---
title: Watching videos with a phone holder
date: 2026-09-22T19:08:00+05:30
categories:
- interesting-experiences
description: On an Air India flight from Mumbai to Hyderabad, I found a stretchable phone holder built into the seat back - a simple alternative to in-flight entertainment screens.
tags: [travel-anecdote]
---

On Air India AI 2531 from Mumbai to Hyderabad, I saw something ingenious: the seat had a phone holder built in.

![](https://files.s-anand.net/images/2026-09-17-air-india-seat-back-phone-holder.avif)

It stretches up and down, so it should fit a wide range of mobiles. Put your phone in, play a video, and you have your own in-flight screen. This flight didn't have a screen, so this is a pretty good substitute.

Earlier this year, on flights from Singapore to Chennai, one passenger used a [plastic cover](https://www.s-anand.net/blog/watching-videos-with-a-plastic-cover/) to hang her phone from the tray table.

![](https://files.s-anand.net/images/2026-06-05-indigo-flight-phone-plastic-video.avif)

Another used his [phone case and the headrest cover](https://www.s-anand.net/blog/watching-videos-with-a-phone-case/).

![](https://files.s-anand.net/images/2026-08-17-watching-videos-with-a-phone-case.avif)

Air India has been consciously adding these to its newer cabins for at least a couple of years. In [June 2024, it announced PED (personal electronic device) holders across Business, Premium Economy and Economy on its new A320neo cabins](https://www.airindia.com/in/en/newsroom/press-release/all-new-business-premium-economy-cabins.html).

Nice work, Air India. I suspect they aren't the only airline doing this, and likely weren't the first. But this is the first time I've seen it.