My fave plane gadget, AirFly, has a new model with a handy display

Twelve South AirFly View — (Image credit: Twelve South)

I do a lot of flying. It's an essential for work, but also a personal passion. And if I'm getting a long-haul flight, then there's one gadget I won't leave home without.

I've long been using AirFly products, which enable you to plug into an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system and use your own headphones via Bluetooth. It's simple and brilliant.

Now there's a new upgrade as part of Twelve South's line-up: it's called the AirFly View, which adds a display to the product, making seeing and using the product easier than ever before.

I can see all kinds of situations where that's of benefit, not least because AirFly View offers dual simultaneous connection for two pairs of headphones – and here you'll easily be able to see that clearly.

I've often experienced cabin lights being dimmed soon after take-off – American Airlines seems to want you to live in permanent darkness – and visibility is another benefit of AirFly View's new display.

As you can see from the image embedded above, the View comes with its own little carry case, an adaptor for certain IFE types, and a short USB-A-to-C cable for recharging. It's even available in blue (well, 'Coastal'), if black doesn't do it for you.

Another great benefit I'd appreciate is seeing the remaining battery life. The non-visual nature of previous AirFly products has meant you're sometimes left guessing – and I've often come back to a unit that's drained if I've forgotten to switch it off.

Adding a display hasn't made the price outlandish either, as AirFly View will go on sale from today, priced at £/$79.99 in the UK/USA, €89.99 in Europe, and AU$139 in Australia. You can go direct to the store and order today.

Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 18 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.