Oct. 30--A published report said United Airlines is redesigning its airplane seats with a holder for passengers' tablet computers to be used as a seatback screen for video entertainment, but an airline spokeswoman told the Tribune that the report overstates a plan that is preliminary and that the airline would add tablet holders only to its next-generation of first-class seats on domestic flights.
Generally, the move would be consistent with the Chicago-based airline's recent efforts to provide streaming TV and movies for free to passengers' own mobile devices, such as laptops, iPads and smartphones.
Slashgear.com reported that United is redesigning its seats so that passengers will be able to prop up a tablet and still have space on their tray table for their in-flight meal, citing Thomas F. O'Toole, United's senior vice president of marketing and loyalty, speaking at a Re/code conference this week.
The airline this year began outfitting some aircraft with the ability to stream on-demand video content to passengers' personal devices.
gkarp@tribune.com
