Bloomberg has reported three US airlines plan to remove seatback screens from most narrowbody aircraft in their domestic fleets, the news source said.
American Airlines, United Airlines, and Alaska Air say they are removing screens from medium-range Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft. American and United will keep seatback screens on some cross-country flights between New York and Los Angeles or San Francisco. United is also retaining screens in Boeing 737s that it acquired in the merger with Continental in 2010, and offering free live DirecTV service.
Southwest Airlines has never equipped its Boeing 737s with seatback screens and has no plans to start. Delta and JetBlue currently plan to retain on-demand seatback entertainment.
Because most travelers carry electronic devices, fewer airlines have seatback screens. Taking the screens out of seats means carriers don´t have to buy or maintain the hardware; planes are lighter and more fuel efficient; and seats can be made thinner.
Earlier this year, American Airlines installed satellite connectivity on its entire fleet of domestic narrowbodies and now offers no-buffering, high-speed Wi-Fi and live TV on more aircraft than any other airline. The carrier is installing USB power outlets and tablet holders at every seat across its mainline fleet.
