Bluetooth audio adapters

What Bluetooth audio adapters are

Most seatback and armrest entertainment systems still offer only a wired headphone jack. An adapter turns that jack into a Bluetooth source, so AirPods and other wireless headphones can play the movie.

• Also called transmitters: Makers and reviewers also call them Bluetooth transmitters, airplane adapters or dongles.
• Why you need one: Not every over-ear headphone works with a cable, and only some earbud cases accept a wired connection, CNET notes.
• Keep noise canceling: Through an adapter, headphones keep wireless features such as active noise canceling and spatial audio; ZDNET’s reviewer used both on a flight.
• Not only for planes: The same adapter works with gym machines, a Nintendo Switch and other devices with a 3.5 mm jack.
• Who makes them: Twelve South (AirFly), Avantree and MEE audio sell adapters designed for in-flight use.

How they work

The adapter takes the analog sound from the jack, compresses it with a Bluetooth audio codec and streams it in the 2.4 GHz band to your headphones. A codec such as aptX helps only when both ends support it; otherwise the link uses SBC, the codec the Bluetooth standard requires.

• A plug and a battery: A short 3.5 mm plug or cable goes into the seat jack; the adapter runs on its own battery and recharges in about two hours.
• Pairing mode: Put the headphones in pairing mode, then hold the adapter’s pair button until they connect; an AirFly remembers them for next time.
• Two listeners: Dual-link models stream the same sound to two pairs at once; the AirFly Pro 2 has a separate pair button for each.
• Transmit or receive: Some models have a TX/RX switch: TX sends seat audio to headphones, RX takes phone audio into an aux input such as an older car’s.
• Short range: Classic Bluetooth reaches about 10 m (33 ft); Avantree rates its Relay at 33 ft.
• Volume in two places: Loudness depends on the seat’s volume and the headphones’ own volume; MEE audio advises raising the seat volume first.

Types

• Single-listener dongles: One pair of headphones and few buttons; the AirFly SE is an example.
• Dual-link transmitters: Stream to two pairs at once so a companion can listen; examples include the AirFly Pro 2, Avantree Relay and MEE audio Connect Air.
• Transmitter-receivers: Add a receive mode for car stereos and other aux inputs; the AirFly Pro 2 and Airfly View do both, while the Relay only transmits.
• Screen-guided adapters: A small display shows pairing and battery status; Avantree’s Voyager uses an OLED screen, and the Airfly View guides setup in 24 languages.
• Auracast adapters: Broadcast one stream to any number of LE Audio receivers, including some hearing aids; the Voyager and Airfly View support it.
• Built-in seat Bluetooth: Some newer aircraft let you pair headphones straight to the screen, with no adapter; United and Delta are adding it.

What to look for

• Battery life: Look for 20 hours or more; CNET puts the longest flight, New York JFK to Singapore, at about 18 hours 40 minutes.
• One listener or two: Dual-link adapters let a companion share the screen; the Voyager connects only one headset over classic Bluetooth.
• Codec match: aptX gains apply only if your headphones support aptX too; CNET notes Apple devices support only AAC and SBC.
• Audio delay: Lag depends on the codec: Avantree lists about 40 ms for aptX Low Latency and about 220 ms for SBC on its Relay.
• Adapter in the box: The Relay, Voyager, Airfly View and AirFly Pro 2 Deluxe include a dual-prong airline adapter; other models sell it separately.
• Clear controls: Volume buttons, separate pair buttons and battery lights or a screen make setup easier; CNET found the Pro 2’s added buttons clearer.
• Size and weight: They weigh little: 0.48 oz for the AirFly SE, 15 g for the Relay, 16.5 g for the AirFly Pro 2, 22 g for the Voyager.

On the plane and on the trip

• Pack it in the cabin: TSA allows devices with lithium batteries of 100 Wh or less in carry-on and checked bags; the FAA recommends the cabin and says checked devices must be fully off.
• A tiny battery: Twelve South rates the AirFly SE battery at 0.8 Wh, far below the 100 Wh limit.
• Bluetooth on board: Since 2013 the FAA has let airlines allow Bluetooth accessories with devices in airplane mode; each airline sets its rules, and crews may ask for devices off in low visibility.
• Two-pin seat jacks: Older armrests may have two mono 3.5 mm jacks side by side; a stereo plug in one of them plays in one ear only, so pack a dual-prong adapter.
• Seats with Bluetooth: United, first in the U.S. in 2021, had seatback Bluetooth on more than 300 aircraft in 2025; Delta planned it for every cabin of select new jets from 2026.
• Pair before the movie: CNET advises switching off your phone’s Bluetooth first so the headphones do not connect to it instead.
• After landing: In receive mode, the AirFly Pro 2 sends phone audio to an older car’s aux input; adapters also work with gym equipment.

Limits and care

• Some lag remains: CNET noticed a slight delay between picture and sound on the AirFly Pro 2, which Twelve South puts at 34 ms.
• Small codec gains: CNET hears little difference between SBC and aptX on most headphones, and says any gain is lost in engine noise.
• No screen, no use: Alaska Airlines has dropped seatback screens on many flights in favor of streaming to your own device, CNET reports.
• Aircraft swaps: CNET warns that a plane change can remove the seatback or Bluetooth option your route usually has.
• Check the mode: The Relay transmits only and has no microphone, so it cannot take phone calls or receive audio from a phone.
• Hearing aids: Avantree says the Relay does not suit hearing aids without standard Bluetooth audio; its Voyager HA is built for Auracast hearing aids.
• Care: Twelve South advises keeping an AirFly dry, wiping it with a soft dry cloth, avoiding extreme temperatures and charging it now and then in storage.

A short history

Airline audio began with hollow-tube pneumatic headsets, first supplied to TWA in 1963; electronic headsets replaced them from 1979. Bluetooth grew from an Ericsson project begun in 1989 to build wireless headsets, and its industry group launched in May 1998.

• October 2013: The FAA tells airlines they can let passengers use electronics in all phases of flight, including Bluetooth accessories, in airplane mode.
• May 2018: Twelve South releases the AirFly, with an 8-hour battery, to link AirPods to wired jacks on planes and gym machines.
• November 2019: The AirFly Pro adds a second pair of headphones, a receive mode and a 16-hour battery.
• January 2020: LE Audio is announced, with the LC3 codec and broadcast to many headphones, now called Auracast.
• 2021: United becomes the first U.S. airline to offer Bluetooth in its seatback screens.
• March 2025: The AirFly Pro 2 adds volume buttons, a Qualcomm QCC3056 chip and a 25-hour battery.
• October 2026: Twelve South launches the Airfly View, its first adapter with a built-in screen, with Auracast support.