United Airlines to offer free TV, movies on Apple devices, laptops

United Airlines in coming back weeks can begin providing free inflight streaming TV and films to passengers World Health Organization use their own laptops and Apple devices, a move toward providing video amusement on personal devices instead of overhead and seatback screens.

Starting in Gregorian calendar month, the Chicago-based carrier can begin arming planes with the flexibility to stream video content, with initial rollout supporting solely laptops and Apple mobile devices, like iPads and iPhones, with associate degree future United Airlines app. Compatibility with robot devices are going to be offered later within the year, a United spokesperson aforesaid.

"We have such a lot of additional customers World Health Organization have mobile devices, and after they fly they are probing for content to stay them amused," United spokesperson Tibeto-Burman language might aforesaid. "Overall on our inject fleet we have a tendency to decide to have Wi-Fi still as associate degree inflight amusement possibility that provides our customers a variety of selection...We area unit significantly watching personal-device amusement."

The service can at the start be free and not need purchase of inflight wireless web service, being sponsored by the by the airline's MileagePlus person mastercard. "We cannot discuss what may happen within the future," might aforesaid regarding charging for video streaming or getting Wi-Fi access.

 With the streaming service, passengers will choose between quite a hundred and fifty movies and nearly two hundred tv shows. TV decisions can embrace full seasons of "House of Cards" and "Downton Abbey," at the side of episodes of "Friends" and "2 skint women." Movies embrace "Iron Man" films one, 2 and 3, "The Social Network" and "Forrest Gump."

With the service, passengers will begin, stop, rewind, pause and switch a show or television program.

Airlines have offered inflight web access for private devices for a few time, however solely in recent years began providing streamed TV and show content. as an example, Southwest Airlines, the most important carrier at Chicago Midway aerodrome, last year began charging $5 per device for on-demand movies streamed to their own personal devices.

No United craft area unit nonetheless equipped with the service however are going to be someday in Gregorian calendar month, May said, adding there's no specific date set.

Most of United's domestic planes are going to be equipped with the new system by the tip of 2014, starting with airliner A319, airliner A320, Boeing 747-400 and choose 777-200 craft, the airline aforesaid. data on United.com and therefore the airline's mobile app will determine whether or not a selected flight is probably going to possess the service. The service won't be offered on United-branded regional jets operated by partner airlines.

Some video would force a browser plug-in on pc laptops, that don't ought to be Apple. and a few video to Apple mobile devices, like associate degree iPad, would force associate degree updated United app, which may be downloaded inflight while not paying for Wi-Fi access, the airline aforesaid. different programs are often watched through the United portal on an internet browser while not a plug-in or app.

To keep devices running, United is additionally within the method of putting in seat-based power retailers to fleets obtaining the personal-device amusement systems, May said.