The Triumphant Return of the Airline Seatback Screen

Airline passengers are all too familiar with onboard perks disappearing from planes, whether it’s free seat selection or in-flight snacks, complimentary checked bags, or simply the ability to recline your seat.Now, however, some of the largest US airlines are bringing back one passenger-beloved amenity: seatback entertainment screens.Thanks to a rising demand for more premium products, airlines are reversing course on the steady elimination of individual entertainment screens and are now adding them back to their fleets across all cabin classes.Just several years ago, the demise of the seatback screen had seemed all but certain as part of airlines’ never-ending quest to cut costs and maximize profits. “These systems are expensive to purchase, expensive to install, and have ongoing costs including repair and programming updates,” says Mike Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail, and customer service at JD Power.Plus, airlines figured that 80% of passengers were flying with their own smartphones, laptops, or tablets, so it would be simpler to nix the screens and offer content for travelers to access on their personal devices, according to Taylor. “But difficulties in connecting, the quality of in-flight Wi-Fi, and the variability of streaming bandwidth among various types of aircraft account for the deficit between seatback and streaming experiences,” he says.One of the most notable about-faces on screens is a new initiative from American Airlines. The Fort Worth-based carrier said it will be adding seatback screens back to every seat in its narrow-body fleet of aircraft, including onboard new planes set to be delivered in 2028 as well as retrofitting its existing jets with screens.“In the race for premium traffic, American felt like they couldn’t compete with Delta and United—which have leaned into screens—without their own,” says Gary Leff, an airline expert and travel advisor.United, for one, has been on a mission since 2022 to add seatback screens to every seat in its fleet as part of its Good Leads the Way campaign to improve its onboard experience. As part of that plan, the carrier unveiled 13-inch TVs in economy, which rank among the largest coach screens in the world, aboard its new Dreamliner 787-9 planes.Vancouver, Canada - September 20, 2024: Seat screen showing welcome to flight from YVR (Vancouver) to SFO (San Francisco) with image of Golden Gate BridgeGettyLikewise, Alaska Airlines has been adding its first-ever seatback screens in the carrier's history to its new Dreamliner fleet that debuted in late 2025 and now flies their long-haul international routes from Seattle. Although Delta never reduced the seatback screens in its fleet, the carrier has been heavily investing in its in-flight entertainment system since 2023 with the launch of Delta Sync, which offers a personalized, smart TV-like experience with benefits like the ability to pause a movie on one flight and resume it on the next one.Experts say that aside from the race to provide premium products, there are a few additional factors pushing airlines to reinstate their own TVs at every seat. For one, screen technology has advanced by leaps and bounds compared to a decade ago, when the elimination strategy became popular.Now, the screens are “far less expensive to install than they used to be, since it no longer requires running wires to each seat to feed content,” Leff explains. “The screens can receive their content wirelessly from a server on the plane.”Not only that, but the latest screens offer perks like 4K display, Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones, USB-C charging ports, and personalized content. That last feature could even help carriers actually make money off of the systems, too. “The screens also offer a revenue opportunity to monetize the time and attention of the passenger, a desirable demographic to advertise to, with personalized content. They know who is seated at each seat,” says Leff.At the end of the day, passengers simply prefer a seatback screen as a way to get lost in a movie or show while on a long flight. According to JD Power’s airline satisfaction survey data, seatback screens add between 60 and 90 points of customer satisfaction to an airline’s overall score, which is based on a 1,000 point scale. “That is a significant difference in satisfaction in airline experience,” Taylor says.