American Airlines Will Offer Free In-Flight Entertainment Starting Later This Month
Amid pressure from competitors like Delta, which became the first US legacy carrier to offer free in-flight entertainment, American Airlines recently announced it'll start offering complimentary in-flight entertainment later this month on all of its nearly 300 aircraft that are equipped with seat-back entertainment units. On regional jets that offer Wi-Fi, you can also download the American Airlines mobile app to access free entertainment offerings on your own device.

AA customers will be able to surf a wide range of content, and choose from more than 160 movies, 300 television shows, over 700 musical selections and 20 games — or watch live TV — on seat-back screen-equipped aircraft. Translation: you'll be able to catch up on all your favorite shows, like HBO's Game of Thrones, from the comfort of your seat.
The airline also will also offer ViaSat Wi-Fi on its 737 MAX fleet starting September 2017 instead of its current and much slower Gogo Wi-Fi. ViaSat is best known for providing at-home Wi-Fi speed that allows travelers to stream movies, videos, TV and music — and lets you perform basic functions like posting on social media and checking emails — at a much faster rate.
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