American Airlines is going down the path of BYO entertainment by ditching back-seat monitors on its new aircraft.
The airline revealed that its new Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including the first four arriving later this year, will be free of entertainment screens, meaning guests will have to bring their own devices on board if they want to stay entertained, Skift reported.
The decision comes after internal research found seat-back monitors will be obsolete within a few years, and nearly 90 percent of the airline’s passengers are already bringing their own iPads and electronics with them on holidays.
“’It makes sense for American [Airlines] to focus on giving customers the best entertainment and fast connection options rather than installing seat-back monitors that will be obsolete within a few years.”
American Airlines
Holidaymakers travelling on the airline’s new entertainment screen-free aircraft will be have to connect to the carrier’s on board library in order to watch free movies and free TV shows or listen to music.
Passengers will also be able to access the Internet, however, there’ll be a charge for inflight wi-fi.
For those concerned about running out of battery before touch down, the airline has assured it will install power to every seat.