United Airlines customers can now use Android devices to wirelessly stream movies and TV shows from the airline’s free on-demand video entertainment service, the Chicago-based carrier said Friday.
The service announced in March was previously available only for laptops and Apple devices, shutting out smartphones and tablets that run Android, the most popular mobile operating system.
The latest United app update in the Google Play store lets travelers watch hundreds of TV shows and movies on Android smartphones and tablets.
Not all United aircraft are equipped to stream video to devices.
Almost 200 United mainline aircraft offer personal device entertainment now, and United has said it will expand the video streaming to other planes, including United Express regional jets.
Streaming video content, stored in onboard servers, so far is available on the carrier’s Airbus A319, Airbus A320 and Boeing 747 fleets and its Boeing 777 aircraft that operate primarily between the continental United States and Hawaii.
Fliers can determine on United.com whether a flight offers personal device entertainment, along with Wi-Fi and in-seat power. To keep devices running, United has said it is also in the process of installing seat-based power outlets to fleets getting the personal-device entertainment systems.
By late 2015, most United and United Express aircraft will offer personal device entertainment, personal on-demand entertainment via seatback monitors or live television, United said.
The airline advises customers to download the latest United app from the Google Play store or the Apple App Store before boarding.
Airlines have offered in-flight wireless Internet access for personal devices for some time, but they only began offering streamed TV and movie content in recent years.
“Travelers increasingly want to watch entertainment on their own devices, as shown by the measurable improvement in satisfaction among travelers who fly on aircraft with personal device programming,” said Tom O’Toole, United’s senior vice president of marketing and loyalty and president of its frequent-flier program MileagePlus.
