Airlines phasing out seat-back screens

Rachel Crane investigates airlines newest cost-cutting measure.

It seems that a lot of new planes are missing an item we've come to expect, seat-back TV screens. Well, there is a reason for the disappearing act. It turns out those screens are expensive, expensive to install, expensive to maintain and expensive to fly around all the extra weight.

I like the in-flight entertainment, and it's kind of upsetting that they are thinking about getting rid of it.

And they are also becoming less needed because about 3/4 of us board a plane with a screen in hand.

I travel with 2 iPhones, sometimes an iPad, a laptop computer.

An iPad and a liberator.

My iPhone and usually my iPad and my computer.

Carriers like United are skipping the screens, opting for no seat-backs on more than 15 new long range jets, instead there'll be a special server onboard loaded with hundreds of movies and TV shows that passengers can stream directly to their gadgets. Delta is trying something similar, called Delta studio, the airline maintains they are still installing screens on their new planes, they are simply giving their passengers both options.

I think it's an interesting idea, but you know you always see the people like sitting on the floor trying to charge, so like how we are going to charge our devices.

I'll definitely miss the on-flight entertainment if it's not available.

Looks like the seat-back TV is gonna suffer the same fate as the airplane telephone, guess we have truly entered the era of BYOD, bring your own device.