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Comments (2)
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Save/ShareAmerican Airlines is testing a service that streams video content on flights. For a fee, a passenger could watch movies or TV episodes on his or her laptop while in the air, reports USA Today.
A movie is expected to cost about $4 and a TV episode about $2, though prices haven't been finalized yet. You won't have to pay additional fees beyond that. Lucky passengers on two transcontinental American routes will soon be able to test the service.
American says it is adding AC powerports to all of its economy class sections by the end of this year, so that batteries don't drain.
No reporter has test-driven American's service yet, so no one knows if it works well. The movies are stored on a server on a plane and transmitted wirelessly. No air-to-ground connection is needed, except at the beginning of the process, when users need to pay for the movie by credit card over WiFi, reports The Cranky Flier.
What do you think? Would you pay about $4 to for a menu of thousands of on-demand movies and TV shows that you could stream onto your own device mid-flight? Please vote in our poll.
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One less bit of comfort on long flights! If someone is going to carry a laptop or tablet on a long flight, I would imagine they could load it with movies/reading material/games before their trip. Also, I've been on long flights, and have been slightly irked by the interruption of service when an announcement is made over the PA- I would hate to have to pay extra for THAT type of service. The airlines would be shooting themselves in the foot: in their pursuit of maximizing their profit, they are making air travel an undesireable thing, and shrinking their consumer pool. This is turning into a hell-spiral.
Posted By Poppy H. on May 9, 2011, 1:12 PM
I've already seen a variation of this when there are seat back screens. Some shows are free and others require a credit card. And you don't need to use your own laptop.
Posted By Robert Balch on May 12, 2011, 7:34 PM