Take note Qantas and Virgin Australia. U.S. carrier American Airlines has forged a partnership deal with Samsung that will see the Galaxy Note become a regular fixture on future flights of the airline.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Texas-based American Airlines said the move is part of underway efforts to modernise the company's operations, purportedly to reclaim too its former seat as the top industry player.

"We're pioneering important new technologies as part of our continued effort to build a new American and return to industry leadership," American Airlines chief information officer Maya Leibman said in the press statement.

The tablet program, American said, "is the first of its kind in the airline industry."

"By giving (the Galaxy Note) to all of our active flight attendants we are better enabling our people to deliver an exceptional customer experience," American Airlines vice president for flight services Lauri Curtis.

All the 17,000-strong American Airlines will receive Samsung's bestselling phone-tablet, which critics initially labelled as an awkward gadget that is either too big for a smartphone or too small for a tablet computer.

But the device, with a 5.3-inch screen, eventually sold 10 million units as of August 2012 following its rollout last year, Samsung said. A second version is slated to hit stores worldwide by October this year, the company added.

Around that same time, American Airlines will commence distribution of the phablet and it is understood that Samsung will deliver the first edition, which the company said was picked among other devices that were tried out by in-flight cabin crews due to its rich functions and features.

"Samsung Galaxy Note was ultimately selected because of its thin, portable design, easy to handle profile, SAFE security features, and 5.3-inch HD display that provide wide-screen readability and the functionality necessary to equip flight attendants with the ability to better know their customers and deliver the service they value," the company press release said.

The strategic shift will provide flight attendants "greater access to more information about the customers onboard their flight," American Airlines said.

Using the phablet will also allow the U.S. carrier to meet its environment-friendly goals by eventually eliminating flight manual on papers during operations.

"Adding the manual to the device will eventually eliminate the need for flight attendants to carry paper manuals - a more fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly approach," the airline said.

Qantas had earlier said this year that its flight crews will be given iPads to do away with the voluminous manuals that pilots carry with them on every flight.