Airlines Consider Getting Rid of In-Flight Entertainment–But Should They?
Joe Cortez October 10, 2019
Shutterstock/GagliardiPhotography
Every so often, the topic of in-flight entertainment comes up, and both flyers and airlines ask if they are necessary. With many dropping them for domestic and regional operations, some carriers are doubling-down on their entertainment investment. Flyers are left with the debate of letting them go the way of other archaic products or considering whether or not they may have value yet.
In-flight entertainment screens can be a boom or bust play. At best, they let you catch up on HBO from three seasons ago; At worst, they provide a dark reflection of your current life, making you question why you thought basic economy was a good buy when you knew your seat assignment would end in “B” or “E.”
Regardless of how you feel about them, airlines have a strange relationship with the little screens that provide passengers with a selection of movies and television programs. Gone are the days when you could plug headphones into the seat and listen to air traffic control on United Airlines’ Channel 9. Now, airlines want to entertain you with a customized entertainment experience. And, if you fly domestic, that will require you to use your own device, airline app, and battery life.
According to Bloomberg, three major American carriers will remove the screens entirely from their domestic fleets. United will join two airlines that recently announced a loyalty split–Alaska Airlines and American Airlines–in removing the screens from the majority of their domestic Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 airframes. In doing so, all three will share something in common with Southwest Airlines: all in-flight entertainment will be delivered via in-flight Wi-Fi to personal devices.
The trend of removing screens isn’t limited to the United States. Simple Flying reports that international carriers including Etihad Airways, Qantas, and Virgin Australia have all pulled in-flight entertainment on narrow-body regional aircraft. The incentives are clear for operators: fewer screens mean less hardware, resulting in lighter aircraft that have better fuel efficiency, leading to lower costs.
In-flight entertainment screens–and their optional features–can also create trouble for flyers. In 2015, one flyer claimed he was banned from flying due to “hacking” 20 in-flight entertainment systems and allegedly using them to gain access to the aircraft controls. More recently, a 24-year-old woman gave her account of sexual harassment through the in-flight entertainment chat aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight to CNN. Although the behavior was addressed by flight attendants, the damage was already done. The flyer said the experience was “Exhausting and it makes you feel unsafe.”
BYO Tablet?
For airlines, the potential solution rests squarely on flyers. Data from American Airlines shared with Bloomberg suggests travelers often carry two devices with them when they travel: a smartphone and a larger personal device, like a tablet or laptop computer. And passengers often tell American they would rather have more power outlets than screens at every seat.
With American and others dropping screens, their goal is to improve wireless internet connectivity to improve the customer experience. Through faster internet access, travelers can still watch their favorite films and television programs, or have the luxury of working or playing at 30,000 feet. Shopping is also a draw for some flyers, and carriers like JetBlue and others offer incentives for those who make purchases on Amazon while aboard their flights.
But one of the core problems in this plan is one created by those same airlines: shrinking seat pitch. With between 30 and 32 inches of space between the back of one seat and front of another, using a regular-sized laptop aboard a flight can be uncomfortable in of itself. Even with improved Wi-Fi connections, 30 inches of space is not enough to use a 15-inch laptop to work or watch movies.
Hack the Hangar
Not all airlines are sold on dropping in-flight entertainment from their customer experience plans. In 2018, WestJet invited flyers to meet with some of the world’s largest tech companies for what they called “Hack in the Hangar:” A summit intended to brainstorm new angles to in-flight entertainment. And at the end of 2018, Delta Air Lines committed seatback screens, investing more resources in their entertainment arm, Delta Flight Products. Delta and JetBlue see the move as a way to differentiate themselves from discount carriers and their legacy competition.
If all else fails, flyers can always fall back on the “Survival Guide for IFE Emergencies,” where fellow FlyerTalkers offer alternatives to watching the video screens in front of them. Some of our favorite suggestions include: “Learn to read a foreign language by figuring out the relationship between English and other languages on the safety card,” “Ask a flight attendant for extra pillows and blankets and build a fort,” and “Memorize [Oneworld] routes from the magazine and add helpful future route suggestions with a red pen.” As with everything on airplanes, try these suggestions at your own risk.
[Image: Shutterstock/GagliardiPhotography]
You’re Reading
Easy solution. Bring a book. That's what I do on every flight. No need to worry about power, WiFi, etc.
According to that idiot, Doug Parker, who claimed AA did a study of key frequent flyers, who said, they prefer to use their own devices! In reality, he didn't want to spend the money to put them in or maintain them, plus reducing weight. As an Exec Plat, and the numerous other people I discussed this with, not one said they would prefer to use their on device. Who wants to use a 4: screen, when you can have a 12' screen? Not to mention, wasting my battery power that I need to work, unless of course, I go to the trouble of digging out my cords, etc. Also, it is a hassle to get connected. It is far my convenient to please the customer by continuing to offer the screens! The sooner Parker is gone the better the industry will be!
I was in a paid first class seat on AA from PHX-SFO. Luckily, it was a short flight. No seat back entertainment, no power plug for my device which I didn't want to use anyway. End of a long day and no power at my seat. Unforgivable. Also I was on Viasat on an AA transcon flight and now I'm getting so many spam (sex related) emails. They go into my spam folder but still. It was the only time I have been on an unsecured network, as I am 100% on password protected servers. What's up with that? I was only on Outlook but jeez, what a pain. Coincidence, doesn't seem like it.
I really agree with c1ue! This is more than a little bit “let them eat cake”; there are still people who don’t use smartphones, tablets or laptops. husband has button phone. thankful, it is the only think safe these days. my phone has frozen, old android. I appreciated some of the things i would not usually see on tv, have gotten rid of netflix long ago and amazon and the rest, how do you find time? Husband loves just having the seatback screen, it is a treat. we go first class just for it. Alaska, see you later, hello Delta!
I don't need these screens. I wish they were not there. They have movies that are not suitable for children, which children can't help seeing when they look around the plane. I have flown dozens of hours in the last year and the only thing I used my screen for was the flight map - and I wasn't bored. I had plenty to do on my laptop and I had things to read too.