In a Big Pivot, Seat-Back Screens Are Returning at American Airlines
Seat-back entertainment will soon return for all passengers on domestic American Airlines flights, marking what industry experts say is a sharp departure from the company’s previous strategy.
On Tuesday, the airline announced that every seat on its narrow-body planes — single-aisle aircraft typically used for domestic flights — will be equipped with seat-back screens, including all new Airbus and Boeing planes, as well as retrofitted planes, starting in 2028.
The airline promises large-format displays with expanded content and tailored movie recommendations. And passengers can scrap the old wired earbuds, because these screens will also connect via Bluetooth to their wireless headphones.
The decision is a “sharp U-turn in strategy” for the airline and is part of a broader effort to redefine its customer experience, said Ben Mutzabaugh, the managing editor of the travel website The Points Guy.
Mr. Mutzabaugh said it seemed the airline was trying to catch up with rivals Delta and United airlines, which have better positioned themselves as “premium” airlines and have seen soaring profits.
“Today, there’s little to differentiate American’s screenless economy cabins from those of a no-frills budget airline,” Mr. Mutzabaugh said. “Seat-back screens — coupled with the airline’s other service upgrades — are part of a bigger effort by American to get back in the game as a true full-service carrier.”
For a long time, American had screens in economy seats. But in 2018, a few years after its merger with U.S. Airways, American began phasing out screens on short-haul aircraft in favor of content offerings that passengers could stream from their personal devices.
Industry experts said the larger shift away from screens was a way to cut the cost of technology upgrades and the additional weight, which burns more fuel. American currently offers seat-back screens on its wide-body planes, used mainly for long-haul international flights and some transcontinental flights. A small number of the company’s narrow-body Airbus planes also offer seat-back screens.
An airline spokeswoman acknowledged the change and said that removing seat-back entertainment seemed appropriate at the time, as personal devices had become more ubiquitous.
Particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, the spokeswoman said, “it has become increasingly clear” that passengers, especially younger generations, value access to multiple devices and larger screens.
Wider changes in American’s customer experience include upgrades to airport lounges and a goal to increase premium seating to 40 percent, up from about 25 percent, the announcement said. In 2027, the airline plans to install Starlink, which is much faster than standard airline Wi-Fi. The satellite service is also being adopted by United, which as of June offered the service on 400 planes and expects that number to reach 1,000 before the end of the year.
“We’re making one of the most significant investments in the onboard experience in our history,” Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, said in the announcement.
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