Reuters/Fabian Bimmer
TV screens, installed on board of an Airbus A350 XWB flight-test aircraft are pictured during a media-day at the German headquarters of aircraft company Airbus in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, April 7, 2014.
- In-flight entertainment is a growing trend among US airlines, with most carriers offering some sort of means of accessing movies, television shows, music, or in-flight WiFi.
- CableTV.com analysts ranked the top ten airlines in the US based on the entertainment options they offer including seatback screens, streaming content, and in-flight WiFi.
- Ultra-low-cost airlines ranked among the worst while the big three US airlines ranked among the best.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Let's be honest: flights can be boring sometimes.
If not sitting in a window seat, the view for the entire flight can stay pretty much the same with the only excitement typically coming from the snack and drink service or a plane-rattling bout of turbulence. After a while for most, the miracle of flight becomes just another obstacle to overcome on the way to a destination.
To help ensure passengers enjoy their flights, airlines have come up with a few ways of keeping their customers entertained.
Entertainment research firm Cable TV recently ranked the top ten US airlines in terms of the in-flight entertainment that they offer, showing which airlines do the best and worst job at making their flight entertaining.
The firm uses a variety of metrics including entertainment options offered such as seatback or streaming entertainment systems and in-flight WiFi, as well as other supporters of in-flight entertainment including in-seat power.
In the US, seven out of the 10 largest carriers offer some form of in-flight entertainment, usually in the form of movies, television shows, audio, or in-flight WiFi. The service can be expected on most full-service and low-cost carriers in one form or another, with the industry moving towards streaming content over physical seatback screens.
Here's how the airlines of America ranked in terms of keeping their passengers entertained.