United gives iPad/iPhone users FREE TV and movies all flight long

Next time you realize the only movie playing on your United flight to Spokane is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (AGAIN!), don’t stab yourself with a plastic spork.

As of April 1st, United's teaming up with Apple to allow passengers with iOS 7 devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod) or any laptop with a specific browser plug-in to download/stream around 150 movies and 200 TV shows in-flight for FREE. All they’ll need is the United App. Android users are, unfortunately, out of luck.

While the gratis stuff (think Iron Man, House of Cards, Social Network -- not Romancing the Stone and Yentl) will initially be available only on the airline's Airbus A319, A320, Boeing 747-400 and select 777-200 planes, they hope to have the entire domestic fleet equipped with the new system by the end of 2014.

Think this is all a clever ruse to get you to pay for Internet? Well, it probably is in the long run but for now the airline confirms that users can download the app and plug-in during their flight without purchasing Wi-Fi -- how long that lasts though is anybody's guess.