American Airlines plans to reinstall seatback entertainment screens on about 800 single-aisle aircraft beginning in 2028, reversing a strategy it adopted nearly a decade ago as passenger preferences shifted toward using both personal devices and larger built-in displays. New Airbus and Boeing jets equipped with the screens will start arriving in 2028, and retrofits on existing planes will begin the same year and continue into the early 2030s. The systems will offer movies, television shows, games and music, along with Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones. The airline said changing customer behavior, especially after COVID and among younger travelers, as well as advances in low-earth-orbit satellite technology, helped drive the decision. American already offers free WiFi to AAdvantage members through AT&T and plans to begin installing SpaceX's Starlink service on more than 500 narrow-body aircraft in 2027. It said combining faster onboard internet, seatback screens and passengers' own devices could create opportunities to improve both the travel experience and revenue. The move sits alongside American's broader effort to increase premium seating on narrow-body departures to roughly 40% from about 25% today in the coming years. The carrier, which has trailed Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in profitability, has been upgrading high-end offerings with partnerships including Champagne Bollinger and Lavazza coffee and adding more lounges at Dallas-Fort Worth and New York JFK. Chief financial officer Nat Pieper said premium traffic continues to outpace the rest of the business and is more likely to hold up during economic uncertainty. Industry peers have also benefited from the trend, with Delta reporting $6.92 billion in second-quarter premium revenue, up 17% from a year earlier and above main-cabin revenue for the first time, while United said premium-seat revenue rose 16% in the latest quarter.