American Airlines power plug question

[tallpkb]

We will have a long flight to Orlando (from CA). Our girls have their own DVD players, and our seats have power ports. My question is, what specific type of plug do we need to go from our players to the power ports? Does it change from type of plane to type of plane? Don't want to be caught without the right equipment!

 

[i like stitch]

We've used AA's powerports and they've been a lifesaver on long flights. If I remember correctly, they are the cigarette-lighter type and are that way on all the ports.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We will have a long flight to Orlando (from CA). Our girls have their own DVD players, and our seats have power ports. My question is, what specific type of plug do we need to go from our players to the power ports? Does it change from type of plane to type of plane? Don't want to be caught without the right equipment!

American Airlines has done an excellent job installing powerports for first class and business class seats, and in many rows in economy, on most American Airlines aircraft -- their 737, MD-80, 757, 767, 777 and A300 aircraft.

There are no powerports on American Eagle flights, and, as far as I know, American still hasn't finished powerport installation on some MD80s and 757s acquired from TWA. Be sure to look up the seating chart for your aircraft type to make sure you get a seat assignment for a seat with a powerport:

http://www.aa.com/content/aboutUs/ourPlanes/ourPlanes.jhtml

For more about American's powerports, see:

http://www.aa.com/content/travelInformation/duringFlight/onboardTechnology.jhtml

Electronic devices with adapters for 12V-15V cigarette lighter outlets will work in American Airlines' DC power outlets. If your DVD players have a cigrarette lighter adapter, you should be all set. The owner manual or the device itself should indicate that it's for "12-15V." (Several other airlines use EmPower sockets instead of cigarette lighter sockets for laptop power, but not American.)

 

[tallpkb]

Thanks for the info. I read the info from the AA web site, but I wanted to be sure, because another DIS poster said it was some fancy plug. She told me what type it was (gave me a link to bestbuy.com, too), and IT WAS NEARLY $100!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thanks for the info. I read the info from the AA web site, but I wanted to be sure, because another DIS poster said it was some fancy plug. She told me what type it was (gave me a link to bestbuy.com, too), and IT WAS NEARLY $100!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most laptop computers don't include cigarette lighter adpaters. So there are vendors that sell expensive power adapters, with a cigarette lighter plug at one end, and a plug that's specific to a particular make and model of laptop at the other end, and a power converter in-between. Business travelers pay close to $100 for such adapters.

On the other hand, if you buy a portable DVD player, and it includes a car adapter that goes into the cigarette lighter, you're all set for American Airlines! You don't need to buy an additional adapter.

Just make sure your row has powerports. (See the link earlier in this thread.) Powerparts are rather sparse in the back of the economy section.