Survey Says These Airlines Take Top Honors for In-Flight Entertainment

Sometimes, the difference between a good flight and a bad flight can be determined by how well you were distracted, er, entertained while in the air. True, a good book or magazine can be just as entertaining as a movie or TV show for some, and most travelers base their choice of airlines on the cost and availability of flights. But how do the major domestic airlines stack up when it comes to their in-flight entertainment? Which airlines offer free TV, movies, games, and music, for example, and which ones charge you for WiFi?

Thankfully, the folks at CableTV.com did the research and analysis on the subject, combing through each airline’s in-flight entertainment offerings and taking extensive notes. Using a wide range of criteria for their study, including the availability of movies, music, games, and more, accessibility, and the availability and cost of WiFi, compiling their list of best airlines when it comes to keeping you entertained in the air while securely strapped into your seat.

Overall, CableTV.com found most major airlines offer some form of free in-flight entertainment. Most also provide WiFi but at a cost (usually under $20 per flight), have consoles with at least 10 movies, and offer access to libraries with far more titles either through your device or your seat’s entertainment console. Only two airlines offer free messaging.

So who scored the highest and who scored the lowest?

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The winner of best in-flight entertainment according to CableTV.com is JetBlue, although Delta was only a point behind. JetBlue ticked off nearly every box in their research, and really only came up short in one category. Otherwise, the low-cost airline got top marks for keeping their passengers entertained.

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At the other end of the in-flight entertainment spectrum according to CableTV.com, are three airlines proving you don’t get what you don’t pay for. Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines earned a big zero because they provide no in-flight entertainment, so be sure to bring a book or your copy of Out Traveler with you on your flight with one of these carriers.

Want to see if your fave airline made the list? Then keep scrolling for CableTV.com’s top 5 airlines for in-flight entertainment.

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5. Alaska Airlines - 60 points

Even though it checks in only at fifth place on this list, Alaska Airlines does offer the most in-flight movies other than JetBlue’s Amazon Videos. So why the lower rating? Alaska doesn’t provide an entertainment console or games, and since you can message for free, the $19 for in-flight WiFi is a bit of a head-scratcher.

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4. American Airlines - 65 points

Yes, American Airlines charges $19 for WiFi per flight, but they soften the blow by offering free AppleTV+ on domestic flights with your WiFi purchase.

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3. United Airlines - 66 points

Topping out the second tier of in-flight entertainment according to CableTV.com is United Airlines. The friendly skies have a balanced mix of standard entertainment options available on their entertainment console or your personal device. No free messaging and the $18 fee for WiFi kept the friendly skies from ranking higher.

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2. Delta Air Lines - 79 points

Coming in a (very) close second place is Delta Airlines. They have everything you need to chase away the doldrums while you jet to your destination, which has us scratching our heads why they charge $16 for WiFi. But then again, when you have free messaging, over 300 movie titles,12 live TV channels, select series from HBO, Showtime, Hulu, games, music, and more available, maybe it’s okay to unplug from the world passing below for a few hours.

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1. JetBlue - 80 points

You won’t have many in-flight entertainment blues when you fly JetBlue. True, the winner (by a single vote) doesn’t offer games or free messaging, but that’s about all they don’t offer. Free WiFi is available the entire flight, and there’s music, DirectTV, and over 21,000 movie titles through the Amazon Video app, all accessible via their entertainment console or your own device.

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Southwest Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines rounded out the remaining three spots on the list, scoring 47 and 40 respectively. And, of course, Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines sit at the bottom of the list with scores of zero, proving even some airlines can act like a Grinch or a Scrooge when it comes to cutting costs and corners.

You can learn more about the complete list of airlines ranked by in-flight entertainment, peruse the methodology used for this survey, and review all the criteria and results at CableTV.com.

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