American Airlines is reversing its bet against seatback screens

American is revamping its seating with more tech and more premium seating options.

Robert Alexander/Getty Images American Airlines is reversing course on its seatback entertainment.

The company told BI that travelers — especially young ones — wanted in-plane screens.

American is also dedicating more space to its premium seating.

For years, American Airlines bet that travelers would rather watch in-flight movies on their own phones or tablets.

No more.

On Tuesday, the airline said it plans to install seatback entertainment screens on around 800 single-aisle jets.

New Airbus and Boeing jets with the screens will begin arriving in 2028, with retrofits on its existing planes starting the same year and continuing into the early 2030s.

American said the screens will have built-in movies, television shows, games, and music content.

They'll also include Bluetooth connectivity, so passengers won't have to rely on those cheap wired headphones handed out before takeoff.

The move reverses a strategy American embraced nearly a decade ago, when it began moving away from seatback screens and instead offered entertainment that passengers could stream on their own devices.

The company told Business Insider it's adjusting the in-flight entertainment after customer preferences evolved.

"In the years since, and particularly following COVID, it has become increasingly clear that customers, especially younger generations, value having access to multiple devices and larger screens throughout their journey," a spokesperson said.

The company added that high-tech satellites in low-earth orbit have also "changed what is possible onboard." American already offers free WiFi to AAdvantage members, sponsored by AT&T, and plans to begin installing SpaceX's Starlink service on more than 500 narrow-body aircraft in 2027.