Could airlines soon get rid of seat-back screens?


If that little black screen installed a few precious inches from your face is the only thing that keeps you from losing your mind every time you buckle in for a long flight, you're in for some bad news: Last month, American Airlines announced it won't be installing seat-back entertainment systems on its new Boeing 737 planes — about 100 new passenger jets it plans to have in use by the end of the year.
And that might just be the beginning: "Most aviation watchers expect that the technology will become obsolete at some point in the coming years, as more people fly with their own devices," The Economist reports.
American Airlines says about 90 percent of passengers now carry their own smartphone or tablet with them on every flight. The screens cost about $3 million to install per jetliner, and the added weight from wiring and bulkier seats — which together can add as much as 600 extra pounds per plane — makes the aircraft less fuel-efficient. Instead, the airline's new fleet will include power outlets and free access to an online library of movies and shows during the flight — as long as you pay for the Wi-Fi, about $16 plus tax for the day.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kelly Gonsalves is a sex and culture writer exploring love, lust, identity, and feminism. Her work has appeared at Bustle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and more, and she previously worked as an associate editor for The Week. She's obsessed with badass ladies doing badass things, wellness movements, and very bad rom-coms.
-
Shohei Ohtani is caught in a financial controversy — again
In the Spotlight The controversy concerns Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo
-
A descent into academic Hell, a ferocious feminist fable and the adult debut of a beloved children's author
The Week Recommends August books include R.F. Kuang's 'Katabasis,' Xenobe Purvis' 'The Hounding' and Louis Sachar's 'The Magician of Tiger Castle'
-
What is an upside-down car loan and how do you get out of it?
the explainer This happens when the outstanding balance on a car loan exceeds the vehicle's worth
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages