Can You Use Airpods On A Plane: Tips On Wireless Earphones
Contents
- Understanding Facts About Using Airpods On A Plane
- Airlines Do Let Passengers Use Airpods On A Plane
- You Can Use AirPods But Not During Critical Stages
- Connecting Airpods To The Plane’s In-Flight Entertainment System
- 1. Using AirFly
- 2. Aircraft WiFi
- Watch This!
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Are there airlines that allow passengers to use PEDs during critical flight stages?
- Can you use AirPods on a plane with no wifi?
- What can I do if I leave my AirPods at the airport?
- Conclusion
- Sources
We all love listening to our favorite songs while traveling, and AirPods can guarantee audiophiles like me an exceptional and relaxing flight.
But…
Traveling by plane has numerous restrictions, the most common being switching off our mobile phones. Therefore, if you’re an audiophile, I’m sure you have asked yourself, “can you use Airpods on a plane?”
Understanding Facts About Using Airpods On A Plane
Anybody can use their AirPods while traveling on a plane. Use got much easier in 2013, when the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) decided airlines could let passengers use portable electronic devices in all phases of flight, with limited exceptions.
Portable electronic devices (PEDs) include phones, tablets, e-readers, electronic toys and MP3 players. Short-range Bluetooth accessories like AirPods count too.
Airpods are small, lightweight equipment with a short Bluetooth range; therefore, you can use them on planes.
Some airlines still ask you to take headphones out during the safety briefing or put devices away for take-off and landing, so follow crew instructions. You must enable Airplane mode during the flight. With your phone on airplane mode, you may have to manually switch on Bluetooth again to enjoy your music.
Unfortunately, if you don’t store your music offline, then you can’t listen to your songs using the AirPods on your smartphone. Therefore, before leaving your house, you should try and store all your favorite songs offline and enjoy them while on a flight; after all, your cell phone will be in airplane mode.
Plus, many planes have Wi-Fi, sometimes free, so you may be able to stream music; hopefully, you can find what you like.
Airlines Do Let Passengers Use Airpods On A Plane
The answer to this question will depend on the airline you use. Even though the FAA allows these devices, each airline decides which devices its aircraft can safely support.
The FAA leaves it to each airline to show that passenger devices won’t interfere with its planes’ navigation and communication systems, which is why rules can differ by carrier.
Fortunately, many airlines now let you use Bluetooth headphones gate to gate in airplane mode. Others ask you to put devices away during critical stages like take-off and landing, so check your airline’s policy.
You Can Use AirPods But Not During Critical Stages
You may also hear about the IATA, the airline industry’s trade association. It isn’t a regulator, so it doesn’t set rules about using AirPods or Bluetooth on planes; national aviation authorities and airlines do.
What airlines do insist on is that all mobile phones stay in Airplane mode during the flight.
Before 2013, U.S. rules limited most device use to above 10,000 feet. Today the FAA lets airlines allow use in all phases of flight.
The TCCA (Transport Canada Civil Aviation) made a similar change in 2014. It lets airlines allow portable electronic devices during all phases of flight, as long as transmitting devices are in flight mode.
Connecting Airpods To The Plane’s In-Flight Entertainment System
Many aircraft have an in-flight entertainment system that passengers can use to pass the time; unfortunately, you usually can’t connect your Airpods to them directly. These systems have no speakers, so you need headphones to hear them.
Most seatback systems have a 3.5mm headphone jack, ideal for all wired headphones, but what about wireless devices? Well, most of them don’t have built-in Bluetooth, though a few newer ones do; therefore, connecting the Airpods can be quite challenging.
To connect your AirPods to the in-flight entertainment systems, you should do the following:
1. Using AirFly
Airfly is an exceptional gadget that helps convert wired-audio signals to Bluetooth signals. And the good thing about it is that it plugs into a 3.5mm headphone jack, like the one on the aircraft’s entertainment system. It then transmits the audio to your wireless headphones.
To connect your Airpods to the aircraft’s entertainment system, plug the AirFly into the seat’s jack, put both the AirFly and your AirPods in pairing mode, and let them connect. Currently, there are several Bluetooth transmitters offering these services, but AirFly works perfectly and can surprise you.
2. Aircraft WiFi
Currently, a huge percentage of the airlines provide WiFi at a cost or even free. Therefore, before connecting to the plane’s WiFi, you need to confirm if it’s free or not. When connected to the WiFi, you can listen to your favorite music using your AirPods.
Many airlines stream movies and shows to your own phone or laptop over the onboard Wi-Fi, often through the airline’s app. Your AirPods stay connected to your device as usual, so you can watch or listen that way.
Outdoor Speak: What if you intend on listening to a speaker instead and not on your pair of Ipods? Would you feel cool or look like a fool? Tune in to our article here: Can You Bring A Speaker On A Plane.
Watch This!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there airlines that allow passengers to use PEDs during critical flight stages?
Yes. Since the FAA’s 2013 change, many airlines allow passengers to use their PEDs during all phases of their flight, including landing and take-offs. But phones must be in airplane mode, because the FCC bans airborne cellular use and because of long-standing concerns about interference with the plane’s navigation.
Can you use AirPods on a plane with no wifi?
Yes, there are several Bluetooth transmitters that you can use to connect to the plane’s entertainment systems. One of the most effective and popular gadgets is Airfly which comes with a 3.5mm jack that is compatible with the plane’s system.
What can I do if I leave my AirPods at the airport?
AirPods are small-sized gadgets, so you can easily forget them on a plane. With the airport being crowded, recovering your wireless headphones can be quite challenging. Fortunately, Apple’s Find My app can show your AirPods’ last known location.
Conclusion
The FAA lets airlines allow passengers to listen to music using their Airpods during their flights.
Some airlines still ask passengers to put these Bluetooth gadgets away during the critical phases of the flight, while many allow them gate to gate, so check your airline’s rules.
And since your phone needs to be in “Airplane mode” during the flight, you can connect to their WiFi service to listen to your favorite music.
Sources
- Use of Portable Electronic Devices Aboard Aircraft (AC 91.21-1D), Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA relaxes in-flight restrictions on electronic devices, PBS NewsHour
- Passengers may use portable electronic devices during all phases of flight, Transport Canada
- AirFly Pro, Twelve South
