I think this question has probably popped into everyone’s mind at least once. You’re about to go on an amazing trip, Can you’ve kept all the airline’s baggage restrictions in mind. You just can’t remember seeing anything specifically about headphones.
You do know that they don’t allow you to use your phone on the airplane, but they do give away your phones (or sell them), so you can watch the in-flight entertainment. So, what about your own Bluetooth headphones?
Officially, you can’t use wifi or Bluetooth devices on an airplane unless they are on ‘flight mode’. The main reason for concern is ground network interference, which means that your signal could interfere with airplane communication. Short-range Bluetooth devices like headphones pose less of a risk.
Now that we all feel a bit more relaxed, let’s look at exactly why airlines banned these devices, which airlines have changed their policies (headphone-friendly airlines I call them) and the elephant in the room, why do airlines give out those weird two-prong earphones?
Why do airlines ban the use of headphones
Ok, so Bluetooth and Wi-fi transmitting devices I get, but I’ve heard of some airlines banning the use of high-end noise-canceling headphones. What’s up with that? And, as the rules change depending on the airline (international airlines operate on their own rules), you just never know if it’s a yes or a no. Where’s the logic?
Some airlines ban the use of personal headphones due to safety risks. Noise-canceling headphones can prevent you from hearing emergency instructions, for instance. To be on the safe side, ask the attendant, and keep it off during taxiing, take-off, and landing.
Ok, fair enough, that makes sense. We can all respect measures that are put in place for safety reasons. I just wish they would all come together and decide on a universal rule (or scratch that – rather appreciate the few cases where I can use my headphones in noise-canceling peace).
There is one contradiction to this rule, another crazy airline policy… wait for it… All passengers must use headphones when listening to their own personal electronic devices (yeah, I see you doing a double-take).
Turns out, you have to use wired headphones (the non-canceling type), so you don’t disturb your fellow passengers.
Confusing right? Let’s summarize:
- You can’t use noise-canceling headphones on a flight, as that might put you at risk of not hearing emergency announcements.
- You have to use wired headphones when listening to a personal electronic device in order to not disturb the other passengers.
So, I guess the next logical question is which airlines are headphone-friendly? I might need to adjust my bookings accordingly…
Which airlines allow the use of Bluetooth headphones
Clearly, the rules are so different; it’s hard to know when it’s ok and when not. To simplify things a bit, it might be helpful just knowing which airlines actually allow some use of Bluetooth headphones.
I’ve summed up the 12 airlines that have written statements on their headphone policies. Let’s have a look:
| Airline | Policy |
| American Airlines | Bluetooth headphones are permitted, but not during the takeoff and landing. Make sure they’re switched off till your safety belt sign goes off. |
| Delta | Bluetooth headphones are allowed, but not during the takeoff or landing. Make sure they’re switched off till your safety belt sign goes off. |
| United Airlines | Bluetooth headphones are permitted during the entire flight. |
| Southwest airlines | Bluetooth headphones are permitted in-flight, but not during the takeoff and landing. Make sure they’re switched off till your safety belt sign goes off. |
| JetBlue | Bluetooth headphones are allowed during the entire flight. |
| Alaska Airlines | Bluetooth headphones are allowed during the entire flight. |
| Spirit Airlines | Bluetooth headphones are allowed during the entire flight. |
| Air Canada | Bluetooth headphones are allowed during the entire flight, but only on airplanes that offer Wi-Fi services. This means some of their older aircraft won’t permit the use of these devices. |
| Lufthansa | Bluetooth headphones are allowed during the entire flight. |
| Air France | Bluetooth headphones are allowed during the entire flight. |
| Ryanair | Bluetooth headphones are allowed during the entire flight. |
| British Airways | Bluetooth headphones are allowed, but not during takeoff and landing. Make sure they’re switched off till your safety belt sign goes off. |
Can airport security confiscate your Bluetooth headphones
If the rules differ so greatly, that does raise some concern about airport security. If these guys will take a half-drunk bottle of water, will they take my brand new Audio-Technica ATH-M50x? I would sooner go music-less for a flight to Europe than risk that – so, what’s the deal with the airport popo?
Airport security won’t take your headphones. There are no grounds for this, and the Transport Security Association (TSA) even clearly states on their website that headphones are acceptable in your carry or checked luggage. The final decision, however, does rest with the TSA officer.
While that last statement might seem a bit alarming, it’s generally meant for situations where for instance, a police dog starts sniffing your leg and then jumps up and grabs your headphones.
At that stage, you should be worried about a lot more than your confiscated headphones.
Why do airplanes have weird headphone jacks?
So, presuming you made it onto the flight, headphones intact, that’s when the next weird airplane audio issue hits. The weird headphone jacks! What the hell? Two-pronged? Why do the airlines have to make life so hard?
There are two main reasons why airlines use two-pronged jacks, 1) the lack of popularity – it won’t get stolen and 2) maintenance cost-saving – when one side of the audio breaks, the passenger will still hear from one ear, meaning the airline doesn’t have to fix it until both break.
They really have thought about everything, haven’t they? From safety to cost-saving, the airlines have meticulously designed a system that works for them.
Do airplanes give you headphones?
This is a bit of a stickler, the airlines use these awkward headphones that you can’t use anywhere else, and then some of them have the nerve to charge you for them!
The main issue I have with that is that you don’t know who’s giving them out for free and who’s charging.
An easy way to solve this problem and to avoid an additional airline charge is to bring your headphones. While business class and most international and economy flights will give you a pair of earphones, unfortunately, short flight coach passengers might have to pay for the luxury.
While that sucks, it is just a short flight, and you won’t be able to use them anywhere else (they’re also really poor quality), so just take a nap and remember to bring your own next time.
Can you use your wired headphones on a plane
It seems like a pretty straightforward answer, but then I started thinking about it a bit… how would it work? The airplanes have that weird two-prong plug, and my headphones have the normal 3.5 mm jack. Could I just stick it into one of the plugs? Ok, so maybe it’s not so simple after all.
While you can and should take your wired headphones on your next flight, especially if you want to listen to your personal device, or avoid fees for airline headphones, you’ll have to use an adapter to fit the two-pronged airplane plug. Some airlines have adapters, but don’t bet on it.
There are a number of really affordable adapters out there, so just invest in one and stick it in your carry on so you never leave it at home. They take up no space and weigh virtually nothing, so you have no excuse.
How to use wireless headphones with the in-flight entertainment system
If you’ve found yourself on an international flight (of say 10+ hours), there are quite a few movies to be watched. And, they’re generally not all that bad, you might get through a few blockbusters that you haven’t had time for.
So, if you’re on a flight that actually allows the use of Bluetooth devices, how would you actually connect?
Not every type of person would go through this amount of effort for great sound. But, my fellow audiophiles, I get you. There needs to be a way to connect your wireless headphones to the in-flight entertainment system.
It’s actually easy to connect your Bluetooth wireless to the in-flight system; you just need the right tools. You need 1) a two-prong airline plug adapted, and 2) a 3.5mm Bluetooth Adapter. Plug the two adapters into each other and then into the airline system, and you’re good to go.
There are quite a few Bluetooth transmitter-receiver adapters on the market, and if you’ve already invested in a two-prong airline plug adapted, it’s easy to set it all up.
In fact, any audio loving person would see this as a standard flight kit. You can’t leave home without it.
This system is the perfect solution to anyone using Bluetooth headphones, AirPods, or AirPods Pro.
You might ask me, but why not just use the dongle? The answer is simple, battery. By plugging into the airline system, you don’t have to worry about the dongle battery running out.
That means you can watch those 10+ hours of movies (if your headphones will last that is).
1) How to use a Bluetooth adapter to pair with your headphones
If you haven’t used this system on a flight, it’s actually really simple. I’ll get to the technical stuff in a bit, but first, let’s look at some of the issues you might occur:
● Pair your Bluetooth Headphones or AirPods Pro might take a few tries:
If you’re allowed to use your Bluetooth devices in-flight, so is everyone else. This means there’ll be a number of other Bluetooth signals flying around and devices trying to connect.
It might help if you turn off any other Bluetooth signals you have, such as your phone or your computer.
Because your headphones have already connected to those devices, it might help to just take them out of the equation.
● Some Adapters are trickier to navigate:
Case in point, the Hagibis adapter has a second button for switching between modes. This means you’ll need to know what to press when, so make sure you take the instructions with, or just press buttons till you manage to get the lights blinking.
● Volume might suck:
For some reason, in-flight audio can be different from what you’re used to. This won’t always happen, but just mentally prepare yourself that all your efforts could leave you still wanting more.
This could be a firmware update issue on some Headphones / Airpods, so perhaps just check the forums for recent complaints before you board.
● If you don’t have a two-prong adapter, battery life might be an issue:
You might want to choose a dongle that’s going to last longer to be on the safe side, even if you have an adapter.
Exactly for the reason that airlines don’t always fix faulty plugs, so even if you have the adapter, it might not charge.
Most dongles will offer around 5 hours of battery life, but some, like the Airfly Classic, boast 8 hours, and the Airfly pro will take you to Europe with an impressive 16-hour battery life for just $20 more than the classic.
Now, the setup for all of these devices is pretty standard:
- ALWAYS fully charge the adapter before your flight
- While the adapter is off, press and hold the main button to switch it to pairing mode
- Put your headphones in pairing mode and hold the dongle close to your headphones
- Wait for the LED lights to blink and indicate that they have pared. The color, blink speed, or both will vary depending on the dongle and headphones you have.
- If you can plug in the adapter, do it, it will save your battery
- Put on your headphones and play a movie to see if it’s working
- If not, restart the adapter by holding down the power button, and start over at step 2, and paying more attention at step 4.
2) You can connect your headphones to the in-flight Wi-Fi system
This is also gaining popularity; some flights now have a paid Wi-Fi system that offers a much wider entertainment library for streaming to your personal device. You only have to log on to access the movies.
It’s much easier to connect, as the airlines already have dongles installed, saving you effort and battery.
The only thing left to do is to choose the best (and most comfortable) headphones so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight.
I really liked the Bose Noise Cancelling 700 headphones as they’re super light and one of the most comfortable headphones for those long haul flights.
My second runner up will be the Sony 1000x M3 headphones. They both come with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a cable that can plug into the adapter if you don’t want to use it wirelessly.
Can I still use Bluetooth in airplane mode?
Airplane mode disables your phone’s cellular radio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, all of which are wireless transmission functions.
But with so many flights now offering Wi-Fi, can you turn on your Bluetooth or Wi-Fi while still in Airplane mode?
Some devices do actually allow you to turn back on certain transmissions even if you’re in airplane mode.
If you’d like to listen to something off your phone, tablet, iPad, etc. with your Bluetooth headphones, what are the rules?
The airline mostly determines if this will be allowed. If you can use wi-fi or Bluetooth on the airplane, you should be able to switch it on in airplane mode. You can turn them on without turning on your mobile data by going to the control center.
As a Final Thought
The good news it seems… You can use Bluetooth headphones on some flights, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Each airline has its own rules, follow them.
- If you don’t know the rules, you can ask an attendant and put them away in the overhead compartment. Headphones are allowed in your carry on luggage.
- Airplanes have different headphone plugs, so make sure you prepare for the flight by getting an adapter.
If you’re worried that your headphones will affect the airplane in any way, don’t be, we’ve come a long way, with in-flight Wi-Fi and soon even mobile data, and your headphones only need to connect to a very short distance, meaning that they don’t pose a threat to ground communication. Enjoy your flight!
