When you follow American Airlines' logic, you reach a chilling conclusion. //

American sees things a little differently.

It's removing seatback screens. Kerr again:

We looked five years down the road and said would we invest in screens on the back of the TV [sic] or would we invest in the best Wi-Fi of anybody?

Kerr is convinced everyone comes on board with at least one device and that customers simply want to have "an in-home experience."

There's a slight drawback to this. The Wi-Fi isn't good enough. Oh, and you also currently have to pay for it, unless you choose to watch the airline's entertainment on your own device.

Which still means the customer experience is rather degraded. (Kerr also happened to mention that the airline doesn't make money on free Wi-Fi, which added a blissful myopia.)

On Delta, on the other hand, the airline is working hard on free Wi-Fi. In the meantime, it doesn't want you to sit there entirely without entertainment because you have no seatback screen or you're using your device for, say, work.

Delta has a reputation -- at least currently -- for thinking through human issues a little better than American. (Oddly, it's doing better financially, too.)

Who would be surprised if an element of American's decision to rip out screens involved making planes lighter, thereby saving on fuel? Oh, and there's the saving on screen maintenance too.

Airlines have to make big decisions a long way out.

Behind those decisions, however, is often a very particular view of how the airline sees its brand and its customers.

Currently, Delta sees itself not so much as an airline, but as a brand that seeks to engender higher, more pleasant feelings in its customers. Said Bastian:

Eventually we want to be seen as a brand that consumers love because it has such impact on their life, like other great brands that they love and pay a premium for.

Currently, American Airlines has no brand purpose.