As airlines continue to shorten seat sizes and leg space, it may come as a surprise when they offer some amenities that don’t involve spending much earned money or miles. Now, American Airlines is bringing back one amenity it cut nearly a decade ago: seatback screens.
The airline announcedon Tuesday it will install 4k screens at every seat on all new narrow-body aircrafts from Airbus and Boeing starting in 2028. The new screens will feature improved USB-C fast charging ports and bluetooth audio connectivity. And for those who were splurging on their seats, the company is wooing higher-spending travelers by increasing premium seating across all aircrafts.
“From next-generation seatback entertainment at every seat to substantially more premium seating options, these enhancements will give our customers more ways to relax, stay connected, and enjoy their journey,” Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, said in a statement.
The upgrades come as CEO Robert Isom looks for new ways to close the profit gap with rivals United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. He told CNBC recently that the company’s “long-range plan is certainly making up the margin gap.”
Starting next year, American is also implementing a Starlink wifi system into 500 of its narrowbodied aircrafts. The Starlink system is the fastest Wi-Fi available on-board, providing fliers with advanced multigigabit connectivity.
Last year, American raked in over $54 billion in revenue. Its competitors beat the airline by a steep profit gap. United generated about $3 billion more in profit than American in 2025, according to CNBC, while Delta hauled in nearly $5 billion more than American.
American’s about-face on seatback screens also comes years after the airline and other competitors shifted to streaming entertainment on passengers’ personal devices. Airlines said the lack of screens offset weight, hardware maintenance, and costs for short-haul flights.
“I haven’t flown American in so many years,” one Reddit user wrote on the subreddit r/americanairlines. “I just flew with them recently. They had no screens, it felt like an old flight from back in the day.”
The no-screen strategy has long frustrated some frequent fliers accustomed to seatback entertainment. American already offers screens on more than 140 long-haul aircraft, and the company allegedly has been “seriously considering” the upgrade to narrowbody planes for months, according to a CNBC report.
Airline premium wars
American Airlines is not alone in its attempt to win travelers willing to pay more for extra space and upgraded amenities. Nearly every major airline in the U.S. has taken steps to improve their premium ticket options and perks in recent years, drawing a stark divide between the curtain separating economy and premium classes.
American is now focused on more premium experiences, creating larger airport lounges, new business-class suites, and refurbishing its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, used primarily for its long-haul international flights.
It joins the ranks of Delta, which in April debuted the Delta One suite on its new Airbus A350-1000 aircrafts, featuring a luxury 180-degree flatbed cushioned with Italian designer Missoni bedding. The airline aims to equip all suites with sliding privacy doors by 2030.
“Delta is not a low-cost airline,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Fortune‘s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell in an episode of the Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast. “We can’t win by trying to provide the cheapest. We have to be able to win by providing the best.”
Southwest, long known for its low prices and single-cabin fleet, ended its open-seating policy and introduced premium options including extra-legroom seats, making it easier for families to sit together.
“We knew that 80% of our customers wanted assigned seating, and 88% of customers that would not fly us wanted assigned seating,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told ABC News in April. “You’ve gotta follow your customer.”
The push for premium comes as higher fuel costs put further pressure on the economics of airlines. The International Air Transport Association projected in June that jet fuel prices could increase by 70% this year, leaving a $100 billion bill for airlines. Carriers United and American both projected they would need to pay an extra $6 billion in fuel costs this year.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of volatility in the fuel curve,” Isom said on American’s Q2 earnings call this year. “American is well-poised to operate in an environment of volatility. We’re set up for this, and I look forward to being able to tackle the problem as we go forward.”
The amount of low-cost travel options for consumers has also decreased after Spirit Airlines shut down operations in May. There were talks to secure $500 million in a federal bailout package after the company filed consecutive Chapter 11 bankruptcies amidst rising jet fuel costs, but the bailout never materialized.
“We apologize most specifically to those Americans who may now be priced entirely out,” Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner said in a May court appearance, before thanking Spirit customers who “could not otherwise have afforded air travel.”
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