Which carrier has the highest percentage of their fleet equipped with lie-flat seats, IFE, power, and Wifi among the big three – American, Delta, and United? After American’s $2 billion customer enhancement announcement earlier this month, Bloomberg compared each carrier’s offerings…note that these numbers do differ from the mod tracking threads on both flyertalk and airliners.net (which have domestic data as well). The source used in the article is each airline’s PR contacts. Thanks to Louis for sharing with PMttP readers.
Delta has had seat-back entertainment systems on all cabins of its international fleet since 2013, said Paul Skrbec, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based airline. The carrier has standard power outlets at each seat in its BusinessElite cabin and in the first 10 rows of economy on all of its international widebodies. Delta couldn’t provide a percentage breakdown for its narrow-body fleet for power and seat-back screens. All of its domestic aircraft with two-class cabins, including regional jets, have Wi-Fi, Skrbec said. Related – Flyertalk Delta domestic and international mods…
United also has been upgrading its onboard power and entertainment options, with seat-back screens on most of its international aircraft, said Rahsaan Johnson, a spokesman. About 225 United planes have DirecTV, 190 have streaming for personal electronic devices and 185 have seat-back monitors in all cabins, he said. Eighty-eight percent of United’s international fleet have seat-back monitors in all cabins and 80 percent have in-seat power in all cabins. The airline is installing equipment to support personal electronic devices in the aircraft that don’t have it now, Johnson said. United has seat-back entertainment on 46 percent of its domestic fleet, or 237 planes, and plans to provide seat-back screens or personal device streaming in all domestic aircraft by the end of 2015. The airline also has in-seat power in at least one cabin on about 46 percent of the domestic fleet.
At American, about 501, or 61 percent, of narrow-body aircraft used primarily on domestic routes today have power ports and about 74, or 9 percent, have seat-back screens in at least one cabin. Among the renovations announced earlier this month, Airbus NV A319s, a mainstay of the US Airways domestic fleet, will get all-new seats and power outlets by the end of 2016. The airline also will add 24 economy seats that give more legroom for an extra charge. By the end of this year, American will have received about 100 new aircraft while retiring older planes, swaps the carrier said will give it the youngest fleet among U.S.-based network airlines at 12.3 years. It will add 112 new planes next year, 84 in 2016 and about 300 more through 2022. All but a “handful” of American’s new aircraft will have seat-back video screens throughout. All of the planes in the carrier’s primary jet fleet now have Wi-Fi, with plans to expand to it to regional aircraft, said Joshua Freed, a spokesman. Refurbishments already have begun on American’s Boeing Co. 777-200s and 767-300s, including in-seat entertainment or in-flight connectivity and lie-flat business class seats, with work to be finished in 2016. Lie-flat business seats also will be added to its Boeing 757s used on international routes, while power ports and Wi-Fi will be extended throughout the plane. All of American’s wide-body planes today have power in business and coach cabins, and about 89, or 58 percent, have seat-back screens in at least one cabin, the airline said.
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