The Atlantic

The Guilt-Free Pleasure of Airplane Movies

Amid the endless tiny indignities of air travel, only one true retreat remains.
Source: DreamWorks Pictures; The Atlantic

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For most of us, to travel by air is to endure a million tiny indignities: strictly enforced cabin hierarchies, ludicrously small pretzel snack packs, coffin-size lavatories, vicious elbow battles over shared armrests—never mind all the cancellations and delays.

When I’m trapped in a metal tube, trying my best to keep my limbs from inconveniencing anyone else around me, I find myself clinging to might as well be actual luxury. Airplanes are a place of needle-thin margins, where an ounce of comfort for yourself can come at a steep cost to someone else. Only one true retreat remains: watching free movies.

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