The era of sub-par inflight entertainment tech is coming to an end and Delta Airlines wants to pioneer a new era of mile-high visual fidelity.
During its rather glitzy press conference at CES 2025, the company revealed plans to installed 4K HDR QLED displays in passenger seat backs.
OnePlus 13 launch offer
On top of taking £100 off the 512GB model of the OnePlus 13, the phone now also includes a free OnePlus Watch 2R and a guaranteed £50 on top of the value of whichever phone you’re trading in. Talk about a bargain.
- OnePlus
- Free smartwatch and £100 discount
- Just £899
View Deal
Starting next year, the upgraded displays will begin appearing in all cabins, which is somewhat surprisingly given the miserly way economy passengers are treated by the major airlines these days.
Because Delta is also upgrading the on-board storage on its planes (to a staggering 96TB) there’ll be plenty of 4K ready movies and TV shows to enjoy.
Delta also revealed the new entertainment portal will feature “an advanced recommendation engine tailoring content to customer preferences so they can spend less time scrolling and more time enjoying.” Passengers will also be able to select a Do Not Disturb mode so they’re not pestered by cabin staff with sub-standard food while they’re trying to sleep.
Delta previously announced it was working on Bluetooth connectivity, enabling passengers to connect their own headphones to the displays for a higher quality audio experience.
That’ll also begin to roll out in 2026. Delta won’t be first to this tech. On my flight back to the United States this week I was pleased to see Virgin Atlantic had integrated new entertainment systems with easy Bluetooth connectivity. I don’t carry a pair of cans with me anymore, so not having to use those nasty models handed out by the cabin crew was a nice bonus.
Elsewhere, Delta says, there will be bonuses for Delta Skymiles members, with access to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music on the house.
