Business
American is ‘seriously considering’ bringing back seat-back screens to narrow-body fleet, in in-flight revamp
A seatback on an American Airlines Boeing 737.
Leslie Josephs/CNBC
American Airlines is “seriously considering” bringing back seat-back screens to its narrow-body planes and a decision could be made as early as next month, according to a person familiar with the matter.
It would be part of a major revamp of American’s in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi for narrow-body aircraft, said the person, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to talk about the plans publicly.
Part of those plans include discussions with SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon Leo to potentially provide in-flight Wi-Fi, according to the person.
American is also talking with Amazon about providing content for the seats, which could include Amazon Prime, music and potentially shopping, where customers could use miles for purchases, the person said.
The airline currently has a deal with Apple for customers to stream music and Apple TV+ content.
Amazon Leo declined to comment. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pressure is mounting on American from rivals such as Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, which account for most of the U.S. airline industry’s profits, and airlines have been increasingly relying on customers willing to pay up for premium seating.
Those two carriers have invested for years in improving customer products with technology such as new in-flight entertainment and other perks.
Meanwhile, American decided to remove seat-back screens from its mainline narrow-body aircraft almost a decade ago to save money on the equipment cost and weight they add to the aircraft. Executives at the time said customers would likely use their own mobile phones, tablets or laptops to stream entertainment.
In recent years, however, rivals have been investing heavily in new cabins and more modern entertainment. American itself is adding more premium seats to both its narrow-body and wide-body planes, which already have screens on them.
In an interview last fall, American’s chief customer officer, Heather Garboden, told CNBC that the airline was warming to the idea of bringing screens back.
“I think of where the technology was a decade ago, and where it can be today, or even a few years from today,” Garboden said at the time. “Hopefully the complexity is less.”
Adding seatback screens to American’s planes would take years and be a costly undertaking. American has more than 790 narrow-body Boeing and Airbus jets, according to the company’s annual filing. It has more than 280 of these jets on order, and seatback screens could debut with deliveries straight from the factory.
Elon Musk‘s SpaceX has made inroads among airlines to provide in-flight Wi-Fi, gaining customers including United, Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways.
United, Delta, Southwest Airlines and American in recent years have followed JetBlue Airways‘ move to offer Wi-Fi for free. Generally, customers must be members of the airline’s loyalty program to receive the complimentary Wi-Fi.
Business
Why supermarket prices really became sky high in the UK
Butter, chocolate, coffee and milk have all seen prices rocket. Tracing back through the story of one particular supermarket staple begins to explain why
Source link
Business
LPG crisis: No respite for restaurants yet – The Times of India
MUMBAI/BENGALURU: The restaurant industry is struggling to run regular operations due to the meagre supplies of LPG cylinders . With the govt’s move to hike commercial LPG allocation to up to 70%, it will take some time before the measure actually translates into sustained supply, executives said. “Supply is still hugely limited and erratic. A feeling of uncertainty looms large,” said Anurag Katriar, founder at Indigo Hospitality. The key question is how quickly this revised allocation will translate into on-ground availability, said Pradeep Shetty, vice-president at Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI).A walk along Indiranagar’s 12th Main, known for its cluster of independent restaurants, reflects the strain. “It is all hand-to-mouth at this point,” said Nikhil Gupta, who runs brands including The Pizza Bakery and Paris Panini . The move doesn’t directly help the restaurant sector which is still getting 20%-30% of LPG supplies, said Sagar Daryani, co-founder & CEO at Wow! Momo Foods and president at National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). State-wise, the supply situation varies with some such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan restricting allocation for restaurants, hurting the sector , Daryani said.
Business
Asda boss rejects profiteering claims as petrol price tops 150p
Motorists are facing higher fuel prices ahead of Easter break due to the conflict in the Middle East, the RAC says.
Source link
-
Business1 week agoFlipkart group CFO to leave co amid IPO plans – The Times of India
-
Business1 week agoVideo: The Effects of High Oil Prices
-
Fashion1 week agoChina’s textile & apparel exports surge 17% to $50 bn in Jan-Feb 2026
-
Sports1 week agoRating Adidas’ 2026 World Cup away shirts: Argentina, Spain, Mexico and more
-
Fashion1 week agoThe hidden $1.62 war tax now embedded in every garment you source
-
Sports1 week agoAmerican Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti thanks Trump for Army-Navy game executive order
-
Tech1 week ago
The Corsair 4000D RS PC Case Keeps Your System Cool
-
Tech1 week ago‘Uncanny Valley’: Nvidia’s ‘Super Bowl of AI,’ Tesla Disappoints, and Meta’s VR Metaverse ‘Shutdown’
