American Airlines announces a raft of improvements, including IFE screens and premium seating - Economy Class & Beyond
It seems that American Airlines has decided to up its passenger experience game, with it installing seatback entertainment screens at every seat and expanding its premium seating options. Let’s look at seats first, with the airline significantly increasing the number of premium and Main Cabin Extra seats across its narrowbody fleet by retrofitting existing aircraft […]
You are here:Home/Passenger Experience/American Airlines announces a raft of improvements, including IFE screens and premium seatingIt seems thatAmerican Airlineshas decided to up its passenger experience game, with itinstalling seatback entertainment screensatevery seatand expanding itspremium seating options. Let’s look at seats first, with the airline significantly increasing the number of premium and Main Cabin Extra seats across its narrowbody fleet by retrofitting existing aircraft and receiving new aircraft deliveries with premium configurations. Today, premium seating is approximately 25% of seats on narrowbody departures. In the coming years, that number will grow to approximately 40%. Breaking that down to what the airline will actually do:More First Class seats:American is currently retrofitting itsAirbus A319andA320 fleetsto addan additional row of First Class. The airline’s upcoming deliveries of theBoeing 737 MAX 10aircraft will have24 First Class seats,and theA321neo fleetwill also be reconfigured to feature additional First Class seats. More Main Cabin Extra:The airline will retrofit the majority of the narrowbody fleet to expand the number of MCE seats, providing even more access to extra legroom, earlier boarding, dedicated overhead bin space and a complimentary beverage. Refreshed interiors:American will add more storage, redesigned seats and enhanced lighting. Onto the In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity. American will equip its narrowbody fleet with state-of-the-art seatback screens at every seat on all new Airbus and Boeing aircraft deliveries starting in 2028, as well as on retrofitted aircraft. These new installations will build on the more than 140 long-haul aircraft that feature seatback screens today. The next-generation platform offers stunning picture quality, seamless connectivity and will enable new personalised content for a premium customer experience. Features include:Industry-leading screen sizes:Among the largest displays offered on narrowbody aircraft in North America, with large-format premium displays. 4K technology:Which will feature brilliant colour, contrast and clarity for immersive viewingExpanded content and partnerships:Access to a broad selection of movies, TV, music, games and content with the opportunity to introduce new experiences and partnerships. Personalised entertainment experience:Tailored movie and show recommendations and interactive, enhanced flight maps with destination information and real-time flight insights. USB-C fast charging ports:Convenient power at every seat to keep devices charged throughout the journey. Bluetooth audio connectivity:Seamless pairing with customers’ personal wireless headphones and earbuds at every seat. American Airlines has not disclosed who will be providing the IFE equipment in this release, but the three major IFE suppliers should be able to supply this setup. The airline will roll out the new displays as quickly as possible, with full fleet installation expected to be complete by early next decade. This will be backed by high-speed Starlink connectivity, with installations set to begin in 2027. In QuotesAmerican’s Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden. “We’re making one of the most significant investments in the onboard experience in our history,”“From next-generation seatback entertainment at every seat to substantially more premium seating options, these enhancements will give our customers more ways to relax, stay connected and enjoy their journey. ”Ditching the OasisAs part of the Oasis Refit, American Airlines spent plenty of time and money taking out IFE screens and modifying their cabins. It seems now that the airline made the wrong call and is now going after the premium traffic it so desires. And that’s good to see – we’ve seen other airlines stump up the investment in the US Domestic market (with both Delta and United making their own plays in the space). Whilst it’s good to see this increase in premium seats, there’s also the nagging doubt about the back of the cabin and how tight they will go. We’ll see how tight they get once the new configurations are released. The other factor is time – and there are no two ways about this – it’s going to take a long time from the airline’s current state to having seatback screens and retrofitting every plane in its single-aisle portfolio. Based on Airfleets data, that’s 128 Airbus A319s, 48 A320s, 217 A321s, 92 A321neos, 302 Boeing 737-800s and 103 737-8 MAXs. That’s justunder 900 aircraft(890) if they refresh the entire existing fleet. And a lot of work ahead. Images: American Airlines. Welcome toEconomy Class and Beyond. 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