American Airlines this week is rolling out on a limited basis new entertainment gadgets in a move that could shape the future in-flight options on the world’s largest carrier.
Portable in-flight entertainment devices have been around for years. American’s move is significant because devices have been mostly limited to international routes. Unlike American’s digital download device, most have been simple DVD players.
American’s is the first portable device with newly released movies and daily updated news programming, says Michael Childers, managing director of programming firm IMS, which updates the content for American Airlines. Passenger reaction will help the airline decide whether to expand the program.
Since Tuesday, American has been providing first- and business class customers on some transcontinental flights a device featuring a seven-inch touch-screen monitor. Developed by France-based Archos, American is offering it on New York-Los Angeles and New York-San Francisco flights on Boeing 767-200s and some 767-300s. Next month, American will offer the devices on Miami-San Francisco flights.
The device contains 12 movies, some of which aren’t yet released on DVDs. Examples of available movies: Music and Lyrics, The Painted Veil and Catch and Release. It carries 15 hours of news, TV shows, music videos and the equivalent of 50 CDs of music.
Airlines find the portable devices attractive because they are cheaper than installing seatback entertainment systems. Childers says Alaska started the in-flight portable devices trend several years ago, and the Seattle-based carrier now has rents a similar system called Digeplayer. — with nine movies, music and TV shows — on long haul flights. United also offers a portable DVD player with 10 movies for premium class passengers on transcontinental flights.
Source: USA Today
