Twelve South’s AirFly SE — A Frequent Flyer’s Quiet Little Lifesaver
As a journalist who lives out of a carry-on and measures time in boarding groups rather than days of the week, I’ve tested a lot of so-called “travel essentials.” Most of them overpromise and underdeliver. The Twelve South’s AirFly SE is not one of those products.
Let’s be clear up front: this is not a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, despite the occasionally misleading product naming floating around online. This is a Bluetooth audio transmitter, and for frequent flyers, it solves one very specific, very annoying problem: airplane entertainment systems that are still stubbornly wired in a wireless world.
[Warning: Spoilers and impressions from the Twelve South’s AirFly SE are below!]
The in-flight reality check
Airlines may be rolling out new cabins, but the tech is wildly inconsistent. One plane has Bluetooth streaming, the next is stuck in 2009 with a headphone jack and flimsy free earbuds. That’s where the AirFly SE earns its keep. You plug it into the seat’s 3.5mm jack, pair your own wireless headphones or earbuds, and suddenly the flight feels ten years more civilized.
I’ve used it coast to coast and internationally, paired with both AirPods and over-ear ANC headphones. The result is consistently solid audio without the tangled wires, the cheap headsets, or the ritual frustration of plugging and unplugging every time a flight attendant comes through.
Twelve South’s AirFly SE performance in the air
Battery life is where this product quietly flexes, as it seems so many pieces of technology on the market lack the ability to hold a charge long enough to reach your destination. With roughly 20+ hours of battery life on a single charge, the Twelve South AirFly SE can survive a long-haul flight and still have life left for the hotel treadmill or airport lounge TV. That matters when every outlet on a plane is a competitive sport.
Pairing your device with the Twelve South AirFly SE is thankfully straightforward and doesn’t require a degree in engineering to figure out, because nothing makes me feel more out of touch with technology than attempting to get everything connected and failing miserably. That being said, once connected, the signal is stable, regardless of what is happening around you. I didn’t experience random drops mid-movie, which is the fastest way for a travel gadget to permanently lose my trust. It’s not just a want, but a need, to have reliable technology to make flights as easy as possible, and the AirFly SE does just that.
However, that said, Bluetooth is still Bluetooth, which means it’s not foolproof 100% of the time. There can be the faintest hint of audio lag depending on the aircraft’s system. It’s not enough to ruin a movie, but if lip-sync errors make you twitchy, you’ll notice it.
Top 3 likes from this Twelve South product
- Instantly upgrades in-flight entertainment
Being able to use my headphones — with proper noise cancelling and comfort — instead of airline freebies is non-negotiable once you’ve done it. - Excellent battery life for real travel days
This isn’t a “charge before every flight” situation. One charge easily spans multiple legs. - Compact and unobtrusive
It’s small enough to live permanently in a tech pouch without becoming another thing to think about.
Top 3 dislikes of the AirFly Se
- Confusing product labeling
This device does not cancel noise on its own. If a buyer misunderstands that, disappointment is guaranteed. - Single-listener limitation
The SE model only supports one pair of headphones. Sharing audio with a seatmate requires a different version. - Occasional Bluetooth latency
Rare, but present — particularly on older aircraft systems.
The AirFly SE is still an important piece of traveling tech
For frequent flyers, the Twelve South AirFly SE is less of a luxury and more of a sanity tool. It doesn’t reinvent air travel, but it smooths one of its most persistent irritations with minimal fuss. In a category flooded with gimmicky “travel tech,” this one actually earns a permanent spot in my bag.
Strong opinion? If you fly more than a few times a year and already own good wireless headphones, you should have this. Once you do, going back to wired airline earbuds feels like flying without TSA PreCheck — technically possible, but why would you?
The AirFly SE is available from Twelve South for $34.99! Have you used this product before? Looking for some technology to simplify your traveling experience? Let us know your thoughts @BoxSeatBabes on all social media platforms!
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