American Airlines plans to reintroduce seatback screens

American airlines The group is “seriously considering” putting back protective screens for the backrests of its narrow-body planes and a decision could be taken as early as next month, according to a person familiar with the matter.

It would be part of a major overhaul of the U.S. in-flight entertainment system and Wi-Fi for narrow-body planes, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the plans.

Part of these plans include discussions with SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon Leo could potentially provide onboard Wi-Fi, depending on the person.

American is also talking with Amazon about providing in-seat content, which could include Amazon Prime, music and potentially shopping, where customers could use miles for purchases, the person said.

The airline currently has an agreement with Apple allowing customers to stream music and Apple TV+ content.

Amazon Leo declined to comment. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pressure is mounting on the Americans from rivals such as Delta Airlines And United Airlineswhich account for most of the U.S. airline industry’s profits, and airlines increasingly rely on customers willing to pay for premium seats.

Both carriers have been investing for years in improving customer-facing products with technologies such as new in-flight entertainment and other benefits.

Meanwhile, American decided to remove seatback screens from its narrow-body mainline jets nearly a decade ago in order to save money on the cost of the equipment and the weight they add to the plane. Executives at the time said customers would likely use their own mobile phones, tablets or laptops to stream entertainment.

In recent years, however, competitors have invested heavily in new cabins and more modern entertainment. American itself is adding more premium seats to its narrow-body and wide-body planes, which are already equipped with screens.

In an interview last fall, American’s chief customer officer Heather Garboden told CNBC that the airline was receptive to the idea of ​​bringing back the screens.

“I think about what technology was ten years ago and what it could be today, or even in a few years,” Garboden said at the time. “I hope the complexity will be less.”

Adding seatback screens to U.S. planes would take years and be a costly endeavor. American owns more than 790 Boeing and Airbus narrow-body planes, according to the company’s annual filing. It has more than 280 of these jets on order, and the seatback displays could debut with deliveries direct from the factory.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made a breakthrough among airlines to provide on-board Wi-Fi, winning customers including United, Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways.

United, Delta, Southwest Airlines and Americans in recent years have followed JetBlue Airways‘ decides to offer Wi-Fi for free. Typically, customers must be members of the airline’s loyalty program to receive free Wi-Fi.