American Airlines is not perfect and there is definitely room for improvement, but I feel like some of the criticism it gets is overstated, especially when it comes down to seatback screens.
If your main argument for disliking AA or comparing it to other airlines is that United has seatback TVs, then I think that misses the bigger picture.
AA offers Wi-Fi across much of its fleet, and in many cases it is free and fairly reliable. While it does require you to use your own device, it essentially gives you access to the full internet in flight. You can browse, stream from your own services, watch YouTube, or stay connected with people on the ground.
Meanwhile, Wi-Fi on some other carriers is often inconsistent or comes at an extra cost, and in many cases it is still not as reliable as people expect. Yet there is often a lot of nostalgia about seatback entertainment systems as if they are automatically superior.
Not everyone is flying just to disconnect. Some passengers need to stay reachable for work, others are using travel time as their only available working hours, and for them connectivity is more valuable than a fixed screen with limited content.
Of course, if you prefer to disconnect, you still can. Nothing forces you to use Wi-Fi.
My point is simply that connectivity has become more important than seatback TVs for many travelers, and AA focusing on that aspect is not necessarily a downgrade compared to older inflight entertainment setups.
AA has its flaws, but this specific criticism feels a bit overemphasized in discussions comparing airlines.
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