Delta Is Upgrading Your In-Flight Entertainment With YouTube Premium On 4K Screens
TL;DR
- Delta has announced it is partnering with YouTube to offer SkyMiles members ad-free videos, podcasts, and music.
- The company is also updating its in-flight entertainment system with 4K HDR QLED displays and Bluetooth connectivity.
- This new experience is expected to arrive on select planes in 2026.
Delta is back at CES this year with some flashy announcements that should make flying with the airline a little more interesting. The company will soon give its in-flight entertainment system a major revamp. It is also partnering with YouTube to give customers free access to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium.
During its CES keynote today, Delta announced that it plans to deliver a new Delta Sync seatback experience on select planes by 2026. This overhaul will upgrade the airline’s in-flight entertainment system with a 4K HDR QLED display that has Bluetooth connectivity. It will also feature a 96TB storage system to fit tons of content and streaming experiences like TV shows, movies, music, and so on.
With that new display, flyers will be able to access some new interactive features the company will be introducing. One such feature is a “Do Not Disturb” mode that will let the flight attendant know not to bother you. There’s also an experience planner that includes guided wellness and customization options for your food and beverage experience. Additionally, there’s an Arrival Mode for travel information, translations so you can get announcements from flight attendants in your preferred language, and curated content based on different destinations.
While these are big changes for Delta, these things aren’t necessarily new in the space. United already offers 4K displays and Bluetooth connectivity on its planes. However, Delta says it will use “the first cloud-based IFE infrastructure,” which is something that United doesn’t have.
Other than onboard cloud connectivity, another thing United doesn’t offer but Delta will is YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium. The company announced that its partnership with YouTube will give SkyMiles members free access to ad-free videos, podcasts, and music. With these moves, it should bring Delta closer to its competition in terms of onboard entertainment.
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