Almost a decade after ditching seatback screens on its narrowbody aircraft, American Airlines could be close to bringing them back.
Citing a source with knowledge of the matter, CNBC reported Thursday that American could make a final decision on returning screens to narrowbody cabins as early as April. The carrier is reportedly feeling pressure from new premium products being rolled out by rivals United and Delta, which include screens and access to streaming content.
Both United and Delta already have seatback screens on many of their single-aisle aircraft. American went a different direction and began removing screens from its narrowbody jets in 2017, reasoning that customers would rather use their own phones, laptop computers, or tablets for entertainment. Foregoing screens also reduced the weight of the aircraft, which translated to savings over time.
It was not clear how many American narrowbody aircraft could get new seatback screens, or how long installations would take.
American did not immediately reply to a request for comment on its plans.
Wi-Fi Discussions
CNBC also reported that American is in talks with Starlink and Amazon for high-speed wireless internet.
CEO Robert Isom confirmed in December that American was considering partnering with Amazon Leo, which is building a network of thousands of low Earth orbit satellites to provide internet for subscribers, but he declined to comment further, and the matter has not been raised for the past couple of months.
Additionally, American is reportedly looking at partnering with Amazon for in-flight content, which could include access to Amazon Prime, Amazon Music, and the company’s online shopping platform.
The airline already has an agreement with Apple that provides access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music.
