American Airlines to add seatback screens, more first class seats
American Airlines plans to install 4K seatback screens and increase premium seating across its fleet starting in 2028 to compete with rivals like Delta and United. This shift marks a reversal of the airline's previous strategy of relying on passenger-owned devices for entertainment.
Why it matters
The move highlights the competitive pressure on legacy airlines to improve passenger experience and capture higher-margin revenue through premium cabin offerings.
American Airlines is finally giving a green light to seatback screens as the carrier works to close a profit gap with rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines . But customers will have to wait a little while.
The new screens, which will feature 4K displays, will start appearing with new deliveries from Boeing and Airbus in 2028. The airline will also retrofit aircraft so passengers in all cabins will be able to use the screens and other additions like Bluetooth audio pairing and USB-C charging.
American has been "seriously considering" the technology, along with a major cabin revamp , for months. The company had long eschewed seatback screens, with executives contending that it wasn't worth the cost of equipment and weight they added to the aircraft and saying they expected flyers to use their own devices for entertainment.
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