,553	2 × GE CF34-8C	2001
2	Airbus A320neo	Single-aisle airliner	150–180 (194 max)	3,400	2 × CFM LEAP-1A or P&W GTF	2014 (A320 original: 1987)
3	Boeing 777	Long-haul widebody	301–368 (3-class)	5,235–9,450 by variant	2 × GE90 / PW4000 / Trent 800	1994
4	Boeing 787-9	Long-haul widebody	~290 (2-class)	7,635	2 × GEnx or Trent 1000	2009 (787-8)
5	Airbus A350-900	Long-haul widebody	332–352 (3-class)	8,500 (9,700 ULR)	2 × Rolls-Royce Trent XWB	2013
6	Gulfstream G700	Ultra-long-range business jet	Up to 19	7,750	2 × Rolls-Royce Pearl 700	2020
7	Cessna Grand Caravan EX	Single-engine utility turboprop	9–13	912	1 × P&W Canada PT6A-140	2012 (EX); Caravan 1982

Ranges are manufacturer maximums; real-world range drops with full seats and cargo. Seat counts vary by airline layout.

#1 Bombardier CRJ900: the regional jet that punches above its size

The CRJ900 is my favorite because it does a big jet’s job on a small jet’s budget. It cruises at up to Mach 0.82, climbs to 41,000 ft, and connects small cities to big hubs on routes that could never fill an A320. It’s the plane most travelers in North America have flown without ever noticing what it was.

It’s a stretched CRJ700 with fuselage plugs added fore and aft, and it seats up to 90 in a single-class layout. Delta Connection, for example, flies it with 12 first-class, 20 Comfort+ and 38 main-cabin seats. There are no middle seats in economy: the cabin is 2-2 throughout.

Key specs

• Seats: 76–90 (up to 90 single-class)
• Range: about 1,553 nm (2,876 km)
• Cruise: Mach 0.78 standard, Mach 0.82 high-speed
• Engines: 2 × General Electric CF34-8C, mounted on the rear fuselage
• Ceiling: 41,000 ft

Why I love it: the rear-mounted engines make the front cabin quiet, the takeoff feels sporty, and the window seats sit low enough that you really see the ground. It’s also a piece of history. The program passed to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in June 2020, and the last CRJ ever built, a CRJ900, was delivered to SkyWest in February 2021.

What’s not great: the cabin is narrow and the overhead bins are small, so larger carry-ons usually get gate-checked. Standing room is tight for anyone over about 6 ft.

Where to fly it: Delta Connection (Endeavor Air, SkyWest), American Eagle (PSA Airlines), Air Canada Express and Lufthansa CityLine have all flown big CRJ900 fleets.

 

#2 Airbus A320: the workhorse that changed the cockpit

The A320 makes my list because it’s the airplane that modern short-haul flying is built around. When it entered service in 1988, it was the first airliner with digital fly-by-wire controls and a sidestick instead of a yoke. Every Airbus since, up to the A350, shares that cockpit philosophy, which is why pilots can move between Airbus types with relatively short cross-training.

Today’s version is the A320neo (“new engine option”), which first flew in 2014 and entered service with Lufthansa in 2016. Its new engines and wingtip sharklets cut fuel burn and CO₂ per seat by at least 15%, and it’s about half as loud as the original on takeoff. The neo family has passed 9,000 orders.

Key specs (A320neo)

• Seats: 150–180 typical, up to 194 in high-density layouts
• Range: up to 3,400 nm (about 6,300 km)
• Cabin width: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in), 6-abreast in economy
• Engines: 2 × CFM LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan
• Ceiling: about 39,000–41,000 ft

Why I love it: the cabin is a few inches wider than its main rival, the Boeing 737, so economy seats are a touch roomier. It can fly a 45-minute hop and a five-hour transcontinental leg with the same ease.

What’s not great: because it’s everywhere, airlines often pack it to maximum density, and on a full low-cost flight it can feel cramped. Some Pratt & Whitney-powered neos have also spent long stretches grounded for engine inspections in recent years.

Where to fly it: almost anywhere. Easy picks include easyJet, IndiGo, Lufthansa, American and Qatar Airways’ regional network.

 

#3 Boeing 777: the world’s largest twinjet

The 777 is my pick for the jumbo jet that still rules long-haul. It’s the largest twin-engine airliner ever built and the most-produced widebody in history, and it proved that two engines could do the job four used to do across oceans.

It was also the first Boeing designed with eight airlines at the table, including United, British Airways and Cathay Pacific. It first flew on June 12, 1994, and United flew the first passenger service from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles on June 7, 1995. The 777-300ER that followed in 2004 became the backbone of carriers like Emirates, which runs the world’s largest 777 fleet.

Key specs

• Seats: 301–368 in three classes (777-300ER often 350–400 in two classes)
• Range: 5,235–9,450 nm depending on variant (the 777-200LR is the long-distance champion)
• Cabin width: 5.87 m, usually 10-abreast (3-4-3) in economy
• Engines: GE90, PW4000 or Trent 800 on early models; GE90-115B only on the -300ER, -200LR and 777F

Why I love it: those GE90-115B engines. Their fan is 128 in (3.25 m) across, nearly the width of a 737’s fuselage, and they’re among the most powerful jet engines ever certified. Standing under a 777 at the gate tells you everything about its scale. The six-wheel main landing gear bogies are a giveaway on any ramp.

What’s not great: most airlines now fit 10 seats across in economy, which makes the seats narrower than on a 787 or A350. The aluminum fuselage also means a higher cabin altitude (about 8,000 ft) and drier air on long flights.

Where to fly it: Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France, United and Cathay Pacific. The next chapter, the 777-9, first flew in January 2020.

 

#4 Boeing 787 Dreamliner: the plane that makes long flights feel shorter

The 787 is on my list because it’s the airplane you feel least tired after. Its fuselage is built largely from carbon-fiber composite instead of aluminum, and that one change reshaped the cabin: Boeing pressurizes it to a 6,000 ft cabin altitude instead of the usual 8,000 ft, and keeps humidity higher because composites don’t corrode.

The result is more oxygen in your blood, less dry-eye and fewer headaches on a 12-hour flight. Boeing’s research with Oklahoma State University found that going below 6,000 ft added almost nothing, so that’s where it set the number. The 787-8 first flew in December 2009, and the stretched 787-9 has become the most popular version.

Key specs (787-9)

• Seats: about 290 in two classes
• Range: about 7,635 nm (14,140 km)
• Cabin altitude: 6,000 ft (vs about 8,000 ft on older jets)
• Engines: 2 × GE GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000
• Fuel: about 20% more efficient than the similar-sized jets it replaced

Why I love it: the windows are the biggest on any airliner, and instead of plastic shades you dim them electronically with a button. The engine chevrons (the sawtooth edges on the nacelles) make it quiet, and the swept, flexing wings are beautiful to watch in turbulence.

What’s not great: most airlines fit nine seats across in economy, so seat width is similar to a 10-abreast 777. The dimmable windows can’t go fully dark, and some cabin crews lock them all at once.

Where to fly it: Qatar Airways, ANA (the launch customer), Japan Airlines, United, British Airways and Etihad.

 

#5 Airbus A350: the quietest widebody in the sky

The A350 is Airbus’s answer to the 787, and in a few ways it beats it. It’s 53% composite by weight, it matches the 787’s low cabin altitude, and its cabin is wider. Airbus calls it the quietest twin-aisle cabin flying, and after a long-haul flight on one, I believe it.

The A350-900 first flew in June 2013 and entered service in January 2015. The longer A350-1000 is about 7 m longer and carries roughly 40 more passengers. An ultra-long-range A350-900ULR flies some of the longest nonstop routes in the world, up to 9,700 nm.

Key specs (A350-900)

• Seats: 332–352 in three classes, up to 440 maximum
• Range: about 8,500 nm standard (9,700 nm ULR version)
• Cabin width: wide enough for 18 in seats at 9-abreast
• Engines: 2 × Rolls-Royce Trent XWB (the only engine offered)
• Wingspan: 64.75 m, with curved, blended winglets

Why I love it: the “Airspace” cabin has a high ceiling and near-vertical sidewalls, so the window seat doesn’t feel like it’s leaning on you. The mood lighting can show 16.7 million colors. And from the outside, the black “raccoon mask” around the cockpit windows and those curling wingtips make it the best-looking airliner flying, in my opinion.

What’s not great: Airbus now offers a 10-abreast layout that narrows economy seats, so check the seat map before booking. Its windows are smaller than the 787’s, with ordinary pull-down shades.

Where to fly it: Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Finnair and Delta.

 

#6 Gulfstream G700: the airliner experience shrunk to 19 seats

The G700 isn’t an airliner, but it flies people commercially every day on charter, and it’s the aircraft I’d pick if money were no object. It’s Gulfstream’s flagship business jet, and it flies farther and faster than most widebodies: up to 7,750 nm at Mach 0.85, or 6,650 nm at Mach 0.90. That’s Doha to New York nonstop with room to spare.

It entered service in 2024 after a long certification campaign, during which Gulfstream actually raised its range and top speed and lowered its cabin altitude.

Key specs

• Passengers: up to 19 (typically 13–16), sleeps up to 10
• Range: 7,750 nm at Mach 0.85
• Top speed: Mach 0.935, the fastest Gulfstream ever built
• Ceiling: 51,000 ft, about 10,000 ft above most airliners
• Engines: 2 × Rolls-Royce Pearl 700

Why I love it: cruising at 51,000 ft puts it above most weather and airline traffic. It has 20 oversized oval windows, up to five living areas, and a cabin altitude lower than many airliners. It’s a showcase of what aviation tech can do when the budget allows.

What’s not great: the price. New ones list in the region of $80 million, and charter runs well over $10,000 per flight hour. It’s also a tough sell on emissions per passenger.

Where to fly it: private charter brokers and jet-card programs. You’ll also spot them parked on the business aviation ramps at big hubs like Doha, Dubai, London Luton and Teterboro.

 

#7 Cessna Grand Caravan EX: the small plane that goes where jets can’t

The Grand Caravan EX closes my list because it’s the most honest airplane on it. One engine, a high wing, fixed landing gear, and room for up to 13 passengers or a cabin full of cargo. Regional airlines, charter operators and cargo carriers all fly it, and it reaches islands, bush strips and mountain towns that no jet on this list could land at.

The original Caravan first flew in 1982. The EX version, introduced in 2012, swapped in a much stronger Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine and Garmin G1000 NXi avionics, which sharply improved its climb and hot-day performance.

Key specs

• Passengers: 9–13 depending on layout
• Range: up to 912 nm with the cargo pod
• Max cruise: about 185 knots
• Engine: 1 × P&W Canada PT6A-140, 867 shp, with a 4-blade propeller
• Ceiling: 25,000 ft

Why I love it: it lands on gravel, grass, snow and, with amphibious floats, water. Flying in one, you sit close to the pilots, see out the front window and watch the landscape a few thousand feet below instead of from 37,000 ft. Every trip feels like an adventure.

What’s not great: it’s unpressurized, so it stays low and you feel every bump. It’s slower than anything else here, and a single engine means operators need strict maintenance and procedures, even though the PT6 has an excellent reliability record.

Where to fly it: island hoppers in the Caribbean, seaplane operators on floats, bush operators in Alaska and Africa, and cargo feeder networks that move packages between small towns and big hubs.

 

How I picked these 7 (and who just missed out)

I chose one aircraft for each kind of flying that moves people for a living, then ranked them by how much I enjoy them. That’s why the list runs from a 9-seat turboprop to a 368-seat twinjet. Three things decided the order:

1. The passenger experience: cabin altitude, noise, seat width and windows.
2. The engineering story: what the plane did first, or better than anything before it.
3. The “wow” factor: how it looks, sounds and feels from the window seat or the terminal glass.

It’s a personal list, so the order is about affection, not a verdict on which aircraft is objectively best. A cost-per-seat ranking, for example, would look completely different.

Honorable mentions:

• Boeing 747: the original Queen of the Skies and the first true jumbo jet. It only missed out because few airlines still fly it on passenger routes.
• Airbus A380: the largest passenger jet ever built, and still a joy on Emirates and Qatar Airways. It lost out to the twinjets that replaced it.
• Airbus A220: the quietest single-aisle cabin I know, and a worthy heir to the CRJ.
• De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400: the fastest regional turboprop, and a close rival to the Caravan for my seventh spot.

 

Frequently asked questions

What is the most comfortable commercial airplane for long flights?

The Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 are the most comfortable long-haul jets for most passengers. Both have composite fuselages that allow a 6,000 ft cabin altitude and higher humidity, which reduces fatigue and jet lag. Seat width still depends on the airline’s layout, so check the seat map.

 

Is the Boeing 777 a jumbo jet?

Strictly speaking, “jumbo jet” refers to the Boeing 747, and the A380 is often called a superjumbo. The 777 is commonly called a jumbo twin because it’s the largest twin-engine airliner, carrying 300 to 400 passengers.

 

What’s the difference between the A320 and the A320neo?

The A320neo is the “new engine option” version. It has newer CFM LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines and sharklet wingtips, which cut fuel burn per seat by at least 15% and halve takeoff noise. The cabin and cockpit are essentially the same.

 

Is a Gulfstream a commercial airplane?

A Gulfstream is a business jet, not an airliner, but many fly commercially as charter aircraft. That’s why I included the G700: you can book a seat on one, just at a much higher price than an airline ticket.

 

Is the Cessna Grand Caravan safe?

The Grand Caravan has a long service record with regional airlines, cargo carriers and charter operators worldwide. Its PT6A engine family is known for high reliability. Like any single-engine aircraft, safety depends heavily on the operator’s maintenance and pilot training.

 

Is the CRJ900 still being built?

No. The last CRJ, a CRJ900, was delivered to SkyWest Airlines in February 2021. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries owns the program and supports the existing fleet, which still flies thousands of regional flights every day.