In-Flight entertainment – Bring your own screen.

American Airlines scraps screens and tells fliers to bring their own (but they will have internet) | @hazelplushhttps://t.co/4zVke0x91K pic.twitter.com/5iNi0lE7lg

— Telegraph Travel (@TelegraphTravel) January 25, 2017

Running an airline is not an easy business, but recently, it seems that some airlines are done with any nostalgic notion that air travel should be something special, and instead are going for a customer experience that is more like taking the bus.

American Airlines have announced that they will remove the screens from the backs of chairs in their small Boeing 737 and make customers bring their own screen if they want to be entertained in-flight. According to the Telegraph:

The airline’s library of in-flight films, TV shows and music will be available free of charge, although passengers will have to pay for on-board internet access. The fee has not yet been announced.

The move will save the airline $3 million per plane, while operational costs may also be reduced through weight savings.

While the move seems to be aimed at short shuttle style flights, it can only be viewed as a cost-cutting measure that ultimately makes the customer experience worse. For the 10% of American Airlines customers on effected flights that don’t own large screen devices, the message seems to be ‘bring a book’.