United’s TED flights will be experimenting by offering DVD player and movie rentals.
Passengers will rent the devices for $12 at the gate and return them at their destination.
JetBlue offers free live satellite TV — meaning a whole lot more channels and choices compared to a single movie. Denver-based Frontier, a primary competitor of United, offers TV for $5.
$12 makes United uncompetitive, especially when most business travelers won’t be able to seek reimbursement for the rental from their company.