American Airlines is bringing back seatback entertainment screens on all seats in its narrow-body aircraft, reversing a years-long industry trend of removing the feature to cut costs. The move includes both new planes scheduled for delivery in 2028 and retrofitting existing jets. This decision follows growing passenger demand for reliable in-flight entertainment, especially as streaming on personal devices has been hampered by inconsistent Wi-Fi quality and connectivity issues on many flights.
Delta and United have maintained or expanded seatback screens in recent years, with United installing 13-inch TVs in economy class on its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners since 2022 as part of its "Good Leads the Way" service upgrade. Alaska Airlines has also begun adding screens to its mainline fleet for the first time. Mike Taylor of JD Power noted that while airlines initially believed most passengers preferred using their own devices, technical limitations made the experience unreliable. Gary Leff, an airline expert, said American felt it could not compete for premium travelers without matching rivals' entertainment offerings.
American Airlines spent years dismantling seatback screens to save money, only to now commit to reinstalling them at significant cost. The reversal suggests the airline miscalculated how much passengers value guaranteed access to entertainment over reliance on spotty Wi-Fi. Competitors who retained or upgraded screens gained an edge in the battle for customer loyalty.
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