What's on American Airlines Inflight Entertainment in September
While making the decision to remove in-flight entertainment screens from its domestic aircraft during retrofits, American Airlines is investing in in-flight entertainment in other ways -- from free streaming entertainment through Wi-Fi to live TV on more than 820 aircraft.
Whether or not you have a screen built into the seat in front of you, there's an incredible amount of in-flight entertainment options on most AA aircraft -- with up to 280 movies and 247 television episodes on some aircraft. As these options change from month to month, we work with AA each month to give to an idea of what you might be able to watch on your next flight.
In September, American Airlines is "highlighting the female acting duos of Tessa and Emma Thompson and Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway" by featuring Men in Black International and The Hustle, respectively, as well as classics by the duos. In addition, AA worked with its Latin Diversity Network business resource group to select content celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) with movies like Frida, La Bamba, Selena, West Side Story and more.
Which Movies on Which Planes: While options are similar across many aircraft, there are six different sets of in-flight entertainment that you might find on AA aircraft this month. So, to help you figure out which will be on your flight, American Airlines has launched an in-flight entertainment site letting you search your flight details to see exactly which entertainment options are supposed to be on your flight.
Related: The Truth Behind This Tiny American Airlines ‘Plane’ Parked at O’Hare
That site is going to be the most straightforward way of seeing your options; as you can tell from the grid below that the IFE option(s) by aircraft type can be quite complex. Once you find the aircraft type operating your flight, use the table of contents below to see your IFE options in September 2019:
| Aircraft Type | International | Domestic | Gogo | ViaSat | Tablet | Overhead | Live TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A319 (LUS) | X | X | |||||
Airbus A319 (LAA) | (some) | X | X | ||||
Airbus A320 | X | X | |||||
Airbus A321 | (some) | X | X | ||||
Airbus A321neo | X | X | |||||
Airbus A321T | X | X | |||||
Airbus A330-200 | X | X | |||||
Airbus A330-300 | X | X | |||||
Boeing 737 MAX | X | X | |||||
Boeing 737-800 | (some) | X | (some) | X | |||
Aircraft Type | International | Domestic | Gogo | ViaSat | Tablet | Overhead | Live TV |
Boeing 757 (Hawaii) | (some) | X | (some) | ||||
Boeing 757 (int'l) | Biz | X | X | ||||
Boeing 767-300 | Biz | X | X | ||||
Boeing 777-200 | X | X | |||||
Boeing 777-300 | X | X | |||||
Boeing 787-8 | X | X | |||||
Boeing 787-9 | X | X |
International Flights
Aircraft: Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9
There's a whopping 280 movies on American Airlines' international aircraft IFE repertoire — adding up to over 545 hours of combined run time. Of these movies, 230 are English-language movies with the other 50 movies having 12 other languages as the primary soundtrack.
Those of us who live on planes will appreciate that 39 movies were added to the entertainment system effective Sept. 1. Among these, there are 12 new releases:
Aladdin, The Hustle, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Kursk, Late Night, Long Shot, Men In Black: International, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Rocketman, The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Sun Is Also a Star, X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Other featured movies for September include:
Focus (2015), Brokeback Mountain, Creed, The Intern, WALL-E , Wonder Woman, Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate), El laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth), Frida, La Bamba, The Mambo Kings, McFarland USA, El Secreto de sus ojos (The Secret In Their Eyes), Selena, The Shape of Water, Stand and Deliver, West Side Story, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Coco, Una Mujer Fantástica (A Fantastic Woman), Todos lo Saben (Everybody Knows)
Related: Choosing the Best Credit Card for American Airlines Flyers
For those that'd rather catch up on TV while flying, there's another 150 hours of TV programming. If you want to binge-watch on your long flight, there's at least six episodes of the following programs:
- Austin City Limits
- Barry: Season 2
- The Big Bang Theory: Season 2
- Game of Thrones: Season 8
- Grey's Anatomy: Season 1
- Little Drummer Girl: Series 1
- Local Natives
- The New Adventures of Old Christine: Season 1
- Power: Season 2
- Two and a Half Men: Season 9
Domestic Flights w/ IFE Screens
Aircraft: Airbus A321T, some Airbus A319, some Airbus A321, some Boeing 737-800
On domestic flights with built-in in-flight entertainment screens, there are 175 movies loaded into the system for September with a combined run-time of over 337 hours. Of these, 29 were added as of Sept. 1 including 12 new release films:
Aladdin, The Hustle, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Kursk, Late Night, Long Shot, Men In Black: International, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Rocketman, The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Sun Is Also a Star, X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Other featured movies for September include:
Aquaman, Creed II, Isn't It Romantic, Little Woods, Shazam!, Focus (2015), Brokeback Mountain, Creed, Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate), El laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth), Frida, La Bamba, The Mambo Kings, McFarland USA, El Secreto de sus ojos (The Secret In Their Eyes), Selena, The Shape of Water, Stand and Deliver, West Side Story, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Coco, Una Mujer Fantástica (A Fantastic Woman), Todos lo Saben (Everybody Knows)
In addition, there are more than 143 hours of TV programming from around 75 different shows. Among the new additions are episodes from:
- Austin City Limits
- Big Little Lies: Season 2
- Black-ish: Season 5
- Chernobyl: Season 1
- Grey's Anatomy: Season 1
- Parks and Recreation: Season 1
- PAW Patrol: Season 3
- Two and a Half Men: Season 9
Streaming on Gogo
Aircraft: some Airbus A319, Airbus A320, half of the Boeing 757s in the Hawaii fleet
Passengers flying on a domestic flight without in-flight entertainment screens aren't necessarily out of luck. If your aircraft is one of the 151 with Gogo's satellite-based 2Ku connection, you can stream 175 different movies from the on-board router for free — no Wi-Fi purchase required. These add up to around 338 hours of run time.
Of the 30 new additions as of Sept. 1, there are 13 new releases:
All Is True, Broke Parents (aka, Drunk Parents), Family, The Hustle, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, Missing Link, Pet Sematary, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Rocketman, The Sun Is Also a Star, Teen Spirit, Tolkien
In addition, there are over 143 hours of TV programming from around 70 different shows. Among the new additions are episodes from:
- Austin City Limits
- Big Little Lies: Season 2
- Black-ish: Season 5
- Chernobyl: Season 1
- Grey's Anatomy: Season 1
- Parks and Recreation: Season 1
- PAW Patrol: Season 3
- Two and a Half Men: Season 9
Streaming on ViaSat
Aircraft: some Airbus A319, most Airbus A321, all Airbus A321neo and Boeing 737 MAX, most Boeing 737-800
Passengers flying on a domestic flight without in-flight entertainment screens have options as well. If your aircraft is one of the 585 with ViaSat satellite-based Wi-Fi connection, you can stream 173 different movies from the on-board router for free — no Wi-Fi purchase required. These add up to around 334 hours of run time.
Of these, there are 30 new additions as of Sept. 1 including 13 new releases:
All Is True, Broke Parents (aka, Drunk Parents), Family, The Hustle, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, Missing Link, Pet Sematary, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Rocketman, The Sun Is Also a Star, Teen Spirit, Tolkien
In addition, there's almost 143 hours of TV programming from around 70 different shows. Among the new additions are episodes from:
- Austin City Limits
- Big Little Lies: Season 2
- Black-ish: Season 5
- Chernobyl: Season 1
- Grey's Anatomy: Season 1
- Parks and Recreation: Season 1
- PAW Patrol: Season 3
- Two and a Half Men: Season 9
Tablet Movies
Aircraft: Boeing 757s and 767s in business class
During one of its especially cheap phases, American Airlines management decided not to install built-in in-flight entertainment screens when retrofitting its internationally-configured Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft, even in business class. While passengers in economy are stuck with just one option — see Overhead Screens below — business-class passengers get to watch in-flight entertainment from tablets.
The problems with these tablets are many. They typically aren't available during taxi, takeoff or landing, as flight attendants pass them out after takeoff and collect them (well) before landing. The tablet screen size is much smaller than built-in in-flight entertainment screens, and it requires being plugged into one of the two power plugs at the seat. And, there are fewer options than on any other IFE option.
If you're stuck with one of these sub-par business class products, you'll have 85 movie options totaling more than 153 hours of run-time. Of these, 19 movies were added to the tablets as of Sept. 1 including 11 new releases:
Aladdin, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Kursk , Late Night, Long Shot, Men In Black: International, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Rocketman, The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Sun Is Also a Star, X-Men: Dark Phoenix
In addition, there's 3 "classic" films and one documentary added to the tablets as of Sept. 1:
Crazy, Stupid, Love; Focus (2015), Ready Player One, Loopers: The Caddie's Long Walk
For those who'd rather catch up on TV while flying overseas, there are another 124 hours of TV programming. If you want to binge-watch on your long flight, there's at least five episodes of the following programs:
- 30 Rock: Season 2
- Austin City Limits
- Barry: Season 2
- The Big Bang Theory: Season 2
- Billions - Season 1
- Broad City: Season 5
- Game of Thrones: Season 8
- Grey's Anatomy: Season 1
- The New Adventures of Old Christine: Season 1
- Power: Season 2
- Pretty Little Liars: Season 1
- Schitt's Creek: Season 1
- Veep: Season 7
Overhead Screens
Aircraft: some Boeing 737-800, Boeing 757, Boeing 767
For planes equipped with overhead screens, most flights are going to get a selection of NBC TV programming. However, movies will be played on long-enough domestic flights, flights to Hawaii and Anchorage and international flights.
Download the AApp
One important thing to remember is that you'll need to download the American Airlines app to stream in-flight entertainment to your mobile device. And the AA app isn't the smallest app, so you'll want to do this over Wi-Fi before the flight if you pay for mobile data. Either way, you'll definitely need to download the app before you switch to flight mode. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for Wi-Fi services to download the AA app before being able to stream content for free.
This is particularly important on aircraft that don't have IFE screens installed. These include:
- New Airbus A321neo
- Boeing 737 MAX [currently grounded]
- Retrofit "Project Oasis" Boeing 737-800s
- Retrofit "Project Oasis" Airbus A321
- Boeing 757
- Boeing 767
- certain Airbus A319s
- all Airbus A320s
- certain Airbus A321s
- CRJ-700s
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.