After 55 years, American Airlines will eliminate its in-flight magazine, American Way, at the end of the month. I can’t say that I will miss this hallmark of in-flight entertainment, as I view magazines as about as relevant as cassette tapes and disposable cameras. Still, there’s a nostalgic element to in-flight magazines that hearken back to a different era of travel.
American Airlines Eliminates American Way Magazine
I grew up during a time in which American Way served as vital in-flight-entertainment. When I was a kid, televisions ran down the center of the aisle with special “Eye on American” programming from CBS featuring cheesy sitcoms or poorly-rated movies.
That left American Way (as well as airline-issued decks of playing cards) as my primary source of entertainment. In fact, since 1966 American Way has surprised and delighted passengers from around the world.
Steak houses in Austin? Plastic surgeons in Dallas? Dentists in Charlotte? For the last several years, the AA magazine has become primarily an advertising feature, with a smattering of articles and features.
While other airlines eliminated their onboard magazine during the pandemic, at least in physical form, American Airlines continued to stock it onboard.
But I’m guessing the ad revenue no longer covered expenses, as American Airlines has announced the magazine will end its 55-year run and June 2021 will be the last published issue.
Progress Or Regress?
American promises the following entertainment that has effectively taken the place of an in-flight magazine:
- A library of up to 600 movies and TV shows
- A collection of more than 150 creative, productivity or language classes on American’s new Lifestyle inflight entertainment channel featuring Rosetta Stone and Skillshare content
- Customers may continue to view entertaining travel content created in partnership with Ink
- Wide range of kids’ content with new releases and classics, as well as options for our youngest travelers provided by BabyFirst and StoryBots
- Live music and concert performances from top venues such as Austin City Limits
- Meditation and relaxation exercises from Calm, a leader in content that helps users relax, sleep or become more mindful
It’s true: we live and fly in a whole new world and the need for a physical magazine is no longer present.
I’m a bit surprised the magazine will not continue in digital form, but perhaps advertisers are unwilling to pay for digital space precisely because there are so many other options now to distract passengers.
Speaking personally, I’ve gone totally digital in my news consumption and no longer have physical newspapers or magazines delivered to the house. While there’s something to be said for something you can hold in your hand, I can fit hundreds of digital publications into my phone and cut down on paper waste in the process.
CONCLUSION
Technological process often renders old customs and habits obsolete: it’s the American way; it’s the way of the world. In-flight magazines, like duty free sales, are relics of the past and slowly disappearing. While I feel bad for those employees who will lose their jobs, I cannot say that I’ll miss the magazine. In that sense, perhaps it was a huge missed opportunity.
Meanwhile, United Airlines has restored its Hemispheres in-flight magazine onboard this month after a 16-month hiatus.
And poor Michael Scott of The Office. Whatever will he do?
That’s a shame. They did a good job with American Way. Always saw people flipping through it. I’d always read it. I think they should keep the print editions going. You have a captive audience, during take0ff and landing with time on their hands. Time that could be spent looking at the magazine and ads or AA promotional info. I’ve been on flights where people ar desperate for something to look at / read during a flight. I know because on almost every flight somebody asks if they can have my newspaper or magazine to read when I’m done. Flew EWR to West Palm (PBI) last week on United. The UA inflight magazine Hemisphere in the seat back pockets & I saw many people flipping through it.
I am a bit sad to see Southwest’s and now AA’s in-flight magazines go away. Sure, I am primarily bringing a tablet with pre-loaded movies or shows along for entertainment on flights these days, but I have certainly killed time on those publications over the years, and continue to bring magazines from home as reading material on board. The articles were generally puff-piecey but did often have some fun destination-related content that introduced me to new experiences in cities where I had traveled or to destinations I had not considered before.
Yet another decision by clueless millennial bean counters. I don’t want entertainment on a small screen ( with mostly rubbish reality shows, cropped and sanitised films, etc) or via Facebook or Twitters. I want newspapers, magazines and books in my hands…a thousand year ritual but now determined by Zuckerberg et al to be obsolete. Terrible decision.
They would do much better coming up with an American Airlines Channel. Fill it with destination guides, new route highlights, interviews with interesting frequent flyers etc. They could also do weekly fight highlights from Miami. Would be a hit!
Near the end of TWA they did the same thing. Start shorting AA.
Just flew AA this week. I had know this was happening I would have taken the issue with me. Sorry to see it go. Back in the day, airlines had an assortment of newspapers and magazines on board (remember that funny scene in Airplane!) The two main costs of the magazine are content creation and printing. I had the idea of partnering with one of the still physically published travel magazines (Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, etc.) and use them as a in-flight magazine with an outer airline wrap. That would give the airline four pages to create (cover, inside cover, inside back, and back) that could include a letter from the CEO, airline news, and instructions on how to access more information on their app or online. The cost would be minimal to produce and might even be paid for by the magazine itself.
The problem I had with that magazine and most US/Western airline magazines is that they became social justice/woke publications pushing left-wing religious cult propaganda.
They’ll save some weight…and we will all save some brain cells with its demise.
The best steakhouse in Austin is by the pool on the top of my building on Rainey, but unfortunately it’s only open on Saturday evenings when I’m at home. Excellent Malbec pairings, though!
@Joe- Come on really? What left-leaning articles are you talking about? A profile of best places to eat in Rome or what other left-leaning article are you talking about? So you prefer the output of sleazebags like Zuckerberg or Page? Their 2 organizations have by far done more damage to the USA and have divided us as a people a lot more than the 55 years that the American Way has been in existence. Do some critical thinking and use those brain cells
I am less likely to fly AA because no seat back screens nor magazine. My phone battery is limited. If I use it for hours, the phone won’t last a year.
I will miss the maps. Even simple maps are useful.
+1 to Fernsie
Matthew, just curious, how are are duty-free shops relics of the past?
Was just flipping thru on my flight yesterday and overjoyed to see any magazine come back! Guess it was a premature celebration, huh
I had 4 flights on United in the last two days, 2 times in First, 2 times in Economy. Zero people touched the Hemispheres magazine. I walked to different lavatories each flight, just to see if I could walk by one person reading Hemispheres, but no, zero, none.
By eliminating magazines, American is leading the way in Carbon reduction by killing fewer trees and reducing weight on the planes.
For free reading in flight, download the app “Libby” by Overdrive. You can connect to your local public library and read e-books, listen to audiobooks and view magazines.
“Borrow” (download) these before your flight and you will use very little battery.
All of the big name travel mags are available.
Airlines should provide content digitally, for free, through Libby.
@Fernsie – said poster you refer to is one of the QAnon tribe…no point in arguing with brain cells beyond destroyed
In-flight magazines have felt useful longer than the ones arriving at my house mainly because there have been stretches when you’re not allowed to use electronic devices during takeoff and landing. As the presumption has evolved that people can use e-readers on board without pause, that’s become less of a factor.
I agree with derek that limited battery life means I don’t want to use my phone to entertain me on the plane, at the risk of running out of juice I’ll need when I land, but I’m less worried about using my iPad or Kindle Fire that way.
I always read the inflight magazine, do the crossword puzzle and work on the sudoku. I also read the info about the flight such as route maps, aircraft info, food and beverage items. I almost never watch an inflight movie because I don’t want to watch it on my phone. And despite having access to untold numbers of newspapers and magazines on my phone and tablet, I’ve never once read any of them. Why would I want to read something on that tiny little screen. It’s horrible enough reading a book on my Kindle.
Sounds stupid but I enjoy seeing the destinations served on the global map as well as the airport layouts in American Way. I knew they outsourced a lot of the content a few years ago but it was still worth looking at. Parker and US Air hacks are at it again…
I appreciate airpot maps and routes maps as well.
Good Riddance!
I’m sad to see this go. Yeah yeah yeah we’ve all gone digital but there’s something very nice about having a paper magazine in your seat pocket that changes every month when you fly. The maps, the menus, the features.
Good riddance! That “magazine ” is nothing but a political platform for AA corporate to placate the left left leaning passengers.