American Airlines will retrofit more than 800 narrowbody aircraft with seatback screens and raise the share of premium seats to 40% of narrowbody departures in the coming years, the company announced on Tuesday.
The initiative marks a reversal of American’s prior strategy, which had removed seatback screens from its fleet nearly a decade ago in favor of encouraging passengers to use personal devices. The move reflects shifting passenger preferences, particularly among younger travelers who favor larger screens alongside their own devices, as well as advances in high-speed satellite Wi-Fi that enable a more connected onboard experience.
Premium travelers currently account for roughly 30% of seats but generated nearly half of American’s ticketed revenue in the second quarter. The airline aims to increase premium seating from the current 25% of narrowbody departures to about 40% over time. Retrofits will begin in 2028, with new Airbus and Boeing aircraft equipped with screens also arriving that year. The program is expected to conclude in the early 2030s.
The announcement follows a management restructuring by CEO Robert Isom last week, as American continues to trail rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in profitability. The company reiterated its expectation of roughly break-even results for the year, while Delta and United have forecast solid profits. Isom acknowledged a "meaningful gap" between American’s performance and its targets, though the company did not disclose the expected cost of the retrofit program.
American operates a fleet of narrowbody aircraft that includes models from Airbus and Boeing, with the retrofit initiative targeting more than 800 planes across its narrowbody operations.
