Twelve South's AirFly Pro 2 Bluetooth adapter hits $49.99 ahead of summer travel
At a glance:
- Twelve South's AirFly Pro 2 Bluetooth adapter is discounted to $49.99 ($10 off), one of its best prices to date, ahead of the Memorial Day travel season.
- The Pro 2 lets you pair your own wireless headphones with in-flight entertainment systems, supports two pairs of headphones simultaneously, and lasts up to 25 hours on a single charge.
- Beyond flights, the adapter works with any standard audio jack — connecting wireless headphones to the Nintendo Switch, older car stereos, and compatible gym equipment like treadmills.
What the AirFly Pro 2 does and why it matters now
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer travel in the US, and with it comes a wave of deals on gadgets that make long-haul flights and road trips more bearable. One of the standouts right now is Twelve South's AirFly Pro 2, a Bluetooth transmitter that plugs into the headphone jack on a seatback entertainment system and lets you use your own wireless headphones instead of the airline's wired earbuds. At $49.99 — $10 off its usual price — the device is available both on Amazon and directly from Twelve South, making it one of the best prices the product has seen.
The core appeal is straightforward: most airline seatback screens still output audio through a 3.5mm jack, and the bundled earbuds are almost universally mediocre. The AirFly Pro 2 bridges that gap by converting the wired output to Bluetooth, so you can enjoy your own noise-canceling over-ears or earbuds during the flight. Setup is minimal — plug it into the seatback jack, pair your headphones, and you're listening. The device also supports two pairs of headphones at once, which is handy if you're traveling with a companion and both want to watch the same movie or listen to the same podcast.
Upgrades over the cheaper AirFly SE
The AirFly Pro 2 sits above Twelve South's more affordable AirFly SE in the product lineup, and it brings a handful of tangible improvements. One of the most immediately noticeable is the inclusion of dedicated onboard volume controls, a feature that was already present on the SE but is carried forward here as a usability win. More importantly, the Pro 2 uses an upgraded processor that enables faster Bluetooth pairing and delivers improved sound quality with less background noise — a meaningful upgrade when you're stuck in a pressurized cabin for hours.
Battery life is another differentiator. The Pro 2 is rated for up to 25 hours on a single charge, which comfortably covers even the longest intercontinental flights without needing a recharge. That endurance also means the device remains useful across multiple trips before you need to plug it in again.
Beyond the airplane seat
The AirFly Pro 2 isn't only an in-flight accessory. Because it works with any standard 3.5mm audio jack, it doubles as a versatile Bluetooth adapter for a range of other devices. That includes the Nintendo Switch, which lacks native Bluetooth audio output; older car stereos that don't support wireless connectivity; and even compatible gym equipment like treadmills that have a headphone jack. This broader utility helps justify the purchase even for travelers who only fly a couple of times a year.
The device weighs in at a compact form factor that slips easily into a carry-on or seat-back pocket, and its plug-and-play design means there's no app, no firmware update, and no configuration step beyond the initial pairing. For frequent flyers looking to upgrade their in-flight audio without shelling out for premium noise-canceling earbuds specifically marketed for travel, the AirFly Pro 2 at $49.99 represents a strong value proposition.
What to watch next
Deals on travel gadgets tend to cluster around major holiday weekends and back-to-school periods, so the current Memorial Day pricing window is worth acting on if you have an upcoming trip. Twelve South hasn't announced any successor model, and the Pro 2 remains the company's top-tier Bluetooth transmitter. If you're comparing options, the AirFly SE is a cheaper alternative that also handles in-flight audio but skips the upgraded processor and onboard volume controls. For most travelers, however, the Pro 2's combination of battery life, dual-headphone support, and post-flight versatility makes it the more future-proof pick at this price point.
FAQ
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