When it comes to in-flight entertainment and seatback screens, American has some catching up to do. But if it executes on its newly-announced in-flight entertainment overhaul, the airline might be at the top of the tech heap.
In a release Tuesday, AA said that starting in 2028, all new American planes will be put into service with “industry-leading” screens (Delta and United's screens both top out at 11 and 10 inches, respectively) that will be 4K and include Bluetooth audio connectivity at every seat. The new setup will also change with the times, swapping USB-A for USB-C charging ports.
Along with the rollout, American promised to update the content travelers see on said screens with “new experiences and partnerships.” Like Delta's Sync program, American's revamped system promises a more personalized entertainment screen, “enhanced flight maps with destination information and real-time flight insights” … and likely a few targeted advertisements.
This new strategy will coincide nicely with American's switch to Starlink high-speed internet starting in 2027, too.
American's long-haul fleet already has in-flight entertainment screens, but these updates will focus on the airline's narrowbody fleet – the planes flying in and around the U.S. and Caribbean every day. According to American, not only will all new planes get this tech starting in 2028, but all retrofitted planes undergoing cabin overhauls will get it, too.
This process is likely to take years before there's a screen at every seat on AA flights, which is an especially tough pill to swallow, considering American removed seatback screens from its planes nearly a decade ago. At the time, the airline was betting that travelers would prefer to watch content on their own devices and hoped that the reduced weight (of the screens) would help the airline save on fuel costs. This proved to be a costly miscalculation, as competitors like Delta and United have doubled down on seatback entertainment in recent years, allowing both carriers to capitalize on the premium travel boom that's taken hold in the meantime.
Only time will tell if this pivot is too little, too late for AA …
More First Class & Extra Legroom Seats
American also touted some changes coming to the first class and Main Cabin Extra cabins on its narrowbody planes – namely that there will be more of both – in Tuesday's announcement.
The airline said it's retrofitting its Airbus A319 and A320 fleets to add another row of First Class, increasing capacity by four seats per flight on those aircraft. (The A319s and some A320s only have three rows of First Class right now.)
The airline's new Boeing 737 Max 10 aircraft will boast 24 First Class seats, as will the new Airbus A321neos.
American also promised to “expand” the Main Cabin Extra cabin, but did not put a number on what that means. These seats come with industry-standard perks for extra legroom economy seats, including earlier boarding, dedicated bin space, and a free beverage on board.
In total, American says it plans to have about 40% of its planes be Main Cabin Extra or First Class, while it currently sits at 25%.
Bottom Line
American Airlines announced plans to overhaul its narrowbody cabins, adding more premium seats and a new in-flight entertainment system at every seat.
The plan would install large 4K screens at every seat that can be paired with Bluetooth headphones and would increase the number of extra-legroom or First Class seats by 15% starting in 2028.
