While minor in the scheme of things, here’s something that long haul premium cabin passengers on American Airlines will certainly appreciate.
Continue reading: Rejoice: American Stops Collecting Bang & Olufsen Headphones Early
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
They're replacing headphones with a new vendor.
Theft of B&O is a good tax write off.
Confirm that with JonNYC.
"American shares that this is also great for flight attendants, who will be able to focus on taking care of passengers during the flight..."
LOL!
Not sure how American can become more premium if they don't fire a good chunk of their crew who don't provide premium service. They should ask Cathay, Qatar, and JAL how to train their crew.
Not so trusting that American Airlines has all of the sudden taken a better attitude. Time will tell.
Were people ever really stealing these en masse?
Why didn't Delta or UA ever really do this? Does this have more to do w/ the local clientele that's flying AA instead of UA/DL? Do AA customers have a proclivity to steal headphones?
I don't believe DL or UA provide a high-end noise cancellation headphone like AA does.
Barely matters when lack of maintenance has left so many headsets AND headphone jacks in those cabins with poor or no connection.
Speaking of American, Alaska and Hawaiian joins them at JFKs Terminal 8!
On Flagship SFO-JFK right now. They collected the headphones about 45 minutes before arrival
The headphones hardly work or the jack doesn’t work right. I can usually get one audio channel to work with my own single-pin headphones. The success rate with the provided headphones has been so poor I don’t even bother anymore,
I get to my seat and immediately put their headphones away without even opening them or ask the FA to check them back in for me. Besides, because they aren’t available on all segments of my journey I’m still bringing my own solution along so I really don’t see the point.
I haven’t heard the credit card pitch in a couple of months. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. Maybe it has to do with changes in the Barclays relationship. Maybe they’re trying to become more premium. Whatever the reason, I welcome the end of the credit card push over the PA.
@Lucky I'm curious, do you typically use the headphones provided by airlines (even these from AA)? I just find it kind of puzzling and honestly a redundant part all in all. Even these "premium" B&O headphones have been around for so long and must have so much degradation, that I just wouldn't see myself using them. I genuinely believe that 95%+ of all travellers on premium cabins have their own noise-cancelling headphones or at the very least earbuds.
And I ask you @Luck in particular because you have mentioned in the past owning a pair of Bose QC35s and 700s as well as AirPods Pro (unsure if you have the QC Ultra or Pro Max), so I just wouldn't see any reason to use a device that, beyond its potential to serve as germ habitat, is outdated/ of lower quality to the hardware you own.
@ Ben Holz -- Good question. So yes, I actually do use the headphones. Nowadays I typically only travel with AirPods Pro, because I find them to be high quality enough, and I just don't think taking the over-ear headphones are worth the carry-on space they take up. I may very well be in the minority, though.
Just enable Bluetooth on the IFE system and have headphones upon request. It's a win for both the airline and passenger since most passengers are mostly on their AirPods anyway.
The problem is people stealing them don't realize they only work on airplanes.
I use the B&O’s over my noise cancelling Sony XM5 buds (better than iPods and not shaped like a sperm). This provides the best noise cancelling. Buds also don’t last 12 hours and need to charge.
They are implementing the new procedure on April 23rd, according to the post, so you were one day too soon.
I recall an extremely annoying incident maybe 10 years ago where the entire plane wasn’t permitted to deplane until a single missing pair of these could be located…
Well Sel,D …. I keep saying that everyday is a school day and you have proven me right. I have not tried your ‘belt and braces’ ‘over and in’ ear approach, must give it a squirt next week.
Thanks.
As if you have nothing better to write about Ben ….. fancy reviewing inflight headphones?
Airline supplied and open market offerings perhaps?
Update: I have been trialing the suggestion posted by Sel,D above.
In my case, AirPod Pro 2 buds ‘screwed’ into the ear canals, overlayed with my AirPod Max. With Classic FM playing quite loudly through the TV and Classic Calm via my iPad into the AirPods, I was most impressed with the results.
Of course I have no idea if Sel,D is being serious, if his post is just a wind up or what? However, it certainly seems to be extremely effective. Thanks again Sel,D, I will give it a go onboard next week.
Sorry Eskimo, but I really am a staunch Apple user …. my way of supporting the U.S. economy perhaps?
I was on a flight with premium headphones recently. I think when they take away the headphones has more to do with who is supposed to take them and the procedures. For example if it is the flight crew or if it is the cleaning crew, and it is easier to have most of the passengers hand over the headphones rather than looking for them at each seat. Airlines want to be effecient in turning around planes. The headphones are modified to work on the plane and will mostly not be able to connect into regular devices anyway.