The AirFly Pro, on Sale for Black Friday, Is the Secret to Making In-Flight Entertainment Better

On international flights, attendants will go seat to seat and hand you a pair of the worst headphones you’ve ever laid on your ears. I don’t usually have a problem with this, seeing as I always take my AirPods Pro to listen to music from my phone or watch something that I’ve downloaded on my tablet. But sometimes I really want to take advantage of the in-flight entertainment.

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The downside of using the in-flight system is that I’m forced to use those terrible airline headphones, because my Bluetooth headphones can’t connect to the in-seat display.

So then I’m forced to use the crappy airline headphones, and what’s worse is that it’s in an environment that’s already difficult for listening in general. I’m dealing with loud engine sounds and crying babies, and the in-flight headphones are tinny and allow all the outside sounds to bleed in, so you can barely hear anything.

That’s where the AirFly Pro comes in. For Black Friday, the AirFly Pro is $44 — $11 off the retail price.

And with gifting season right around the corner, this is a perfect present to give travelers this holiday season, either those coming to see you or those leaving. For more, here are our picks for best headphones and our favorite wireless earbuds.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

The AirFly Pro lets you truly enjoy in-flight entertainment

The AirFly Pro from Twelve South is a minimally designed dongle that you can connect to the 3.5mm headphone jack on your flight to listen to in-flight entertainment on your personal Bluetooth headphones. If you want to spend a little more, you can get the AirFly Pro Deluxe for $52 ($13 off for Black Friday), which comes with an international headphone adapter and a suede travel case.

All you have to do is pair the AirFly Pro with your Bluetooth headphones, like the AirPods Pro or Bose QuietComfort, plug the AirFly Pro into the display in front of you — and you’re all set. You don’t even need to use your phone to connect the two devices.

If you’re worried about battery life, the AirFly Pro lasts for more than 25 hours and can fully charge in 3 hours.

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You can also pair two separate pairs of headphones to a single AirFly Pro, in case you’re 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, so you can turn any speaker with a headphone jack, like your old car stereo, into a Bluetooth speaker.

Besides my Anker MagSafe battery pack, the AirFly Pro really has become my most treasured travel accessory when I fly. For more on travel, here’s our favorite tech essentials to travel with and our favorite travel pillows.