Jan 25, 2017, 11:54 am
Last edit by: JDiver
AA IFE Free WiFi Streaming to App on Personal Devices
AA announced on 24 Jan 2017 that, as 90% of passengers are flying with personal devices with screens capable of WiFi use, free WiFi streaming of music and movies in some domestic / narrowbody aircraft mid-2016. This streaming is currently available on a subset of AA aircraft, and is being expanded.
As of the new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft due to arrive in 2017, seatback IFE will be substituted by free, streaming high-quality movies and music from an on board server.
As well, much of AA current GoGo based WiFi internet (using cellular telephony technology) will change to (paid) ViaSat satellite Ku band WiFi internet providing access speedy enough it will allow video streaming. This transition will be finished in 2019.
Both will be available from gate to gate.
Seatback IFE monitors will be retained on
- Airbus A321T three Class aircraft
- Airbus A330
- Airbus A350
- Boeing 777
- Boeing 787
"Other key things to remember:
- This year we take delivery of 40 current-generation Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 aircraft. They will arrive with seatback monitors and power at every seat
- By the summer of 2018 we will have completed installation of the faster satellite-based Wi-Fi on half of our narrowbodies, with all of them done by the end of 2019
- We expect 50 percent of our domestic narrowbody aircraft to be equipped with power at every seat by the end of 2018, and over 85 percent equipped by the end of 2020"
Free WiFi Streaming IFE on Personal Devices (with App) 08/2016, expansion
Aug 30, 2016, 2:50 am
#31
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Sep 6, 2016, 3:02 pm
#32
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I was on LGA-MSP on a republic E175 yesterday and while the WiFi worked fine, I could not find any movies or TV content and I know how to look for this stuff. Why would this plane not have any video/tv entertainment on the WiFi?
Sep 6, 2016, 5:01 pm
#33
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From what I understand, the in-flight streaming is coming from a server on-board the AC. While you need to connect to Gogo to access it, the streaming is actually done from on the plane, so wifi speeds don't affect the quality.
The announcement about "free" entertainment is a bit misleading. Planes with seatback tvs have free entertainment, but I don't think the planes without seatback tvs (and have media servers) offer free entertainment.
The announcement about "free" entertainment is a bit misleading. Planes with seatback tvs have free entertainment, but I don't think the planes without seatback tvs (and have media servers) offer free entertainment.
Sep 6, 2016, 5:08 pm
#34
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From what I understand, the in-flight streaming is coming from a server on-board the AC. While you need to connect to Gogo to access it, the streaming is actually done from on the plane, so wifi speeds don't affect the quality.
The announcement about "free" entertainment is a bit misleading. Planes with seatback tvs have free entertainment, but I don't think the planes without seatback tvs (and have media servers) offer free entertainment.
The announcement about "free" entertainment is a bit misleading. Planes with seatback tvs have free entertainment, but I don't think the planes without seatback tvs (and have media servers) offer free entertainment.
Sep 6, 2016, 5:09 pm
#35
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Looks like it's consistently loading 2-3 movies and 2-3 shows on the LUS transcon A321s for me. Was able to watch two movies back to SFO from Charlotte yesterday afternoon; same with flight out Thurs evening and two more the week before
as others have said, you have to connect to gogo inflight and open browser on your phone or device. Then click entertainment, make your selection, and if you don't have the right app it'll prompt you to download it first
as others have said, you have to connect to gogo inflight and open browser on your phone or device. Then click entertainment, make your selection, and if you don't have the right app it'll prompt you to download it first
Sep 6, 2016, 7:39 pm
#36
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From what I understand, the in-flight streaming is coming from a server on-board the AC. While you need to connect to Gogo to access it, the streaming is actually done from on the plane, so wifi speeds don't affect the quality.
The announcement about "free" entertainment is a bit misleading. Planes with seatback tvs have free entertainment, but I don't think the planes without seatback tvs (and have media servers) offer free entertainment.
The announcement about "free" entertainment is a bit misleading. Planes with seatback tvs have free entertainment, but I don't think the planes without seatback tvs (and have media servers) offer free entertainment.
But yes, my Republic flight also only had wifi, no shows. Must be a Republic issue.
Sep 6, 2016, 7:57 pm
#37
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they most definitely do. The old LUS planes without seatback TV's still have movies available. What's free this week on every route that doesn't have seatback TV's is Keanu, Zoolander 2, Nice Guys and some other ones. Maybe 4 movies and 2 shows or so.
But yes, my Republic flight also only had wifi, no shows. Must be a Republic issue.
But yes, my Republic flight also only had wifi, no shows. Must be a Republic issue.
Sep 20, 2016, 3:06 pm
#38
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I tried out the in-flight streaming IFE this weekend and not all movies/TV were free, I thought they were, no? It was trying to charge me $5 for the movie Neighbors 2.....did I miss something?
Sep 20, 2016, 3:56 pm
#39
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I went to access the free entertainment the other day and was directed to download the app while on my ipad. When doing this, I actually was able to get free internet to check e-mails and browse the web (albeit slow to browse). It went away after 15 minutes or so but when I went back to "download the app" I was given the free internet again.
Sep 20, 2016, 4:56 pm
#40
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Sep 22, 2016, 5:00 am
#41
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Over the weekend I was on PHL-PBI and it did have the streaming to your personal device with a gogo app (not AA). I also thought they were all to be paid for, until I looked closer and realized there were about 5 movies for free. It is there, you just have to see it and really it is not hidden. It worked well. You do not have to pay for Wifi for these movies.
Oct 6, 2016, 2:27 pm
#43
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Does anyone know what they mean by "the latest version of the American Airlines app"? I assumed the mobile app (where you see upcoming flights, etc) at first, but they mention this app is for phones, tablets and laptops. I haven't tried to stream on the plane in a long time so I'm probably just out of the loop on this... Regardless I don't see anything about streaming on the mobile app, last I remember it was accessing through a browser.
-While in the air and when Wi-Fi was enabled on the plane, I connected to gogo.
-Then, opened a browser and it automatically took me to a landing page to accept the terms and conditions
-Then, the web page automatically redirected to another landing page with various offers of paid Wi-Fi with the section for the Entertainment at the bottom of this same web page
-After clicking on the Entertainment link, the Entertainment page had several entertainment options (movies, shows and etc.) to pay for and then a section in the middle that had complimentary content.
-When you click on any of the complimentary selections, then it prompts you to whether continue to the video via your browser or via the AA app.
-I chose to default the playing of video via the AA app so future selections on the Entertainment page prompted the AA app to play the video.
Prior to the above steps, nowhere in the app did it tell you how to access the streaming IFE. I was looking for a specific section to see how I can browse to it, but the trick was to use the browser to do all of the navigating and the AA app to just show the video. I suppose the browser could've also played the video, too, but I decided to use the AA app that worked out well.
Like I said above, you can use different programs to view entertainment. I did not install the gogo app and was able to use the AA app per the steps above. I probably could've used the gogo app, but it would've been a useless additional app for me.
Jan 24, 2017, 3:12 pm
#44
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AA internal memorandum release, as quoted by Runway Girl Network (link) 24 Jan 2017:
"We know in-flight entertainment is important to our customers, which is why we’ve committed to offering free, streaming high-quality movies and music, and to investing in fast satellite-based Internet access and power at every seat across our domestic fleet.
Entertainment and connection options like these are the future of in-flight entertainment, which is why we’ve decided that our new Boeing 737 MAX will arrive later this year without seatback video screens.
More than 90 percent of our passengers already bring a device or screen with them when they fly. Those phones and tablets are continually upgraded, they’re easy to use, and most importantly they are the technology that our customers have chosen. So it makes sense for American to focus on giving customers the best entertainment and fast connection options rather than installing seatback monitors that will be obsolete within a few years.
Every customer with a phone, tablet or laptop will be able to watch free movies and TV shows from our extensive on-board library, as well as free live television channels, all without purchasing an in-flight Internet connection.
For those who want to pay to get online, the high-speed, satellite-based Internet access* we are installing on the MAX and other aircraft is so fast that everyone on the plane can stream Netflix, Amazon, and other video-on-demand, as well as text and surf the web over a connection that’s just as fast as what they have in their homes.
Both our free streaming library as well as satellite Internet connections will work from gate-to-gate.
While streaming entertainment is an increasingly good option for domestic flights, seat-back screens will continue to be important to customers flying internationally. Our widebodies will continue to have seatback screens, and some of our narrowbodies used for specific flights will also keep their seatback screens. We’ll keep seatback monitors on Boeing 777s, 787s, Airbus A330s, and our A350s, which begin arriving next year. We’re also committed to seat-back screens on our three-class A321s.
Other key things to remember:
"We know in-flight entertainment is important to our customers, which is why we’ve committed to offering free, streaming high-quality movies and music, and to investing in fast satellite-based Internet access and power at every seat across our domestic fleet.
Entertainment and connection options like these are the future of in-flight entertainment, which is why we’ve decided that our new Boeing 737 MAX will arrive later this year without seatback video screens.
More than 90 percent of our passengers already bring a device or screen with them when they fly. Those phones and tablets are continually upgraded, they’re easy to use, and most importantly they are the technology that our customers have chosen. So it makes sense for American to focus on giving customers the best entertainment and fast connection options rather than installing seatback monitors that will be obsolete within a few years.
Every customer with a phone, tablet or laptop will be able to watch free movies and TV shows from our extensive on-board library, as well as free live television channels, all without purchasing an in-flight Internet connection.
For those who want to pay to get online, the high-speed, satellite-based Internet access* we are installing on the MAX and other aircraft is so fast that everyone on the plane can stream Netflix, Amazon, and other video-on-demand, as well as text and surf the web over a connection that’s just as fast as what they have in their homes.
Both our free streaming library as well as satellite Internet connections will work from gate-to-gate.
While streaming entertainment is an increasingly good option for domestic flights, seat-back screens will continue to be important to customers flying internationally. Our widebodies will continue to have seatback screens, and some of our narrowbodies used for specific flights will also keep their seatback screens. We’ll keep seatback monitors on Boeing 777s, 787s, Airbus A330s, and our A350s, which begin arriving next year. We’re also committed to seat-back screens on our three-class A321s.
Other key things to remember:
This year we take delivery of 40 current-generation Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 aircraft. They will arrive with seatback monitors and power at every seat
By the summer of 2018 we will have completed installation of the faster satellite-based Wi-Fi on half of our narrowbodies, with all of them done by the end of 2019
We expect 50 percent of our domestic narrowbody aircraft to be equipped with power at every seat by the end of 2018, and over 85 percent equipped by the end of 2020
*ViaSat Ka band internet (streaming music and movies via onboard server, independently from ViaSat internet)
By the summer of 2018 we will have completed installation of the faster satellite-based Wi-Fi on half of our narrowbodies, with all of them done by the end of 2019
We expect 50 percent of our domestic narrowbody aircraft to be equipped with power at every seat by the end of 2018, and over 85 percent equipped by the end of 2020
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 26, 2017 at 10:09 am
Jan 24, 2017, 3:12 pm
#45
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This is a pAAthetic, cheAAp, and stupid decision. Though not at all surprising with Discount Dougie at the helm. When AA's service and reliability is totally sub-par, they should chomp at the bit at anything that gives them a competitive advantage. Thus, very little reason to remain loyal to this LCC.