This Tiny Device Pairs Your Wireless Headphones with the In-Flight Entertainment System
May 31, 2018
Though they can seem like the ultimate test of endurance and patience, long-haul flights have at least one upside: Plenty of time for shameless movie marathons. But in-flight movie-viewing can also end up being a frustrating experience, in large part due to the flimsy, foam-capped headphones given out in most economy cabins. Volume all the way up, hands cupped against the crushing plastic on your ears, you still can’t hear a damn thing over the plane’s engines. It’s all the more irritating when you have a pair of top-of-the-line wireless headphones sitting in your backpack that you can’t connect to the screen. If only there was a way to use those Bluetooth cans you invested in for the in-flight system…
In today’s unfortunate Age of the Dongle, we’ve finally found one that makes life easier rather than just more annoying. AirFly is a new dongle-like gadget from Twelve South, a company that specializes in add-ons for Apple products. The matchbook-sized device works as a Bluetooth receiver: You plug it into the headphone jack in your armrest, connect your AirPods or wireless earphones to it, and presto, the audio from the screen in front of you is sent right to your ears—no wires and no disposable headphones that look like they were found in a Happy Meal.
It’s real strength is its simplicity. The AirFly, currently priced at $39.99, is just three tiny parts that neatly fit into a sleek microfiber pouch: a micro-USB cord for charging; a short 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable to plug the transmitter into a headphone jack; and the transmitter itself, a minimalist white rectangle with a single button that performs multiple functions. To get AirFly up and running, you simply hold down the button until it flashes amber and white, put your Bluetooth headphones into pairing mode, wait a couple of seconds until the two find each other, and then plug the receiver into the headphone jack. With AirPods, it’s a similar process, except you keep them in their charging case while pairing. On a full charge, which takes two hours to complete, the AirFly lasts about eight hours. It can be used in any normal 3.5mm headphone jack and not just on airplanes. The company says it works at the gym too, so you don’t have to deal with wires while watching your treadmill’s screen.
Posted from Conde Nast Traveler