American Airlines to offer Samsung tablet PCs in cabins

American Airlines is getting into the tablet game, offering some of its premium-class passengers the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

American Airlines is getting into the tablet game, offering some of its premium-class passengers the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The tablet PCs are scheduled to make their debut later this year and will probably be rented to passengers for an additional fee.

They will be available on transcontinental flights between New York’s JFK and Los Angeles; JFK and San Francisco; Miami and Los Angeles; Boston to Los Angeles; and on international flights to and from Europe and South America.

The American Airlines tablets will be much the same as a standard Galaxy tab. The only differences will be some extra memory and a user interface that has been optimised for American’s in-flight entertainment features.

Eventually passengers may see tablets completely replace the traditional headrest monitors. They are easier to maintain, cheaper to replace and can provide new sources of ancillary revenue. Other airlines including JetStar Airways and Alaska Airlines have already started using iPads on their flights.