United From Seatback to Soul: Designing IFEC Around the Passenger, Not the Platform
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United Airlines launched the second day of APEX TECH 2025 at Los Angeles International Airport with a keynote that reframed the conversation around inflight entertainment and connectivity. Titled United From Seatback to Soul: Designing IFEC Around the Passenger, Not the Platform, the session featured United Airlines Director of Inflight Entertainment Dominic Green as the keynote speaker.
Green delivered a data-driven, future-focused presentation outlining United’s IFEC transformation into a dynamic engagement ecosystem. Rather than just an onboard media service, Green described a connected, passenger-first platform that informs, entertains, personalizes, and generates revenue. His insights set the tone for key discussions expected at APEX FTE EMEA / Ancillary in Dublin, where retail, advertising, loyalty, and digital engagement will dominate.
“This is not about putting a screen in the seatback and calling it done,” Green said. “This is about building an experience where that screen becomes your digital concierge, travel planner, and entertainment hub. That screen should know you, respond to you, and support your journey in a way that creates trust and excitement.”
United has nearly 700 aircraft flying today with embedded seatback entertainment. These aircraft carry more than 130,000 screens. Green projected that by 2028, United will exceed 300,000 screens across approximately 1,200 aircraft, turning every cabin into a fully connected digital environment.
“We track the number of screens more closely than the number of aircraft,” Green said. “Each screen represents a touchpoint. Each screen connects us to a guest and opens a new way to build brand loyalty, present valuable content, and create personalization at scale.”
United Elevated: Premium for All, Not Just in the Front
Green positioned United’s United Elevated interior strategy as more than a premium-class upgrade. Although Polaris Studio Suites and enhanced premium economy features have drawn attention, Green highlighted that all passengers benefit from the expansion of seatback screens, better audio, and consistent connectivity.
“Our design philosophy extends through every seat,” Green said. “We do not think premium begins and ends with the cabin divider curtain. If you are flying in the back, you still receive thoughtful experiences powered by new technology.”
United has already equipped nearly 400 aircraft with Bluetooth audio pairing and larger 4K-capable screens. Future deliveries will include even more advanced displays, faster processing, multiple power options, and app-driven content delivery.
Green emphasized the importance of giving customers the flexibility to engage with the system in their own way. “We allow them to choose. Some passengers prefer the screen. Others use their phone. Either way, we provide both, and we power those devices with fast charging, reliable connections, and smart interfaces.”
Five Platform Updates in Under Eighteen Months
Green called United’s move to agile software development one of the most significant enablers of its IFEC transformation. Just a few years ago, software updates occurred on multi-year cycles. Today, United can push new capabilities, user interfaces, and promotions through the system multiple times a year.
“When I joined the company, I walked into a world where we might update a system once every few years, and each fleet had twenty different configurations,” Green said. “Now we are on our fifth full platform update in under eighteen months.”
This agility allows United to respond to guest behavior, update content curation, introduce new software features, and activate new promotions across the entire fleet. Green said United’s hybrid model, where some development occurs internally and some in partnership with Panasonic, provides the best of both worlds.
“We build what aligns with our core brand and guest touchpoints,” Green explained. “And we partner where scale and reliability matter most.”
Streaming Services Poised for Embedded Launch
United has already built the infrastructure to support embedded streaming through its seatback systems. Green confirmed that the airline has entered active discussions with leading streaming content providers and that a formal announcement could arrive within weeks.
“If APEX TECH took place three weeks later, we would be unveiling our next streaming partner right here,” Green said. “Streaming enhances variety. It allows us to license content that would otherwise be out of reach. And it meets customers where they are, watching the content they already know and love.”
However, Green said this would not replace the curated experience. “We still believe in editorial judgment,” he added. “Streaming supplements our catalog. It does not erase the need to design content lineups with purpose.”
Personalization Tied to Seat and Identity
Green emphasized personalization as the next frontier for IFEC. He demonstrated how passengers can now opt to verify their MileagePlus identity at the seat. Once authenticated, the system can provide targeted content, promotions, and loyalty offers customized to that traveler.
“Personalization begins with data and intent,” Green said. “It ends with respect. Our system knows your journey, your preferences, and your potential. But it also respects your privacy and allows you to opt in or out.”
Green illustrated how this feature unlocks real-time gate updates, promotional upgrades, and even reminders about high-value loyalty redemptions. Passengers who authenticate receive experiences tailored to their status, purchase behavior, and travel history.
“It transforms the seatback into your own digital travel assistant,” he said.
Disruption Messaging Delivered Onboard
United has developed new capabilities that allow passengers to receive delay or disruption information in real time, directly to their seatback screen. If a flight misses a connection, the system can confirm rebooked options and offer personalized instructions.
“Instead of landing and rushing to the service desk, passengers can relax knowing we have already taken care of their next step,” Green said. “It provides calm, not chaos.”
This use of real-time data supports customer satisfaction and reinforces the value of the seatback system as more than just an entertainment platform.
From Map to Marketplace
One of the most popular features remains the moving map. Green shared new developments from United’s partnership with FlightPath3D, including Control Tower Mode, which displays live aircraft movements on the airport surface.
“We are turning the map into a gateway,” Green said. “It now connects passengers to upcoming destinations, booking opportunities, and contextual promotions.”
Future versions will allow passengers to book flights, upgrade connections, and explore digital destination guides without switching devices. The map will act as an anchor for real-time, location-aware engagement.
Precision Advertising Replaces One-Size Campaigns
United has eliminated generic pre-roll ads. Instead, it serves dynamic campaigns personalized by seat, route, language, loyalty status, and cabin. Green called this change a critical part of transforming IFE into a revenue-generating channel with commercial and loyalty value.
“We do not want passengers seeing an ad for something they already have,” Green said. “We want relevance, not noise.”
A campaign with Univision illustrated the success of this model. United promoted Spanish-language programming to Latin American passengers and included a sign-up offer for Univision’s streaming service—the result: a 12 percent click-through rate, with real subscription conversions.
“In advertising, two percent is good. Twelve percent is exceptional,” Green said. “We proved that the seatback is not just a screen. It is a performance channel.”
United now runs parallel campaigns across dot-com, mobile, and IFE, maintaining visual and promotional cohesion across all channels. Verified passengers receive loyalty promotions, upgrade offers, and targeted upsell opportunities.
Loyalty Ties Everything Together
MileagePlus now functions as a real-time layer of the IFE platform. Passengers receive dynamic redemption offers, status-based discounts, and branded content experiences when they verify their loyalty profile.
Green described a pilot project where upgrade offers based on inventory and guest status appeared mid-flight. Redemption occurred in miles or cash, with personalized pricing based on loyalty tier.
“This makes our loyalty program more visible, more actionable, and more present in the journey,” Green said.
He added that new partner relationships would build on this model, offering point earnings and redemptions with advertisers and content platforms.
Fully Integrated Digital Campaigns
Green emphasized that United’s broader marketing strategy links all digital touchpoints. Campaigns now begin on dot-com, appear during check-in through the mobile app, and culminate onboard through the IFE system.
“If you start a journey on one device, we continue it across the others,” Green said. “That is what makes the experience feel intentional rather than fragmented.”
Full Q&A Session with Dr. Joe Leader and Industry Leaders
Dr. Joe Leader joined the stage for a concluding conversation and audience Q&A. He opened by comparing United’s 130,000 screens to Delta’s current total of 165,000, then asked when United expects to surpass that number.
“We plan to pass that milestone by the end of this year,” Green said. “With 800 aircraft equipped and new deliveries arriving monthly, we are scaling fast.”
Leader asked about the challenges of scaling IFEC with a small team. Green acknowledged the pressure.
“We are a lean group,” he said. “There are eight of us managing this operation. That includes advertising, content, UX, software, and partner relationships. But we move with purpose.”
FlightPath3D President Duncan Jackson asked what keeps Green awake at night.
“Everything,” Green replied with a smile. “The pace, the scope, the scale. But it’s also what makes this job exhilarating. We’re building something new.”
Mary Kirby from Runway Girl Network asked two questions. First, she inquired about which content types drive the highest engagement.
“Early-window movies still lead,” Green said. “That’s no surprise. But the map is next. It receives more dwell time than almost anything else.”
She then asked if the Control Tower Mode increased active use of the map or simply extended passive viewing.
“We’ve seen increased interaction,” Green said. “Passengers explore destinations, check flights, and now take photos of the control tower data to share. It adds curiosity and value.”
Dr. Leader posed the final question of the session.
“Can an airline truly claim to offer a premium experience if it does not provide seatback screens across its fleet?” he asked.
Green paused briefly before responding.
“In my view, no,” he said. “Seatback screens represent care. They demonstrate investment. Our customers see them as part of a premium experience, even before the aircraft leaves the ground. Streaming alone cannot replace that.”
In closing, the audience responded with sustained applause as Dominic Green concluded the keynote. The session presented a detailed vision for the future of passenger engagement, built on technology, personalization, and a reimagined role for every screen onboard.