US Airlines to Remove Seat Screens
Passengers on some flights in America will soon have to bring their own in-flight entertainment. American, United and Alaska Airlines, three of the largest airlines in the United States, are removing the screens from the seats on some of their domestic flights.
The change could mean cheaper flights. The New York Times says each screen can cost up to $10,000. Other than saving money on repairing and replacing the screens, removing them will also make the airplane lighter, which means it uses less fuel.
Also, 50% of passengers already bring their own screens to watch on the plane. It's not unusual to see people watching their favorite movies or television shows on their phone or tablet. Others use the flight time to do work on their computers or to read.
However, the change will be difficult for the 46% of Americans making less than $30,000 a year who, according to Pew Research Centre, don't have a computer. And, the cost of Wi-Fi on planes can be expensive for some. Wi-Fi on Delta Airlines, for example, costs $16 for 24 hours of internet on domestic flights.
Delta, another major US airline, isn't removing screens from its airline and plans to give customers more choices for entertainment. In an interview with Barron's, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said that it wants to give passengers free and high-speed WiFi. He hopes that it will be available to customers within the next year or two.
