American Airlines to add economy class screens
Edward Russell is a contributor for TPG. An AvGeek at heart, he covered the airline business at FlightGlobal for eight years and previously covered finance in New York and Hong Kong. Aug. 18, 2026 • 4. . .
Edward Russell is a contributor for TPG. An AvGeek at heart, he covered the airline business at FlightGlobal for eight years and previously covered finance in New York and Hong Kong. Aug. 18, 2026•4 min readAmerican Airlines U-turn: Seatback screens coming to all classes in 2028The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view ouradvertising policyandproduct review methodologyfor more information. American Airlines customers will soon have seatback screens — even in economy. The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier will begin rolling out personal inflight entertainment displays on its narrowbody fleet in 2028, American said Tuesday. The airline aims to outfit its entire 876-strong fleet of mainline single-aisle aircraft with economy class screens by the early 2030s — a big move to catch up to competitors Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. American's 140 twin-aisle widebody planes already have seatback screens in all classes, as do its new long-range Airbus A321XLRs. Regional aircraft operating under the American Eagle brand will not receive screens. Hear us out:It might be time to book holiday flights already"We're making one of the most significant investments in the onboard experience in our history," Heather Garboden, the chief customer officer of American, said in a statement. "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. "Seatback screens in economy are the latest onboard upgrade from American. The airline will beginoffering ultra-fast Starlink inflight connectivityon 500 planes beginning next year, a move that comes after it rolled outfree inflight Wi-Fiin January. And it is in the process ofadding a row of first-class seatsto its Airbus A319s and A320s for a total of 12 and 16 first-class seats, respectively. And on the ground, American isrenovatingandexpanding Admirals Clubsacross its network, addingnew grab-and-go spacesandupgrading dining optionsas part of a larger effort to woo lucrative premium fliers. U-turn on screensAmerican's screenless economy cabins were a carry over from US Airways when the airlines merged in 2014. Doug Parker, the former CEO of American and prior to that leader of US Airways, repeatedly emphasized that the cost of screens was not worth the investment when most travelers brought their own portable device. American was on trend at the time. Only Delta and JetBlue Airways offered seatback screens in economy on narrowbodies in the U. S. , while United maintained DirectTV screens on planes with them but was not installing them on new aircraft. Daily NewsletterReward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletterJoin over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s expertsEmail addressSubmitting. . . By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to ourTerms of Useand acknowledge the data practices in ourPrivacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Then, in 2021, United made an about face with its United Next onboard upgrades and unveiled plans forseatback screens in all cabinsacross its mainline fleet. Read more:American Airlines to simplify one of TSA PreCheck Touchless ID's biggest hasslesWith the airline industry's premium shift in the years since that saw everyone fromAllegiant AirtoSouthwest Airlinesannounce premium amenities, American's standing as a premium global airline was tarnished somewhat by the amenities it lacked — rather than what it offered. "Whether it's onboard food, seats, lounges, Wi-Fi . . . those are the kinds of investments that make sense and really, kind of, put a halo around where American is trying to go," Nathaniel Pieper, the chief commercial officer of American, said in a March interview. American promises the new seatback displays will be among the largest on narrowbodies when they debut in two years. They will also feature USB-C charging ports and bluetooth connectivity. New seatback screens on American feature bluetooth connectivity. AMERICAN AIRLINESMore premium seats at AmericanAmerican is not stopping at screens. It will also add more first class and extra-legroom economy, or Main Cabin Extra, seats to all its mainline narrowbodies in the coming years. The aim is for premium seats to make up roughly 40% of all seats on single-aisle planes, up from around a quarter today. The airline will offer 24 first-class seats on its Boeing 737 MAX 10s that are due to begin arriving in 2029. That is four more than American currently offers on its comparably sized Airbus A321neos. As part of the latest premium investments, American will reconfigure its A321neos with "additional first class seats" but did not specify how many. American also did not say how many additional extra-legroom economy seats its narrowbody planes will receive. Today, the aircraft have between 18 and 36 of the extra-spacious seats. Related reading:Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantageBest credit cards for American Airlines flyersAmerican Airlines elite status: What it is and how to earn itMaximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flightsThe best credit cards to reach elite statusEverything you need to know about flying basic economy on American AirlinesFeatured image byAMERICAN AIRLINESEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.