American Airlines adds phone / tablet easel to seatback

Normally, we do not see positive news about airlines. Too often it is stories about how they've wedged more people on to a plane, by squeezing the rows of seats closer together. Or how they've found yet another way to make you pay for your flight. Today, I have some good news.

We flew cross country and back last weekend. Outbound was United, and the once proud skies were again squished seats. I did have a chance to test out a new way I'd read on a blog to hold my phone so I could watch a video. Basically, it was to put the phone in a quart sized zip lock and then fold down the tray table, wrap one edge of the bag around the edge of the table, and fold it back up, locking the bag in place under the tray latch. It worked pretty well.

We flew American back with blessedly more generous legroom. I did not see this treasure until the woman next to my wife used it and my wife excitedly pointed it out, knowing I'd love it.

At first glance, I didn't even notice it.

But if you lift up, a little tray drops down

\You can attach a phone or tablet two different ways.

Held by the spring loaded top,

or set in the easel.

An added bonus is a readily accessible USB power outlet

located right near the easel

Usually, the USB ports are down below your line of sight. They are hard to see. On one flight, I had to reach my phone down and take a photo of it so I could figure out just where it was. USB ports seem hard enough to get a connector into when you can see it, harder still when you cannot.

Insult to injury, another recent flight didn't have USB but 110v outlets. My power block was in my bag, not the little accessory bag I keep in the seat with me. Thankfully part of my standard kit is a 20,000 mah portable charger, although now a small power block is in there too.

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