Why Seatback Screens Are Disappearing
More airlines are ditching seatback screens in favour of wifi streaming straight to your own device. It cuts weight and maintenance costs for the airline, but it shifts the responsibility for entertainment onto you as the passenger.
Even Existing Screens Can Let You Down
It’s not just about screens being removed entirely. Even on flights where seatback screens still exist, they don’t always work as expected. Dead units, dodgy headphone jacks and unresponsive touch screens are common enough that relying on one for a long flight is a gamble.
How to Prepare Before You Fly
Bring your own device and download content before you get to the airport, since inflight wifi can be slow, patchy or simply unavailable depending on the route. Pack a charger too. Streaming over wifi drains battery much quicker than watching something downloaded locally. There’s nothing worse than a dead phone three hours into a long-haul flight.
The Ultimate Backup Plan
If your device dies, the wifi drops out or nothing wants to load, a physical book is the one form of entertainment that never needs charging or a signal. It’s worth having something old-fashioned in your bag as a backup, especially on longer flights where boredom becomes a real problem.
Don’t Get Caught Out on Your Next Flight
Seatback screens are slowly becoming the exception rather than the rule, so it pays to travel prepared rather than assume the entertainment system will be there when you need it. A downloaded show, a full charger and a backup book cover almost every scenario.
Follow 5 Star Trip for more planning tips before your next flight.