A quick flight on American Airlines Dreamliner and a competitive feature I think Amtrak should adopt......the touch screen monitor

Trains Magazine Passenger
1

So I got a chance to fly on the second domestic flight of the first American Airlines Dreamliner (787) about two weeks ago from Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Here are some interesting innovations which Amtrak could also benefit from possibly…

  1. Touch screen monitor on the seat back in front of me in coach class provided Seat to Seat Email as well as Seat to Seat chat rooms for discussion between passengers in different seats.

  2. Touch screen monitor functions also as a Kindle with magazine and newspaper downloads that could be purchased in cash or using frequent flyer miles. The regular onboard magazine put out by the airline was free.

  3. Maps on the Touch screen showed Airport layouts with a future option to show your connecting flight / departing gate…and or what baggage claim your luggage will arrive at.

  4. Removeable video game control below the touch screen monitor allows the passenger to play pay per game video games or select from a section that was free.

  5. Touch screen also controlled the attendent call button as well as the reading lamp without the need to reach over someones head.

  6. Touch screen could flip onto the traveled route of the airliner showing cities flown over, distance of route, speed of plane, distance remaining, altitude, etc superimposed over a map. Looks like there was a future expansion option where you could hook up external TV cameras to provide a lookdown or lookout view if you were not in a window seat. That option was not yet functioning.

  7. Up to 72 feature movies were available for watching with both a headphone connection and USB type connection for head phones.

  8. Ability to surf the internet.

  9. Fold down food trays also folded in half if all you got were just a drink and a snack taking up far less room when used just for a drink and light snack.

Unrelated to Amtrak but in case your curious

2

Are you suggesting Amtrak should install the touch screens for the convenience of the passengers, or as an opportunity for collecting lots of fees like the airlines?

3

Sure why not and I would not say “lots of fees” most of the services were free and only some had a fee component, if that choice was chosen. They could even extend the use to ordering food at your seat.

I know it won’t happen because the cars and seats are not wired for it electronically and they would probably have to strip them down a bit to make it work. Then you get into the facts of wether the strip down of the cars cost will be more than the incremental revenue from the screens.

So maybe an idea for newer equipment.

4

Thank you for a very intelligent posting. I think these are very good ideas.

Of course this costs money. But maybe some day cash will be available. If the Amfleet equipment goes through a rebuilding, shells being structurally sound and in good shape, these kinds of things should be considered.

5

In 2008 I was part of a tour group from church that went to Israel for an 11 day tour. we were on a 777 plane that had those type of touch screens, although not as fancy.