Are you wanting to bring your laptop or other electronics on a plane but not sure if they will have power outlets or USB ports to help you remain charged?
In this article, we will take a thorough look at all of the major US airlines and see which ones offer power outlets and USB ports.
You’ll get to see exactly which type of aircraft you can expect to find these on and also get some insight into what type of power you can expect to receive while flying.
Table of Contents
How to know if your aircraft has power outlets & USB ports
It’s quite easy to find out if your aircraft has power outlets and USB ports.
First, you can quickly check the tables below which provide an overview on which airlines offer them.
But before you take flight you will want to check if your specific flight has power outlets and USB ports. An easy way to do this is to check Google Flights.
Simply look up your exact flight and then click on the details to see if you find an icon for power outlets and USB ports. It will look like the image below.
On the airline’s website you should also be able to see if the flight has power outlets or USB ports. In the sections below, we will show you what those icons look like for the different major US airlines.
Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!
Overview of power outlets and USB ports on planes
Below are a few things to know about power outlets and USB ports on planes that will help you have the right expectations as you fly.
Cabins with outlets
Most first class and business class cabins will have power outlets and/or USBs for each seat. It’s not always a guarantee but as you can see below, the vast majority of major US carriers provide them in premium cabins.
As for economy, it is much less common for economy passengers to have their own power outlets and USB ports. If there are power outlets, you may have to share them with other passengers.
Also, sometimes the power outlets are only found in the first few rows of economy (in something like economy plus).
Location
Exactly where you will find your power outlet and USB port is going to be different on each aircraft.
Sometimes you can find them close together on the seat back but other times they may be located between the seats. This is especially true if you are seated in economy and sharing an outlet with another seat.
If you’re flying first or business class sometimes you have to go on the hunt for them somewhere in the side of your seat, underneath your seat, or even inside of a storage compartment. Truly premium cabins often have multiple power outlets or USB ports for each passenger.
Aircraft
The type of aircraft you’re flying on will dictate if the airline provides a power outlet and USB port.
Generally, the newer or refurbished aircraft are going to provide power outlets and USB ports and they may do so for every individual seat. Aircraft used on long-haul flights also tend to be more equipped when it comes to electronics.
As pointed out below, aircraft can come in several different versions and so sometimes if you are not on an updated version of that aircraft you might miss out on power outlets.
Smaller aircraft like Bombardier CRJ-700 and Embraer ERJ-140 sometimes have outlets in premium cabins but often they do not.
Airlines
You can often set your outlet expectations based on the type of airline you are flying.
Ultra low cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier will not have power outlets and USB ports. Southwest flights will not have them although they are starting to add USB ports.
But when it comes to most major US airlines that are not budget oriented, you’ll find outlets/USBs on lots of aircraft, especially in premium cabins.
Broken outlets
It’s not uncommon for outlets to be malfunctioning on aircraft.
When this happens, you might be able to get some form of compensation depending on the duration of the flight, your class, etc.
But the biggest thing to keep in mind when flying is that if you plan on being dependent on power to get something done, it may not be guaranteed.
Universal outlets
Many of the 110V power outlets in aircraft are universal so you do not need an adapter.
However, this is not always the case.
Unfortunately, many customer service representatives struggle to provide details on adapters that may be needed so it is best to always prepared if you suspect you might need one.
What can the power outlets handle?
The maximum wattage that an outlet can handle in an airplane is going to differ for each airline/aircraft.
But typically, you can expect the outlet to handle about 75W.
Sometimes, an entire row might be allocated more such as the case with Alaska Airlines which provides a max of 250 watts in each row.
If your laptop has an adapter indicating a higher wattage, you may still be able to use it.
For example, we confirmed with Apple that adapters can “downgrade” to lower wattage in order to be compatible with these type of outlets. For example, according to Apple, a 96W Macbook Pro adapter should be able to work on an outlet that handles 75W.
Keep in mind that the wattage available to you could also depend on how much power is being used by your neighbors in the cabin.
If you overdo it with the power outlet you could trip it. You’ll know that that has happened if all of a sudden you are not receiving any power from the outlet.
When this happens, sometimes you can ask the flight attendant and they can reset it for you.
Just keep in mind that tripping the power outlet could disable the electronic features on your seat which could be a big deal for business class and first class passengers.
Also, sometimes your laptop might be receiving less power than it is using. So plugging in your computer may only slow down your battery getting drained.
Here are some things that you can do to make it easier to work with your laptop on a plane:
Remove the battery
If you can remove your laptop’s battery, the laptop won’t be able to draw power to charge a battery.
You have to be careful with this though because sometimes laptops rely on battery power for short moments and this could cause you to lose your work if your laptop unexpectedly loses power.
Turn off certain features
You can greatly reduce your power by turning down the brightness, closing out of apps, reducing the amount of open browser tabs. You may also be able to adjust the power options which could help significantly.
Find more tips on reducing the power usage of your laptop here and here.
USB ports and your privacy
Using public USB ports such as those found in hotels can sometimes be risky. There is something called “juice jacking” which is where a hacker could get access to your private data when you plug in your device to a USB port.
I honestly would not worry as much about USB ports on the plane as those seem exponentially more difficult for a hacker to successfully utilize.
I’m sure it’s still possible but given the difficulties involved with obtaining the data, I would wager this would be extremely uncommon/nonexistent.
If you are still worried about juice jacking up in the sky you can still use a USB data blocker.
Breakdown of major US airlines with outlets
Below is a breakdown of the major US airlines. You’ll see whether or not eat your aircraft has power outlets and USB ports.
In some cases, you may encounter multiple versions of an aircraft and we have indicated that with V1, V2, etc. An “*” indicates that some seats on the aircraft may not have outlets or USB ports.
All information was verified with seatguru.com, Google Flights, and the airline’s website, and should be accurate as of June 2022.
Some airlines are constantly refurbishing aircraft and so they may be adding power outlets and USB ports. If you spot any information that should be updated, feel free to contact us!
Alaska Airlines
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Airbus A319 V1 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A320 V1 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A321 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 737-700 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 737-800 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 737-900 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 737-900ER | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 737-9 MAX | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Bombardier Q400 | No | No |
| Embraer 175 | Individual outlets in F/J | Individual usb in F/J |
American Airlines
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Airbus A319 | Yes, every seat | Contact Airline |
| Airbus A320 | No | No |
| Airbus A321 V1 | No | No |
| Airbus A321 V2 | Yes* | Yes* |
| Airbus A321neo | Yes, every seat | Yes* |
| Airbus A330-200 | Yes, every seat | Contact Airline |
| Boeing 737 Max 8 | Yes* | Yes* |
| Boeing 737-800 V1 | Individual outlets in F/J and Main Cabin Extra; Shared in Y | Yes* |
| Boeing 737-800 V2 | Yes, every seat | Yes* |
| Boeing 777-200 | Yes* | Yes* |
| Boeing 777-300ER | Yes* | Yes* |
| Boeing 787-8 | Yes* | Yes* |
| Boeing 787-9 | Yes, every seat | Yes* |
| Bombardier CRJ-700 V1 | No | No |
| Bombardier CRJ-700 V2 | Yes, every seat | No |
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | No | No |
| Embraer ERJ-140 | No | No |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | No | No |
| Embraer ERJ-170 | No | No |
| Embraer ERJ-175 | No | No |
Delta
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Airbus A220-100 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A220-300 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A319 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A320 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A321 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A321neo | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A330-200 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and some select Y | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A330-300 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and some select Y | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A330-900neo | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A350-900 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 717-200 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 737-700 | Individual outlets in F/J; None in Y | No |
| Boeing 737-800 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and some select Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 737-900ER | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 757-200 V1 | No | No |
| Boeing 757-200 V2 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 757-300 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 767-300ER V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and some select Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 767-300ER V2 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and some select Y | No |
| Boeing 767-400ER V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and some select Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 767-400ER V2 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and some select Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 777-200ER/LR | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus | Yes, every seat |
| Bombardier CRJ-100/200 | No | No |
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus; None in Y | Individual usb in F/J and Comfort Plus; None in Y |
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | No | No |
| Bombardier CRJ-900 Atmosphere Cabin | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus and in Y | Individual usb in F/J; Shared usb in Delta Comfort Plus and in Y |
| Embraer E-170 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Delta Comfort Plus; None in Y | Individual usb in F/J and Comfort Plus; None in Y |
| Embraer E-175 V1 | Yes* | Yes* |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Individual outlets in F/J | Contact Airline |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-90 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in some select Delta Comfort Plus | Individual usb in F/J; Shared usb in some select Delta Comfort Plus |
Frontier
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Airbus A319 L2 | No | No |
| Airbus A320 L2 | No | No |
| Airbus A321 | No | No |
Hawaiian Airlines
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Aerospatiale ATR-42 | No | No |
| Airbus A321neo | Individual outlets in F/J | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A330-200 | Individual outlets in F/J | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 717-200 | No | No |
JetBlue
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Airbus A320 V1 | No | No |
| Airbus A320 V2 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A321 V1 | Individual outlets in Even More Space; Shared in Core | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A321 V2 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Airbus A321neo | Individual outlets in Even More Space; Shared in Core | Yes, every seat |
| Embraer E-190 | No | No |
Southwest Airlines
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | No | No |
| Boeing 737-700 | No | No |
| Boeing 737-800 | No | No |
Spirit
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Airbus A319-100 | No | No |
| Airbus A320-200 | No | No |
| Airbus A320neo | No | No |
| Airbus A321-200 | No | No |
United
| Aircraft | Power Outlet | USB |
| Airbus A319 V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus; None in Y | No |
| Airbus A320 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus; None in Y | No |
| Boeing 737 Max 8 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | No |
| Boeing 737 Max 9 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | No |
| Boeing 737-700 Domestic V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and some select Y | No |
| Boeing 737-700 Domestic V2 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and some select Y | No |
| Boeing 737-700 Micronesia | No | No |
| Boeing 737-800 V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and some select Y | No |
| Boeing 737-800 V2 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus; None in Y | No |
| Boeing 737-900 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | No |
| Boeing 757-200 V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Individual usb in F/J |
| Boeing 757-200 V2 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Contact Airline |
| Boeing 757-200 V3 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 757-300 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 767-300ER V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Individual usb in F/J |
| Boeing 767-300ER V2 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 767-300ER V3 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 767-400ER | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 777-200 V1 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Contact Airline |
| Boeing 777-200 V2 | Yes, every seat | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 777-300ER | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 787-10 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 787-8 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Yes, every seat |
| Boeing 787-9 V2 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | Yes, every seat |
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | No | No |
| Bombardier CRJ-550 | No | No |
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | No | No |
| Bombardier Q200 | No | No |
| Bombardier Q300 | No | No |
| Bombardier Q400 V2 | No | No |
| Embraer EMB 170 | No | No |
| Embraer EMB 175 | Individual outlets in F/J; Shared outlets in Economy Plus and Y | No |
| Embraer EMB-120 V2 | No | No |
| Embraer ERJ-135 | No | No |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | No | No |
| Embraer ERJ-175 | Individual outlets in F/J | Contact Airline |
| Saab 340B | No | No |
Final word
Power outlets and USB ports are still not a guarantee on every aircraft. To make sure that you will have outlets it is best to check the details of your specific flight because there can be different versions of the same aircraft.
If you are flying first class or business you stand a good chance of having them but it is less common to have your own individual outlets in economy.
Finally, be prepared for outlets to be malfunctioning sometimes as you cannot always count on them to work.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
Hi,
Thanks for the very useful and informative article. I’m wondering about the airline seat power capacity for electronics other than computers. I’ve started using a vibrating massage type seat cushion on the longer flights I take. It’s 12 W, 0.5A. Is their any cause for concern using it?
Many thanks
The expression F/j is used 47 times but not defoined anywhere. What the hell is F/j for th elocation of a electric outlet?