American Airlines Restores Seatback Screens, Expands First Class

American Airlines said Tuesday it will put seatback screens back into every seat on its narrowbody fleet and sharply expand premium seating, reversing a strategy that had stripped the screens out.

The Fort Worth-based carrier is chasing Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, which have already built out premium cabins and left American behind on profit.

American called it "one of the most significant investments in the onboard experience," according to WFAA in Dallas.

What Changes

More than 800 narrowbody aircraft are expected to get seatback screens, with 4K displays, Bluetooth audio pairing and USB-C charging.

Premium seats will rise to 40% of narrowbody seating, up from roughly 25% today, alongside bigger first-class cabins and more extra-legroom rows.

American is also evaluating new widebody aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, per CNBC and Forbes.

Why It Matters

The money is at the front of the plane. Premium travelers filled about 30% of American's seats in the second quarter but produced nearly half of its ticketed revenue.

Fares show why: on one sampled JFK-Dallas round trip, first class ran $1,161 against $447 in coach.

The profit gap is the whole point of the overhaul. American posted $71 million in second-quarter profit. United posted $805 million. Delta posted $1.6 billion.