According to some major airlines, seat-back screens have outlived their usefulness on short- and medium-haul routes. The mobile device revolution is clearly having an impact on the world of inflight entertainment, and the changes are just beginning.
The real future of inflight entertainment
If you’re old enough to remember when the only options for entertainment on a flight were a few fixed CRT monitors throughout the cabin that played pre-determined content mired with static, then the first time you experienced a dedicated seat-back entertainment system was likely a revelation to you. For a while this seemed like the future of inflight entertainment—a personal screen filled with options that you could toggle between at your leisure—but the dominance of mobile devices has ushered in a new era for passengers.
When almost every passenger brings their own mobile device on board, and almost all flights now have WiFi capability, what’s the point of spending money to install seat-back screens? Major airlines are asking themselves this very question right now, and some of them are making significant policy decisions that will alter the course of inflight entertainment.
Moving away from setback screens
American Airlines is one carrier that has already answered the question. Their newest fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were ordered without seat-back screens, signaling a notable departure from the previous direction of inflight entertainment. The logic behind the move is fairly simple when you think about it. According to AA representatives, more than 90% of all passengers now bring a personal screen on the plane, and these screens are often of better quality than those installed in the seat-backs. Add to this the fact that passengers are more comfortable using the software installed on their own mobile device, and this looks more and more like a move that both improves the inflight passenger experience plus saves money for the airlines.
Some other major carriers haven’t exactly followed suit in terms of phasing out the seat-back screens, but they are taking steps to personalize the inflight entertainment streaming options for passengers. Delta, for one, has been promoting their Delta Studio option, which allows passengers to stream selected entertainment content directly to their personal device without paying to access the onboard WiFi.
Choosing entertainment accessories for your next flight
Whether you’re flying on an airline that has removed seat-back screens or not, you may want to think about bringing a personal mobile screen on your next flight. The Amazon Fire HD 8 is an excellent option for a tablet, with a high-quality 8-inch display that is large enough for adults yet feasible for most children to hold. It’s also inexpensive, and Amazon frequently offers additional discounts if you watch closely.
If you want the full power of a laptop so you can work and stream, consider a Google Chromebook such as this option from Acer. These affordable notebooks give you enough options to get you through your flight without veering into the larger sizes and price tags that accompany full-powered laptops.
Don’t forget, if you’re going to watch movies and shows on your own device you need good quality headphones; your standard earbuds won’t cut it with the added plane noise in the background. You can spend a fortune on these if you so desire, but Samsung makes a pair of Bluetooth-enabled headphones that produce consistent sound and won’t break the bank.
