More choice without extra charges on American Airlines

American Airlines have debuted expanded in-flight entertainment options on flights within the United States. New music, TV, and movie options will be available at no additional charge to passengers in all cabins on planes with seatback entertainment systems (currently more than 130 aircraft, typically ones used for transcontinental routes).

American Airlines have revamped their entertainment system. Image by American Airlines

American now offers passengers up to 400 albums, 60 TV shows, and 40 movies (previously the carrier offered 13 radio stations and a few NBC TV shows). In February, American’s album selections spans multiple genres and include “Know-It-All” by Alessia Cara, Eric Church’s “Mr. Misunderstood,” and The Police’s “Every Breath You Take–The Classics”. TV shows available with the cost of your airfare include “Scandal,” “The Good Wife,” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Movies showing in February feature recent award-winners like “Birdman” and “Gravity,” as well as older classics like “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”

American Airlines Image by American Airlines

Additional shows and movies are available for a fee ($4.99 for an all-inclusive package of TV episodes, $5.99 or $7.99 for movies).  These shows include “The Simpsons,” Walking Dead,” and “Black-ish.” And “Steve Jobs,” “Spotlight” and “Hercules” are among the pay-per-view movies showing this February.

New inflight entertainment on American Airlines. Image by American Airlines

American’s changes are part of an overall trend of carriers expanding their in-flight entertainment options. Last week, Japan’s ANA announced that it’s offering in-flight WiFi for purchase on domestic flights as well as providing free ANA Sky Live TV, which will allow passengers to watch TV in real time. And, according to Condé Nast Traveler,” JetBlue recently began increasing the size of its seatback touch screens, allowing passengers to connect some personal devices to the seatback screen, and increasing the DirecTV offering from 36 channels to 100. Each seat on JetBlue also will have a power port outlet.