One of the newer trends in travel is personalization. Not too long ago, that might’ve meant an airline remembering you prefer a window seat or a hotel noting that you like to be on a high floor, away from the elevator. Whether those preferences were honored or not was hit or miss—but when it worked, it felt like a nice little perk.
Nowadays, we don’t think twice when the hotel TV welcomes us by name. But that’s in a private space—you need a key to even get in. What about when your airplane seatback screen does the same… and everyone else can see it?
The New Frontier: Personalized Seatback Screens
In-flight entertainment systems (IFEs) are getting smarter. Airlines are beginning to store your preferences, syncing your movie choices, food preferences, and even your name to your seat. That means you can pick up watching your favorite show right where you left off… but it also means the person walking down the aisle behind you might see your name and preferences.
Is that creepy or just part of the new normal?
JetBlue’s “Blueprint”: Pushing The Envelope
JetBlue is ahead of the curve with a program it calls Blueprint. It does more than just remember what you watched last time. Here’s what it offers:
- Personalized entertainment recommendations, just like Netflix or Hulu.
- Favorite your shows and movies so you can pick up where you left off—even across different flights.
- Watch parties: Sync up to five people to watch the same movie at once, even if you’re not seated together.
- Custom settings: Language, volume, parental controls, and more.
And it doesn’t stop with content. Blueprint goes beyond entertainment:
- Personal greetings on the seatback screen using your first name of choice, not your legal name.
- Birthday surprises: Confetti graphics and a complimentary drink (21+) if you’re flying on your birthday.
That said, Blueprint isn’t automatic. While your name is shown by default on the welcome screen, you must verify your last name and birthday to access personalized features like show syncing or watch history.
And it’s not perfect—on my most recent JetBlue flight equipped with Blueprint, the system didn’t work for me at all. So it’s still a work in progress.
Delta Sync: A Step Behind in Personalization
Delta is also rolling out a personalized in-flight experience called Delta Sync. It includes:
- The ability to resume movies or shows on future flights.
- A personalized library of favorite content.
- Real-time updates on arrivals and flight connections.
- A smarter flight tracker to follow your trip progress.
- Visibility into available food and drinks, both complimentary and for purchase.
However, Delta’s personalization features only activate after you log in with your SkyMiles account. So while it’s still convenient, it’s not quite as seamless as JetBlue’s “greet you at your seat” approach.
Delta Sync is currently available on select aircraft types like the A321neo, 757-200(D), 737-800, A319, and A320.
What Does the Airline Really Know About You?
Airlines, of course, know a lot about us. Flight attendants have access to that information (and add to it, for future knowledge).
Frequent flyer programs already collect a ton of data—your travel patterns, airport preferences, seat choices, loyalty status, etc. But now they could also know that you’re bingeing Yellowstone every time you fly. That you always turn the volume up high. That you like movies with subtitles. Maybe even what snacks you prefer.
And then there’s the public visibility. Even though JetBlue only shows your first name (which you choose), that name appears on your seat’s screen before you even sit down. That’s more than some travelers are comfortable with.
Final Descent: Personalized or Invasive?
Some travelers love the idea of a seamless, tailored flying experience. Others worry it’s getting a little too intimate. After all, you didn’t walk onto the plane to have your entertainment preferences broadcast to the cabin.
We’re all used to trading privacy for convenience in our daily lives. But how much is too much at 35,000 feet? What do you think? Would you opt for this personalized experience, or would you rather keep your seatback screen anonymous? Let us know in the comments.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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