American Airlines is expanding video and audio options for what it calls their “premium passgnegers” on transcontinental flights. Additionally, a media player test will be conducted on their MD80 aircrafts on flights between Los Angeles, California and Chicago, Illinois.

More specifically, American Airlines said today that they will offer “free on-demand video and audio options for passengers in its premium-class cabins on transcontinental flights.” Additionally, American Airlines will begin conducting an entertainment media player test on some of its MD80 aircraft that fly between Los Angeles and Chicago.

American Airlines will introduce the media players on transcontinental flights on May 1, 2007. This is part of American Airlines’ plan to “invest in the customer experience for passengers flying in the First Class and Business Class cabins” and to “continue to bolster the airline’s competitive position.”

Passengers will start seeing the personal entertainment media players on Boeing 767-200 and 767-300 aircraft flying transcontinental routes between New York and Los Angeles and between New York and San Francisco. In addition, the media players will appear on 767-300 aircraft on the Miami to San Francisco, California route in June, 2007.

Transcontinental First Class and Business Class passengers will be able to view programming on players with seven inch, touch-screen monitors. Each passenger will receive Bose(R) QuietComfort(R) 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling(R) headphones. The media system offers up to twelve feature films, up to 15 hours of pre-loaded tv programs, tv news programs, and music videos, 50 music CDs, and 14 American Airlines-branded audio channels.

A four-month-long test using media players on eight MD80 flights between Los Angeles and Chicago will be held. The test is scheduled to last until August 31, 2007. American Airlines’ customers traveling in First Class will be able to use the media player for free. Economy Class passengers will have to rent the media players.