Since the first seatback video systems were launched in the 1960s, passengers now take it for granted they’ll be entertained in fight. So these days airlines have to get creative in order to bring in-flight entertainment that passengers will appreciate or remember.
Last spring, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) debuted a “Watch Party” feature that allows up to six travelers to sync a movie to play at their seats at the same time. Most recently, United Airlines (UAL) announced that its first flights with a Starlink-powered internet connection will start running in the spring of 2025. The stronger Wi-Fi could potentially allow travelers to stream movies and videos on their device mid-flight without the painful buffering that is common on airlines now.
Delta Airlines will partner with iHeartJMedia and MediaLink to offer new forms of in-flight entertainment; at CES, John Legend and CEO of Medialink Michael Kassan attended the announcement and Legand performed at the Intrigue Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas on January 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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At CES, Delta promises ‘richer content and partnerships with trusted brands’
At CES 2025, taking place in Las Vegas this week, Delta Air Lines (DAL) announced that it is partnering with Google (GOOGL) -owned YouTube to link ad-free YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services through its entertainment systems for SkyMiles members who are logged into their individual accounts.
Creating an account is free and the first step toward earning loyalty points with the airline but passengers need to remember their login profile and password in order to benefit during the flight.
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“The new in-flight entertainment system is setting the stage for even richer content and partnerships with trusted brands,” the airline writes of the new feature. “[…] SkyMiles members will soon enjoy their favorite creators, podcasts and music artists ad-free while onboard most flights with Delta Sync Wi-Fi and Delta Sync seatback as part of their in-flight entertainment.”
Other changes to Delta’s in-flight entertainment system include a newer 4K HDR QLED display and Bluetooth capability to allow travelers to pair personal devices to be viewed through the seatback (or, in business class, pull-out) screen.
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At the presentation held at the Las Vegas Sphere, Delta also said that it will be leveraging AI to launch a new personal assistant feature on its Fly Delta phone app and using the technology to make personalized recommendations through the in-flight entertainment systems.
Airlines are increasingly making in-flight systems fancier. Will this help interest passengers?
Faster Wi-Fi connections are increasingly enabling travelers who either pay for a connection or get one as a perk to stream whatever they like from their own device, and airlines really have to work hard to make their in-flight entertainment systems alluring.
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JetBlue has also been working on upgrades to the wider entertainment system that the airline calls Blueprint. Some of its most unique features include the ability to restart films one started watching on a connecting flight and a partnership with the Peacock streaming service from NBC Universal. Travelers on Blueprint-equipped flights also do not need to log into their loyalty account (something that many travelers find cumbersome) and can instead enter their last name and seat number to access past preferences and viewing history.
The airline phrased it as a “commitment to help customers create an inflight experience tailored to their needs and preferences” — a greater selection of movies secured through such partnerships are another way for airlines to offer passengers something unique they’ll like in an area where it is not particularly easy to stand out from competitors.
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