United Airlines has added a long-awaited feature for its in-flight entertainment seatsback screens on the new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts. It supports Bluetooth headphones. United Next is a plan by the airline to upgrade its fleet using larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft and provide a better in-flight experience.For reasons that are obvious, I have not flown in the past two years. However, the thing that has halted most of my previous flying experience is the two-pronged audio connectors that airplanes use to provide inflight audio. Although it is easy to have headphones with a standard 3.5mm audio jack, it does not reflect the Bluetooth audio lifestyle that Apple and many other tech companies have forced me into. Although I don't like being a wireless audio freak, it has happened. As Jason Rabinowitz, an aviation writer, demonstrates, United's upgrades are so exciting.@united's new interior features the new @PanasonicAero IFE seatback system. Finally, it offers BLUETOOTH audio. This will be a reality on narrowbody aircraft equipped with these screens. #PaxEx pic.twitter.com/tD004G4x7c Jason Rabinowitz, @AirlineFlyer June 29, 2021The addition of seatback screens has made flying more comfortable. However, it's been hampered by poor audio support. The Verge even wrote a guide on how to get around. This isn't an issue that United faces alone. While airlines such as Delta and JetBlue offer seatback screens since years, they also provide analog audio to flyers. United might be the first airline to introduce the next generation of inflight entertainment (hopefully).There is still room for things to go sideways. United's new 737 Max 8 aircraft have a choice of a 10 or 13-inch screen on the backs. This could lead to a lot more people trying to connect via Bluetooth simultaneously. This could lead to interference and make it more difficult to connect your headphones if you have to search through multiple devices trying the same thing. United currently offers Bluetooth only on its Max 8 aircraft, which it claims will start flying in the summer. Although the company did not share any details about its plans for Bluetooth, it said that they are still researching the technology.Although I cannot claim that Bluetooth is as important as extra legroom or safer flight, for an industry trying to attract frequent flyers and earn more miles, any new feature can be a boon.
