It’s certainly not uncommon for airlines to make subtle changes to cut costs or boost profit. Unfortunately, some of those changes can come at the detriment of customers.
We’ve already seen Southwest Airlines make several disappointing moves this year to boost profit, highlighted by the company’s decision to end its longstanding “bags fly free” policy. Now, another airline is making a disappointing move to boost the bottom line.
In an attempt to cut costs, American Airlines is moving forward with a significant change to the design of its aircraft that will set it apart from its competitors – but certainly not in a good way.
American Airlines Removes Seatback Screens
As Louis Hardiman of View From The Wing points out, American Airlines has made the decision to remove seatback screens from its A319 aircraft – the final short-to-medium haul aircraft in its fleet that is equipped with seatback screens.
The move, as Hardiman explains, is a cost-cutting measure.
“This move has been implemented to save costs. Screens cost money to install and upkeep, and licensing for the films and TV is not free. Furthermore, screens add additional weight, contributing to greater fuel burn needed to carry out services,” Hardiman wrote for View From The Wing this week.
American Sets Itself Apart – In a Bad Way
While airlines across the country are looking for competitive advantages to set themselves apart from the competition, this move certainly sets American Airlines apart – but not in a good way, as Hardiman points out.
“This will set American Airlines back from the competition, as it will become the only US legacy carrier that has no seatback entertainment on its short-to-medium-haul aircraft,” Hardiman wrote. “Carriers like Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have opted to continue seatback entertainment. These carrier retrofits have focused on improving and installing seatback screens.”
While American’s competitors are focused on improving the seatback entertainment screens on flights, American is removing them altogether.
Use Your Own Device, Instead
While American Airlines is removing seatback screens from its aircraft, it’s worth noting that the airline isn’t completely eliminating free in-flight entertainment – travelers will just have to use their own devices.
Travelers can still access in-flight entertainment by connecting to the “AA-Inflight” WiFi and selecting “view free entertainment” on aainflight.com. Instead of screens built into the seatbacks, American Airlines offers a seatback device holder attached to the headrest in front of you.
While this might seem like an acceptable alternative, it’s clearly an inferior experience that adds extra burdens on the traveler compared to seatback screens.
In order to access the in-flight entertainment, customers must have a WiFi accessible device that they wish to use exclusively for that purpose throughout the flight. If you’re using a cell phone to stream a movie, for example, you can’t reasonably use that same cell phone to browse social media or send text messages.
Additionally, using your own device to stream in-flight entertainment can drain the battery in your device, requiring you to bring your own charger or charge your device more frequently. It’s also likely that the screen on your device is smaller than a typical seatback screen if you’re using a mobile phone.
American Keeps Seatback Screens For Longer Flights
While American Airlines is eliminating its seatback screens for its shorter flights, it is keeping its seatback seats in place for its longer-haul flights.
As the seat map database aeroLOPA illustrates, American Airlines has seatback screens on its entire 787 fleet, which is used for its longer flights.
While these screens vary in size between business class, premium economy, and main cabin, they are available at all seats.
