In-Flight Movies: The Latest Airline Casualty

[SarahS]

US Airways recently announced that it will be eliminating in-flight movies on all domestic flights this fall. Get the full story in In-Flight Movies: The Latest in Airline Cost-Cutting.

How do you feel about airlines cutting onboard entertainment options? Tell us in our poll!

[Metravellongtime]

The last two movies I saw on a plane were Seabiscuit and The Great Debaters. I won't miss a thing.

[travelmel]

I say good riddance, I never watch the movies. I don't have a great attention span for a flick I probably wouldn't have picked out in the first place. Love how they tried to blame it on the weight of the equipment though.

[dhammer53]

I'm disappointed. I always joked the the current hot movie would be shown on my flight 2 months down the road. Now, I'll actually have to go to the movies!

I'll also miss the shorts/tv shows that ran too.

Hopefully UA won't follow.

[WackyHeathen]

It's really no matter on the domestic flights. Agree that the flims usually stink, and I can always watch something on the laptop if I'm overcome with the hunger.

I do like the individual "on demand" viewers offered more typically by international airlines on the long-haul routes. I recently watched a couple episodes of the HBO mini-series John Adams, which made three hours of a 7.5-hour flight disappear quite quickly.

[RichardNika]

Sensory deprivation from lack of an airline (heavily edited) movie? Come on! Bring something to read, so you won't get stuck with just "Sky Mall" magazine. Bring an eye mask and ear plugs and see if you can sleep.

Here's something that might help...

How to bring your own beer, wine or liquor on board...

(1) If it's an international flight, you can buy duty free wine or liquor, and you can probably either carry it on from the duty free store - if it's within the security area - or else they'll hand it to you when you board. Make sure no crew member is around when you start discretely sipping or adding it to your soda. Remember, the amount that will just give you a nice buzz on land may make you pass out in flight. It happened to me!

(2) Bring an empty bottle through security, buy a large beer at a bar, take it to your seat in the waiting area, and fill the bottle. Currently, there are no restrictions on taking liquids on board. The restrictions are against taking them through security!

Xanax also helps, but you won't get it without your doctor's prescription!

[jgraham43]

This is just one more price gouge and U.S. Air seems to be the undisputed leader in price gouging with other airlines following suit. I personally will not fly with U.S. Air and suggest to others to boycott them so they will know that the public is tired of being price gouged.

[RichardNika]

A friend of mine is from Italy and goes there several times yearly to visit her mom, bother and other family, and always flies US air mileage (long story)

She told me several years ago that USAir actually charged for drinks - on TransAtlantic flights!

My wife and I each have oen doemstic mileage trip waiting on USAir. She'll probably use hers for her annual visit to friends/relatives in upstate NY (we live in South Fla.) or to our L.A.-located daughter. Probably the latter for me.

Want some schadenfreude? (loosely translated: glee at the misfortune of others) A friend of mine is the world expert at working USAir's overbooking policies. I'm not sure exactly how he does it, but he usually ends up flying free to South Florida from Newark, getting another free ticket AND getting cash!

[louisestahl]

Dear Ed,
Though you belittle the additional weight of a can of soda to the carrying capacity of a 200 lb. person, I challenge you to backpack those extra ounces up to altitude without begrudging them.

I am glad the airlines are rethinking the need to expend fuel...and we must do the same.

[houstontraveler]

I didn't know they had cut the movies? I fly Continental usually.