Airlines spend a ton of money trying to enhance the in-flight experience. They have to do something to distract you from the fact that your seat is a little smaller and less comfortable than the last time you flew.
And one of their go-to solutions? Entertainment.
Remember When In-Flight Entertainment Was a Shared Experience?
Entertainment options have changed significantly since I first started flying. Back then, I’d get to my seat, grab the in-flight magazine, and read the music playlists to decide what I wanted to listen to. I usually landed on the pop or Disney station. (Did anyone ever listen to the World Music station?)
When laptops became more common, an EmPower plug was your only lifeline. Of course, you had to buy a fancy adapter to convert it—basically a glorified cigarette lighter socket—to power your device.
By Coolhandscot – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9787421
And of course, everyone used to watch the same movie at the same time. Just like in a flying movie theater—if your “seat” was in the back row of a packed stadium.
Then came the drop-down screens in the ’90s, which brought the screen closer—but also right above your head. Everyone had to crane their neck or squint from a distance. No one won.
Special Plugs, Awkward Cords & BYOD
To listen to the movie, you needed the airline’s special headphones—because regular headphones couldn’t possibly be allowed.
Or maybe you were lucky enough to encounter the mysterious three-prong plug.
These days, the trend is BYOD—Bring Your Own Device. Many airlines now let you stream entertainment to your phone or tablet via Wi-Fi.
That is… if the Wi-Fi works.
Here’s how each airline handles streaming:
The Future of IFE: A More Personal Touch
For airlines that do still install seatback screens, the trend isn’t just about size or resolution anymore—it’s about personalization.
Some carriers are starting to link in-flight entertainment to your loyalty profile, or at least your seat, to serve up suggestions tailored to you. That means your flight could start with your favorite albums queued up, the next episode of the show you watched last time ready to play, or a homepage featuring only genres and titles you’re actually interested in.
Maybe it knows you like to fall asleep to spa music, or that you’re the kind of person who just wants to watch the map for three hours. Cool—it’s already waiting for you.
It’s like Netflix at 35,000 feet—but with a side of jet lag.
Sure, this raises some privacy questions (opt-in, please), but if it saves me from scrolling past Fast & Furious 7 for the 14th time, I won’t complain.
Why Airlines Will Never Win This Battle
1. Technology Moves Faster Than They Can Keep Up
Updating airplane hardware takes time and money. By the time an airline installs new screens, they’re already outdated compared to the tablet in your bag.
2. Customers Will Never Be Happy
Want bigger screens? That reduces legroom. Want more legroom? No more screens. No matter what the airline does, someone’s going to complain.
3. People Don’t Even Know What They Want
I’m guilty of this one. On some flights, I want to binge Rick and Morty (sorry, kid next to me). Other times, I want to watch HGTV reruns. Or maybe I’m in work mode and all I need is working Wi-Fi and power. And then there are flights where I want to sleep.
That’s four different needs from one traveler. Multiply that by 150 people, and you see the problem.
4. People Will Pick You Apart If You Try to Tell Them What They Want
Even when airlines try to innovate, it can backfire. American Airlines removed seatback screens and replaced them with tablet holders—betting big on BYOD.
Picture from View From The Wing.
American is sticking to that plan even while United is putting screens back in. Because why not go back and forth forever?
The Solution?
Honestly, I don’t have one. But here’s what I want:
- Functional Wi-Fi at a reasonable price. Streaming video is nice, but at least let me load websites and check email without rage-quitting.
- A tray table that fits my laptop without requiring me to invent a new yoga pose.
- Reliable power, even just a USB port. Bonus points if the plug works without me needing to hold it at a weird angle the whole flight.
Until then, I’m carrying my own solutions—like this trick with a UK adapter.
If I have Wi-Fi, a working tray table, and power, I’m good. Even better if you throw in free streaming movies.
And hey, if I could fly in a seat like this every time, I’d probably stop complaining altogether:
So whether you’re a BYOD type, a die-hard who longs for the days of drop-down screens (seriously, are you OK?), or just someone trying to keep their laptop charged long enough to survive a flight delay, the truth is: in-flight entertainment will probably always be a little hit or miss.
But hey, that’s why they invented noise-canceling headphones and downloaded Netflix episodes—because Your Mileage May Vary.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
1 comment
When the Boomers finally toddle off to Memory Care, airlines should stop installing IFE. It’s a HUGE amount of weight, cost, and complexity for a bunch of hardware that quickly is obsolete. Just give me a decent charging point at my seat and I’ll bring my own tech thanks. They do this to make customers HAPPY and I’d rather see that budget spent on decent snacks, or maybe a bathroom big enough to turn around in (looking at you 737MAX).