The Best Airline for In-Flight Entertainment in 2024: Wi-Fi, Movies, Snacks and More

In-flight entertainment has dramatically improved in just the past couple of years. Most airlines have removed the extra cost of watching a movie, and some airlines now offer free in-flight messaging — you might even find free Wi-Fi.

Yet some airlines still don’t offer Wi-Fi or movies, period. Hopefully, you brought a book.

Here are the best (and worst) airlines based on their in-flight experience.

We reviewed in-flight entertainment, including perks like Wi-Fi availability and cost, free movies, in-seat USB access, snack availability and more across 14 airlines. Here are the results on a five-point scale.

The best airlines based on the in-flight experience are Delta in first place, JetBlue in second and a tie between Southwest and United for third, according to NerdWallet analysis. And while our top four picks offer Wi-Fi, it’s free only with our top two: JetBlue and Delta (though certain Southwest and United passengers are eligible for free Wi-Fi, too).

Regardless of whether you choose to buy the Wi-Fi or not, each of these four airlines offer free in-flight messaging, allowing you to stay connected to some of your people even when you’re up in the air. Only one other airline we reviewed, Alaska, offers free texting to all passengers. Two of the four, JetBlue and Delta, offer seatback screens on most flights. Those are not just for watching free movies, but for other forms of entertainment including — depending on the flight — playing games, browsing digital magazines, following guided meditations and more.

While you’re just sitting up in the air for hours, your taste buds might also want some entertainment. Luckily, all four offer drinks and snacks for free, with premium, paid options too.

Here's a snapshot of example data points we collected to make our assessments:

1. Delta

Delta moved from the silver medal position in last year’s rankings to the gold medal for 2024.

While Delta was always good, it made a number of changes this year to deliver the best inflight experience of any major airline we reviewed. On February 1, 2023, it rolled out free Wi-Fi to most of its domestic mainline aircraft. Full availability on international and regional aircraft is expected by the end of 2024.

It’s worth noting Delta’s free Wi-Fi is limited only to people who sign up for its Delta SkyMiles loyalty program. While that program is free to join, nothing is truly free — as registration means Delta has your data and you should expect a barrage of marketing emails unless you unsubscribe.

Delta has been working to improve its Wi-Fi speeds, and how travelers connect, through a partnership with high-speed Wi-Fi provider Viasat. Delta claims it’s twice as fast as the old Gogo Wi-Fi service offered in 2019.

» Learn more: Is there Wi-Fi on planes that is actually good?

If you don’t want to browse the web on your own, you might watch the same types of movies and TV shows that you’d expect on most airlines. But more unique offerings from Delta include a partnership established in May 2022 with MasterClass, where you can stream classes from experts including best-selling authors and renowned chefs, such as an Italian cooking class with Massimo Bottura. Another partnership with Spotify lets you tune into specially-curated playlists, and a partnership with Peloton offers exclusive instructor-led stretching and meditation classes.

And if you forget your headphones. Delta offers them for free to customers onboard aircraft with seatback screens.

As far as food goes, even the free stuff is above-average. Complimentary refreshments available in all cabins include recognizable names like Lotus Biscoff cookies, SunChips and Kate’s Real Food energy bars. Non-alcoholic drinks are also free and include sodas, Starbucks coffee and Thrive Farmers tea.

2. JetBlue

Ever since its inception, JetBlue has emphasized the in-flight experience. Years ago that meant free DirecTV on its seatback screens or a small selection of free movies on most flights.

These days, JetBlue offers not just free live TV, but also free movies, free Wi-Fi and free in-flight messaging. JetBlue refreshingly offers seatback screens at every seat (so you don’t need to worry about bringing a charged iPad to watch those free movies). Though unlike our winner, Delta, you’ll need to bring your own headphones or plan on buying them once onboard.

While not available in some of JetBlue’s older planes, most offer USB power outlets and some even have AC power outlets.

While there’s food for purchase, there are plenty of freebies. Complimentary drinks include Pepsi products and Dunkin coffee, and various snacks that have included Chifles Plantain Chips and Popchips. Snacks also accommodate vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free diets with offerings like vegan butter pretzels.

Though, even within JetBlue's in-flight experience — entertainment quality varies. There are essentially two categories of entertainment based on which aircraft you’re flying in. While we’re willing to give both high marks, let’s just say the newer aircraft deserve extra bonus points. Here are the differences.

Newer aircraft

JetBlue’s newer aircraft — the A320 Restyled, A321 and A321neo — have 10.1-inch, high-definition touch screens on every seat back, providing full seasons of on-demand TV plus dozens of movies. These aircraft also provide USB and standard outlet power at every row (and sometimes every seat) to keep your personal devices charged. As far as live TV, there are more than 100 channels.

On Mint, JetBlue’s version of first class, you’ll go even bigger, with at least 15-inch screens.

Older aircraft

The airline's older aircraft, the E190 and A320 Classic, offer slightly less in terms of in-flight entertainment. Besides having no touchscreens, you’ll typically get to choose from only three movies, and the TV shows are limited to about 36 channels of live DirecTV only. There’s also no in-seat power.

Still, even the older aircraft provide entertainment that’s miles above most other airlines.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

3. Southwest (tie)

We liked how Southwest is transparent about Wi-Fi costs — $8 per device, per flight. And, despite the low prices, we appreciate that Southwest also creates opportunities for loyal passengers or high-paying passengers to get free Wi-Fi (such as through holding A-List Preferred elite status, by purchasing Business Select airfare or by holding the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card).

So, why didn’t Southwest score higher? Because the answer to "Does Southwest have TVs?" is no. Now the value of seatback screens is hotly debated on the NerdWallet travel team. Some prefer access to seatback screens for their simplicity; you don’t need to worry about device charge levels or having the right app to connect. Others don't like them, since quality can vary — even the best seatback screens will struggle to sense your finger tapping (OK, punching), and hit-or-miss headphone jack connectivity stinks.

But NerdWallet staff agrees on one thing: without TV screens, the process of actually watching television and movies mid-flight can be annoying. You have to bring your own charged device and connect to Southwest Wi-Fi.

And while you won’t necessarily need to pay for Wi-Fi, you still need to load the entertainment portal at southwestwifi.com.

In general, it’s a fairly straightforward process, but it’s still one more step to take. And, if you don’t have your own device, you can’t even rent one (some other airlines that don’t have seatback screens let you rent a tablet for a fee).

Southwest is in the midst of installing USB power ports on every seat, though the rollout is ongoing.

Southwest snacks are basic. It’s typically Southwest–branded snack mix, Brownie Brittle if you’re lucky, and a more comprehensive snack box on Southwest flights to Hawaii.

One thing we didn’t factor in our rankings of the in-flight experience was boarding. We realize the Southwest boarding experience is just about as polarizing as whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza. And since it’s so unconventional, we didn’t award stars for the boarding style.

Understand that you won’t have your seat assigned in advance, no matter what Southwest fare type you purchase. If you end up with the unlucky C boarding group, you might not end up sitting with the rest of your party (and you’ll likely have a middle seat). Mythbusters proved that Southwest’s boarding system is among the most efficient, so NerdWallet also approves. However, people who need to board the plane as soon as possible may not.

» Learn more: Can I have two Southwest credit cards?

3. United (tie)

United is perhaps the most surprising addition this year, climbing to tie with Southwest for bronze. While Southwest also earned bronze last year, United is mind-boggling because it was ranked a paltry No. 10 in last year’s version of the rankings.

Why did United perform so much better this year?

A big factor was the rollout of free in-flight Wi-Fi and streaming on select domestic and short-haul international United flights for eligible T-Mobile customers.

Then there was the big snack upgrade for economy passengers that hit in early 2023. Gone are generic pretzels, and in are more unique munchies including fruit bars by That's it and chocolate crisps by Undercover Snacks. In a family-friendly step, United also brought back kids’ meals in late 2022 (not in time for our 2023 Best Of’s), which added options like French toast and chicken tenders.

United also moved up the ranks after it added more inclusive features, including becoming the first U.S. airline to add Braille to aircraft interiors (which it began rolling out in 2023 and expects to be available across its entire mainline fleet by 2026).

Frontier Airlines offers the worst in-flight experience, receiving the lowest possible score of just 1. No movies, no TV, no Wi-Fi — not even available for purchase. There are snacks, but only for yet another fee. And be prepared to fork over $3 for that beverage.

Frontier says that not offering entertainment or free food enables it to keep fares lower, which makes sense given that it is a budget airline.

Spirit only ranked a smidge higher because it has Wi-Fi (for an additional fee, of course). At least you have the ability to remain connected during your flight, unlike with Frontier.

» Learn more: When to fly low-cost vs. full-service airlines

When it comes to in-flight experience, Delta is unbeatable. Not only does it offer every sort of entertainment you could possibly want — movies, TV, Wi-Fi, snacks and more — but it offers it for free.

Fly JetBlue, United or Southwest, and you also likely won’t get too bored as you barrel through the skies given the solid in-flight experience. Those airlines offer varying degrees of movies, TV and other forms of entertainment, including snacks, Wi-Fi and free messaging.

Budget airlines like Frontier and Spirit attract frugal travelers with their low-cost fares. The flights are cheap, but the flying experience is lousy.

We analyzed 14 major airlines based on factors including Wi-Fi availability and cost, movie availability and cost, snacks, plus other metrics, like seatback screen availability. We also noted whether costs like Wi-Fi were waived if you have airline elite status or that airline’s branded credit card.

In total, we gave each airline a score from 1 to 5 on 11 different sub-categories. Some categories were given more weight than others (e.g., free in-flight messaging for all passengers received more weight than getting free Wi-Fi if you have a branded airline credit card). Then, we calculated the individual category scores and weighted them to come up with an overall score.

Here are our complete rankings:

Of the 14 airlines we analyzed, only one got a perfect, 5/5 score: Delta Air Lines.

The median ranking was 3.8, which ties with last year’s ranking and is slightly higher than 2022’s median score of 3.5, suggesting that airlines are happily putting an emphasis on ensuring you have a positive experience once onboard. It’s perhaps not surprising, given how many airlines have added — or pledged to add — features like Wi-Fi or seatback power, especially on their new planes.

Understand that cost was not factored into our rankings. Sure, Frontier got an F, but its fares are cheap too. Paying $3 for a soda can be annoying, but realize that you probably saved much more than that by opting for a Frontier fare over one from another airline. Only you know how valuable connectivity, comfy seats and free snacks are, so use our numbers to make your own decision about which airline is truly the best, all things considered.