American Airlines to restore seatback screens, add premium seats in profit push

The return of seatback screens also marks a reversal of American's previous inflight entertainment strategy. The airline began moving away from the screens nearly a decade ago, betting that passengers would instead watch movies and television on their own devices.

American said customer preferences have since changed, particularly among younger travelers who increasingly want access to larger screens alongside their own devices. Advances in high-speed satellite Wi-Fi have also made it possible to offer a more connected and personalized onboard experience, the airline said.

The carrier expects more than 800 narrowbody aircraft to ultimately have seatback screens. Retrofits will begin in 2028 and are expected to be completed in the early 2030s, while new Airbus and Boeing aircraft with the screens will also begin arriving in 2028.

American already has more than 140 widebody and Airbus A321XLR aircraft with seatback screens. It declined to disclose how much it expected to spend on the program.