What happened
American Airlines said on August 18 that it will install seatback screens at every seat on its 876 mainline narrow-body jets beginning in 2028, with completion in the early 2030s. Those aircraft have flown without screens for years.
New Airbus and Boeing deliveries get the displays from 2028, and current mainline jets will be retrofitted around the same time. American Eagle regional aircraft are excluded. The airline's 140 widebodies already have seatback TVs in all classes. New A321XLRs already have them. American says the screens will rank among the largest on North American narrow-bodies and will include 4K video. Separately, premium seats on narrow-body flights will rise from about 25% to about 40% of capacity. A319s and A320s are gaining an extra first-class row. 737 MAX 10s due from 2029 are planned with 24 first-class seats. Starlink Wi-Fi is a distinct upgrade starting in early 2027.
Delta and United already fly comparable domestic jets with seatback screens. Do not plan around American's version until 2028, and do not plan around it at all on American Eagle.
- Announced
- Aug 18, 2026
- Numbers
- 876 aircraft: mainline narrow-body jets to receive screens
- 140 aircraft: widebody aircraft that already have seatback screens
- 25%: current share of premium seats on narrow-body flights
- 40%: planned share of premium seats on narrow-body aircraft
- 24 seats: first-class seats planned on Boeing 737 MAX 10s
- Takeaway
- Do not plan trips around these screens yet: they will not show up on American narrow-bodies until 2028, the retrofit stretches into the early 2030s, and regional jets stay without them.