JetBlue is currently in the process of retrofitting its entire Airbus A320 fleet, adding high-definition touchscreen displays, on-demand entertainment and 100+ channels of DirecTV. Going forward, the airline's new aircraft will offer similar seat-back solutions, including A321neos and all incoming Airbus A220s — which we may even see operate long transcon flights.
So, how do other top US carriers fare?
- American Airlines doesn't even offer seat-back entertainment in business class on some planes.
- Delta, for one, continues to offer screens, including a slick new seat-back streaming solution on its A220 fleet.
- United's latest narrow-body aircraft don't offer seat-back entertainment, though most long-haul international planes do.
- Alaska, sadly, is now even working through the process of removing seat-back screens from its ex-Virgin Airbus fleet.
Recently, I've begun traveling with an iPad Pro — I've become addicted to Netflix's offline mode, and with the gate-to-gate Wi-Fi now available on some planes, having a tablet means I can get work done during boarding, taxi and takeoff, too. Still there's no denying the appeal of a seat-back screen — especially one with 100+ channels of live DirecTV, or free high-definition movies that I'd otherwise have to buy.
