In-Flight Experience

The Best Airlines for In-Flight Entertainment


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Ed Perkins
woman uses Delta's in-flight entertainment

    In-flight entertainment can make the difference between a tolerable flight and a miserable one in the main cabin and can add to the enjoyment of a trip in a premium cabin. CableTV.com, a TV-Internet consumer information resource, recently ranked the in-flight entertainment experience for the 10 largest U.S.-based airlines.

  • Best Airlines for In-flight Entertainment

  • The rankings are as follows:

    1. JetBlue
    2. Delta
    3. United
    4. American Airlines
    5. Alaska
    6. Southwest
    7. Hawaiian
    8. Allegiant
    9. Frontier
    10. Spirit

    Here's what makes each one the best:

  • JetBlue

  • The nation's leading low-cost carrier earned a top score on its in-flight entertainment through a combination of factors. Among them are above-average legroom, live TV—36 channels on A320a and E190s, more than 100 channels on A321s—at-seat USB and power outlets, and free Wi-Fi, with a few more extras in the premium cabin. "Overall, it’s a cozy and convenient company that caters to your comfort," the report points out. This is no surprise: JetBlue consistently shows up at or near the top of most overall ratings of U.S. airlines.

    Related:The Airlines Most Likely to Strand You With a Canceled Flight

  • Delta

  • Another no-surprise result: Delta has been consistently outperforming its two giant legacy competitors—American and United—in passenger ratings. It earned high marks for in-flight food and drinks, along with screens at each seat on most planes and other features. Delta loses the top spot to JetBlue mainly because it charges $16 for WiFi. And Delta offers "really good grub" even in the main cabin.

  • United

  • The second legacy line offers much the same as Delta. Its Wi-Fi is a bit more expensive, but in provides a free media "library" you can access by laptop or smart phone and DirecTV on "selected" flights. It got dinged a bit because not all flights have power outlets or screens.

  • The Others

  • Alaska, American, and Southwest offer paid Wi-Fi, and those three plus Hawaiian offer at-seat screens on most planes. At the bottom end, lack of both Wi-Fi and at-seat screens doomed Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit to last-place rankings.

    Note: Most of my conclusions came from the CableTV.com study, but I checked features with SeatGuru (SmarterTravel’s sister site) where possible.

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  • Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2018. It has been updated to reflect the most recent information.