Listening to music while traveling has become a habit for most, and AirPods gives the best experience in traveling. But a trip by plane has some restrictions like switching off your phone.
When travelers plan for an air trip, a question begins to poke, are AirPods allowed on planes?
We, the Audiophiles, always love to listen to music. When I experience AirPods’ sound quality, AirPods become an integral part of my life. So I first booked an air trip a couple of months back, and I was curious about whether I could use AirPods on the plane or not.
You are worried too, aren’t you?
Don’t worry. After intensive research, I’ve found the true answer about using AirPods on a plane. So read this article thoroughly, and your confusion about using Apple AirPods while flying will go away.
Can You Use Apple AirPods on a Plane?
Yes, you can use AirPods on a plane. In 2013, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed passengers to carry PED (Portable Electronic Devices) on a flight. AirPods are considered lightweight electrically-powered equipment with a shorter Bluetooth range. So they are usable during flight.
However, you have to turn off your AirPods in critical stages of flight like takeoff and landing.
Furthermore, you have to enable Airplane mode on your phone during your flight time, which disconnects your AirPods from your phone. So you need to turn on Bluetooth to use AirPods with your phone manually.
If you didn’t store your songs offline, you wouldn’t be able to listen to music using AirPods on your phone.
Nevertheless, Aircraft have a WiFi network of their own, which contains a variety of music. You can listen to those once you find something similar to your test.
Check out our latest Fix AirPods Not Working with Oculus Quest 2.
Do Airlines Allow You to Use AirPods during Flight?
Actually, it depends which airlines you are using for travel. Although the FAA allows passengers to use AirPods during flights, some airlines prohibit using any Bluetooth device. Old aircraft are vulnerable to Bluetooth waves.
Bluetooth waves sometimes tamper with the navigation system of aircraft. For these reasons, some Airlines don’t accept AirPods.
Here are the lists of popular Airlines and their willingness to accept AirPods:
| Airline | During critical stages | Above 10,000 ft | In-flight sound system |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | NO | YES | App only |
| Delta | NO | YES | YES |
| United Airlines | YES | YES | Only in app |
| Southwest Airlines | NO | YES | YES |
| JetBlue | YES | YES | NO |
| Alaska Airlines | YES | YES | NO |
| Spirit Airlines | YES | YES | NO |
| Air Canada | NO | YES | NO |
| Lufthansa | YES | YES | YES |
| Air France | YES | YES | NO |
| Ryanair | YES | YES | NO |
| British Airways | NO | YES | NO |
| Allegiant Air | NO | YES | NO |
| EasyJet | NO | YES | NO |
| Frontier Airlines | NO | Ask flight Attendant | NO |
| Qantas Airlines | NO | YES | Only in app |
| WestJet | NO | YES | YES |
| Emirates Airlines | NO | YES | YES |
| Hawaiian Airlines | NO | YES | Only in app |
| American Airlines | NO | YES | Only in app |
Can You Connect AirPods in-flight Entertainment System?
Not directly. Airlines provide you with an in-flight Entertainment System to pass your time. However, speaker systems of most flight Entertainment are awful. So many people use headphones rather than the built-in sound system.
Flight Entertainment System has a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired headphones. But what about wireless devices?
Many airplanes don’t have Bluetooth IC in flight Entertainment systems. So connecting your AirPods with the flight entertainment system can be a hassle.
Follow our guide to fixing Airpods Not Working in Zoom on Mac.
Here are the methods to connect AirPods in-flight entertainment system:
1. Use AirFly
Airfly is a device that can convert wired audio signals to Bluetooth signals. It has a 3.5mm jack to connect with the device and a Bluetooth receiver to connect up to two wireless audio devices.
So you can connect your AirPods with the flight entertainment system by clicking AirFly with the flight entertainment system and AirPods with AirFly.
There are other types of Bluetooth transmitters providing the same service. But in my personal experience, AirFly works better with AirPods.
2. Use Aircraft WiFi
Nowadays, many airlines provide WIFI in their planes. Some of them include cost, and some are free. You need to confirm whether they are free or not before connecting. When you connect to the plane’s built-in WIFI, you can listen to the sound in your AirPods using your device.
Your device will work as a link between the in-flight entertainment system and your AirPods. When you watch movies using plane WIFI, the in-flight entertainment system is bridged through your mobile or laptop.
The same thing happens when you use Airline App. You can log in to the Airline App using the flight information. This way, you can use AirPods for your audio output.
Also, check out our separate post on Airpods Not Working in Zoom on Mac.
What to Do If You Left Your AirPods on The Plane/ Airport?
AirPods are the perfect pocket-size devices for stealing. Also, you can easily forget where you put your AirPods. Places like airports, bus stops, and Metro stations are mostly crowded. So if you lost something in those locations, it’s almost impossible to recover.
Fun fact: People tend to lose their AirPods in airports and planes every 2 minutes.
However, unlike other Bluetooth devices, Apple provides a tracking system for AirPods. So you can easily track your AirPods.
Here are the steps to find your lost AirPods:
- Go to the Find My
- Select Devices.
- Choose your airpods from the device list.
- Tap Directions from the menu.
- Go to that point shown on the map.
- Press Play Sound in the popup window.
- Find AirPods using that sound.
Follow our guide to how to Fix Airpods Not Working on Tiktok.
FAQ
Can you use AirPods in airplane mode?
Yes, you can use AirPods in airplane mode. But you have to manually connect AirPods with your iPhone because when you enable airplane mode, your phone turns off all the connectivity menus.
Are Bluetooth headphones allowed on planes?
Yes. In 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed passengers to carry PED, including Bluetooth headphones.
Can you use AirPods on a plane on American Airlines?
American Airlines won’t let you use AirPods during critical stages of flight control like landing and takeoff. But you can use AirPods above 10,000 ft.
But before that, go through our epic guide on Airpods Not Working in Zoom on Mac
Conclusion
In conclusion, the FAA allows passengers to use AirPods during flights. However, some airlines prohibit AirPods usage for security issues. You can’t access your mobile network on the plane, but aircraft that come into service after 2010 have offered WiFi service to passengers. So you can listen to music using the aircraft’s Wifi.
Thanks for reading this article thoroughly. I’m confident now all your confusion about using AirPods on a plane is cleared. Feel free to comment if you find any difficulties. Have a good day.
