5 reasons Apple's AirPods Pro are my new go-to for long-haul flights
It's been just over a week since Apple's brand-new AirPods Pro launched. After a few days listening to music and making phone calls with the new headphones, I'm still impressed with Apple's latest ear candy. But my experience on the ground only tells part of the story.
Many travelers swear by over-ear noise-canceling headphones, and I've long been of the same mindset. But on a recent trip to Brussels, I left my Bose QuietComfort headphones at home and instead took along the AirPods Pro. After this trip, I think I'll be leaving my over-ear headphones at home the next time I'm traveling -- here's why.
Active noise cancellation really works
Perhaps the main question I've received since I first wrote about the AirPods Pro is "how does the noise cancellation compare to over-ear headphones?" As I mentioned in my initial impressions, the noise isolation on the AirPods Pro is markedly better than the standard AirPods, but not as good as some of the best over-ear headphones on the market.
After my two flights using the new AirPods, I'm thrilled to report that the active noise cancellation is much better than I initially thought. I could barely hear the ambient plane noise when wearing the AirPods Pro inflight. Even more impressively, the AirPods did a fantastic job at silencing nearby distractions, such as the crying baby three rows behind me and the loud video game that my seatmate was playing.
Sure, over-ear headphones are top dog when it comes to noise cancellation, but most travelers will find the AirPods Pro to be more than adequate.
Transparency mode is really useful
In the past, I've paused my music and removed one AirPod when I heard an important PA message at an airport or during a flight. With transparency mode on the AirPods Pro, I've been able to keep my music playing while being clued in to what's going on around me.
Transparency mode has also helped me maintain situational awareness, even while listening to music or a podcast. When walking around Brussels, a new city for me, I kept my AirPods on transparency mode so I could get a sense for what was going on around me.
The best part is the ease with which you can toggle between the various modes that the AirPods Pro offer. With a short tap and hold on the force sensor located on the stem of each individual pod, you can switch between transparency mode and active noise cancellation, leaving you with no excuse for missing the final boarding call.
Battery life is solid
The battery life on Apple's new AirPods Pro pretty much matches the standard AirPods. Both of my flights were around seven hours, and the AirPods Pro died when each flight was about 75% complete. Apple advertises four and a half hours of listening time with active noise cancellation turned on, and my experience pretty much confirms those estimates.
Over-ear headphones definitely have larger batteries than the AirPods Pro, but recharging the AirPods Pro is so fast and easy that I wouldn't really consider battery life much of a drawback. Whenever I went to the bathroom or walked around the cabin, I put my AirPods in the charging case, which gave me about another hour of listening time for each five-minute break.
There's a way to connect them to inflight entertainment
The biggest issue with using the AirPods Pro on my flights was the inability to connect them to the inflight entertainment system. Until inflight entertainment systems allow Bluetooth pairing with personal headphones (a kid can dream), you won't be able to use the AirPods with inflight entertainment systems.
However, TwelveSouth's AirFly accessory addresses this exact problem. With a small dongle, you can connect your AirPods Pro (and other wireless headphones) to wired headphone jacks. I didn't have AirFly on my recent flights, but I've heard good things about the product and look forward to testing it soon.
I know it's not ideal to purchase and travel with a dongle, but it's a small price to pay for the portability of AirPods Pro.
The portability makes up for any shortcomings
One of the best travel-friendly features of the new AirPods Pro is the portability. In my opinion, being able to carry great noise-cancelling headphones in my pocket is incredible. The AirPods Pro and charging case weigh a combined 2 ounces and take up much, much less volume than over-ear headphones.
Even though over-ear headphones have better noise cancellation, longer battery life and can easily connect to inflight entertainment, they're really big. I almost exclusively travel with carry-on bags, and when I've had trouble in the past fitting all my belongings in my bag, the first thing to stay home was my over-ear headphones. With AirPods Pro, I don't need to worry about using precious carry-on space for my headphones.
Bottom line
I'm just about ready to leave my over-ear noise-cancelling headphones at home on future trips. If you're really sensitive to noise or want the best noise-cancellation in the headphone market, then you should stick to over-ear headphones.
But for other travelers, the AirPods Pro are great. The noise cancellation is impressive, transparency mode is really useful and battery life is pretty good. You may need a dongle to connect them to inflight entertainment, but the AirPods Pro are so small that you won't even notice the extra accessory.
Overall, considering their size, the AirPods Pro are some of the best headphones a traveler can buy.
All photos by the author except where noted.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.