5 Essential Technologies Without Which I Can’t Travel on a Plane

English journalist DT Neerave Gondia is an avid traveler, so in this article he described everything that he cannot forget when boarding a plane.

I spend hundreds of hours on aircraft annually, and I have been incredibly fortunate to have visited five continents, 40 countries and almost 100 cities over the past 10 years. However, even as a seasoned traveler, there are a few things I use, both physical and digital, that change my flight experience.

Although I have flown business class for many years, especially since I had health problems a few years ago, I now spend more time flying economy class. The experience is undoubtedly different, but there are many ways to improve your experience and make it that little bit better.

From an app that will transform your travel experience to four key accessories everyone should travel with, these five items will forever be in my travel bag.

Flighty is the best travel app you’ve ever used

Have you ever wondered when your next flight is? Have you had to search through your inbox for multiple emails to confirm exactly your flight’s landing date, your reservation number, and even confirm when you can check in for your flight? What about delays, cancellations and connections? If you said yes to any of them, look no further. If you fly more than four times a year, be it domestic or international, this is the only app you need.

I can’t live without the Flighty app. As the name suggests, it is your friendly personal assistant dedicated to everything related to flying. It’s only available on iPhone, but it’s the perfect way to track your flying habits, both past and present. It syncs seamlessly with your calendar (and you can even pull it out of TripIt Pro if you’re already using that service) and shows all your flights in the app, in a home screen widget, and even in real time (hours before) . during and after the flight).

However, it is more than just a flight tracker. Flighty has proven to be extremely reliable in informing me of gate changes and which belt my bags will arrive at. The developer is constantly introducing new features, and the latest addition is an amazing set of features for tracking your connecting flights.

My favorite features are the interesting information that any avid traveler will enjoy; This includes information about your history on a specific route, tracking of your total miles in the air over several years, details of the specific aircraft you’re flying, and tracking of your aircraft’s previous flights so you can account for any possible delays. .

Flighty brings airline and pilot data to your phone, ensuring everyone has access to timely, reliable and relevant information. No more missing flights or leaving the lounge too early; Instead, let Flighty track your flights so you can relax and watch a movie on the plane.

Flighty is available as a free download for iPhone with an optional subscription to Flighty Pro, which is available in three tiers: $4 per week, $48 per year, or $249 for a lifetime purchase.

Download Volatile

Twelve South Headphone Adapter

You’ll probably want to use headphones to watch movies on your airplane entertainment system. We all know that most airlines offer sub-par headphones, especially in economy class, and while some airlines have now added the ability to connect headphones to a screen via Bluetooth, this is usually limited to premium cabins.

Enter Twelve South’s selection of products. I love this company. The co-founder once told me that they are Apple lovers and make products that they want and need. While many Twelve South products are iPhone-only, the AirFly line works with any smartphone and is the best way to connect headphones to your in-flight entertainment.

There are two models you’ll likely find in most airport stores: the Twelve South AirFly Duo and the AirFly Pro. Plug them into the 3.5mm headphone jack on your seat and put the headphones into pairing mode. After this, AirFly will automatically connect. Both let you stream audio through two headphones at once, so you can hear the same as the person next to you, but the AirFly Pro also has Rx functionality, making it ideal for older car stereos with a 3.5mm headphone jack. but no bluetooth function.

Either way, at $45 for the Duo (and another $10 for the Pro), this is a no-brainer for anyone who flies and makes the perfect holiday gift.

My favorite pair of headphones for travel

Ask a friend what headphones to buy and you’ll probably get a ton of answers. Most will suggest AirPods simply because they are so easy to use, while plenty of other people will give you a variety of answers that are clearly not Apple.

Forget all that: I’ve tested hundreds of headphones on airplanes, and for comfort, noise cancellation, and sound, my favorites are the Sony WH-1000XM4. If you’re an audiophile, you’ve heard of them before and you’ve probably also heard that the WH-1000XM5 exists. However, the XM4, released almost two years earlier, has one major advantage: portability.

Unlike the AirPods Max, several Bose headphones, and even the newer 1000XM5, the WH-1000XM4 folds small enough to fit in your pocket. They also come with a carrying case, a 3.5mm audio cable, and a two-pin adapter for connecting to some airline headphone jacks (but you won’t need it if you also have AirFly).

The noise cancellation is exceptional, the battery life is phenomenal, and overall these are still my favorite headphones. I trust them so much that I bought a second pair on sale and they are often heavily discounted from the regular price of $349 because I lost the original pair.

The One Charger Every Apple User Should Buy

If you’re like me and take multiple devices with you when you travel, the decision to make USB-C the universal charger for all your devices was a blessing in disguise. However, the only thing it doesn’t solve is charging your smartwatch, and I can’t even remember how many times I’ve traveled only to realize I didn’t have my Apple Watch charger with me.

I’ve been waiting for years for someone to solve this problem and Nomad provided the perfect solution. It was released just three months ago and is now a permanent fixture in my carry-on luggage, so I know I’m always carrying it with me. It features two USB-C ports with a total output of up to 65W, and on top is an Apple Watch charger that can quickly charge the battery. Apple Watch series 10. You don’t need anything else, and unlike most chargers, it even works in those tedious generic airplane chargers.

Apple TV 4K, seriously

This should have been a four-point list, but sitting here in Bali after launching the Oppo Find X8 Pro, I realized that I always travel with my Apple TV 4K. This may seem a little strange, but in my suitcase I always have an Apple TV, a power cable, a remote control and, of course, an HDMI cable.

Why? – you ask. The answer is simple: it’s by far the easiest way to make sure I always have access to my entire movie collection on the go, and if I’m traveling domestically, it also means I can use my YouTube TV subscription on the go. However, there is another reason why I chose the Apple TV over other streaming equipment: connecting to a new Wi-Fi network takes only a few seconds, and unlike other equipment, even hotel Wi-Fi requires you to log in via a separate page Apple TV makes it easy to do this from your iPhone or iPad.

If you’re traveling and don’t plan on spending time in a hotel, there may be no need to bring one with you, but if you often rent movies on your hotel TV, why not take your Apple TV with you? Yes, many hotels now have built-in streaming services like YouTube or Netflix, but my philosophy is: why take the risk, especially when the Apple TV is small and light enough to sit in my bag at all times?