This Bluetooth Dongle Is Essential for Holiday Flights. You’ll Thank Me When You Land

One highlight of traveling is detaching from the world through in-flight entertainment, which features movies that are still in theaters or not yet available for streaming. 

Often, that requires a wired set of earbuds, which few people remember to bring. (And sorry, the ones the airline hands out are so bad they may as well not even be connected.) I far prefer wireless, noise-canceling AirPods Pro, but they connect only via Bluetooth.

On long trips, decent audio can make all the difference. Between the engine noise, crying babies and that one guy snoring in 14C, you need a simple device that fixes the problem and makes flying feel more like streaming at home.

The AirFly is a simple Bluetooth dongle that allows me to connect my wireless earbuds (such as my AirPods Pro) directly to the airplane’s entertainment system, eliminating the need for adapters or wired workarounds. 

It’s become a must-pack item in my travel bag. Since I started using it, I’ve stopped dreading in-flight audio and finally get to enjoy movies on the plane. If you fly often, this little gadget could completely change how you travel.

The AirFly Pro lets me enjoy in-flight entertainment

The AirFly Pro from Twelve South is a minimally designed dongle that allows me to connect to the 3.5mm headphone jack in my airplane seat, enabling me to listen to in-flight entertainment on my noise-canceling earbuds.

All I have to do is pair the AirFly with the Bluetooth headphones I’m using, such as my AirPods Pro, plug the AirFly into the display in front of me, and I’m all set. I don’t even need to use my phone to connect the two devices.

There are several versions of the AirFly: the AirFly SE, which is currently on sale for $35 on Amazon and connects to just one set of headphones, the AirFly Pro at $55, the Pro V2 at $70, which is the newest version of the AirFly Pro and is also on sale for Amazon Prime Day, and the Pro Deluxe at $70, which comes with an international headphone adapter and a suede travel case.

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I use the AirFly Pro, which has been a game-changer for me on flights. I’ve never had to worry about battery life since the AirFly Pro lasts for over 25 hours and can be fully charged in just 3 hours. I can also pair two separate pairs of headphones to a single AirFly Pro, in case I’m with someone else on a flight and want to watch the same movie or show. 

And if that’s not enough, the AirFly Pro also doubles as an audio transmitter, allowing me to turn any speaker with a headphone jack, such as my old car stereo, into a Bluetooth speaker.

The AirFly Pro makes a great gift for any traveler

The AirFly Pro is the perfect present to give to someone who’s planning to travel this year. Besides my Anker MagSafe battery pack, the AirFly Pro has become my most treasured travel accessory when I fly, which is why I consider it one of those can’t-go-wrong gifts. 

For more travel gear, here are our favorite tech essentials to travel with and our favorite travel pillows.