Sunday Strategist: Should Airlines Remove Seatback Screens?

If you plan on flying American, United, or Alaska Airlines anytime soon, you better bring an iPad. Or a laptop. Three of the largest airlines in the U.S. are removing individual seatback screens from many of their domestic flights. Instead, they say passengers can use their own devices.

The controversial move angered many passengers. “So my phone replaces the screen in business class? Nice to know what you consider quality,” one man tweeted at American Airlines. Another filmed himself dejectedly poking at seat fabric, pretending it was a touchscreen. Over the years, airlines have condensed seat space, added checked baggage fees, and separated flyers into an airborne caste system. In the early 2000s, economy seats used to be between 34 and 35 inches apart. Now, the average distance between seats is 30 to 31 inches and some low-cost carriers squish people in at 28 inches. Individual seatback screens were one of the few changes that actually improved the flying experience rather than diminishing it. So is removing them a smart move? Let’s find out: