American Airlines to restore TV screens on domestic flights

American Airlines is restoring seatback TV screens on its domestic fleet as part of a wider investment in its aircraft cabins.

The carrier will equip its narrowbody fleet with seatback screens at every seat on all new Airbus and Boeing aircraft deliveries starting in 2028, as well as on retrofitted aircraft.

It already has more than 140 long-haul aircraft that feature seatback screens.

It means that American Airlines passengers connecting from transatlantic flights, as well as those transferring from flights with partner airline British Airways, will start to see the seatback screens on flights within the US.

American Airlines will also offer passengers access to a “broad selection of movies, TV, music, games and content” plus USB-C fast charging ports and Bluetooth audio connectivity.

The full fleet installation expected to be complete by early next decade.  

American will also be installing Starlink for Wi-Fi connections on narrowbody aircraft beginning in 2027.

The BBC said the upgrades are “reversing a years-long strategy of removing them from most US routes”.

“Its move follows years of complaints from passengers, who said that relying on personal devices left them with drained batteries, awkward viewing angles, and patchy Wi-Fi,” said the BBC.

It noted that competitors such Delta and United have invested “heavily” in onboard entertainment while JetBlue has kept seatback TVs.  

The investment from American will also see more First Class and Main Cabin Extra seats across its narrowbody fleet.

Currently, premium seating is about 25% of seats on narrowbody departures and in the coming years, that number will grow to about 40%.