Touring Mitsubishi's SpaceJet M100, an Extra-Roomy 76-Seater
Mitsubishi rebranded its regional jet just ahead of the 2019 Paris Air Show, and we had a chance to tour the manufacturer's new "SpaceJet" at the event itself — well, a cabin mock-up, at least.
No, this new plane doesn't fly at far higher altitudes, and it certainly won't be leaving earth's atmosphere. Mitsubishi's landed on the name to emphasize the cabin's spacious feel, with two variants. There's the larger M90, which we've previously toured as the "Mitsubishi Regional Jet," and a smaller version, the M100, which is far more likely to appeal to carriers in the US.
The manufacturer doesn't yet have an M100 prototype to show off, but there was a cabin mock-up available at the show, giving journalists and potential airline customers a feel for what to expect.
The M100 would fit in between the Airbus A220-100, now flying with Delta, with 109 seats, and smaller regional jets, such as United's upcoming 50-seat CRJ550.
The plane will be available in a variety of seating arrangements, though a US airline pilot agreement, known as the "scope clause," generally limits regional jet configurations to 76 seats for US-based carriers, represented by the three-class configuration below.
Of course, just how much space you'll get is up to the airlines — a seat width of 18.5 inches is standard, but carriers can choose to add or remove pitch depending on how many passengers they hope to accommodate.
TPG's 5-foot-7-inch global news editor Emily McNutt had a chance to try out a few different seating configurations, starting with what Mitsubishi is calling "Premium Economy Class" — essentially regular coach, but with far more legroom.
33 inches of pitch is what you're most likely to find in that extra-legroom section, as Emily models below.
31 inches is a common single-class economy configuration — the legroom below would enable airlines to offer 84 seats in an all-coach plane.
29 inches would be noticeably tighter, meanwhile, but allows for an extra row of seats — an option low-cost carriers may prefer.
The M100 has a range of 1,910 nautical miles, or about 2,200 miles — enough to handle just about any regional jet route flying within North America today. While Mitsubishi has yet to announce any orders, the company is reportedly in discussions with a US carrier, and expects to have a final aircraft ready by 2023.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month