Delta Finally Moving Forward With Major Change For Passengers

Over the past several years, wireless headphones and earbuds have largely replaced their wired counterparts with the popularization of the Apple AirPods as well as the over-the-ear AirPod Max.

However, travelers who only carry wireless, Bluetooth-connected headphones have likely encountered a problem whenever they fly on Delta: there's no way to connect them to in-seat entertainment devices. The good news is, Delta is working to change that.

A Surprising Limitation for Delta

While many airlines across the world and in the United States allow travelers to connect their Bluetooth headphones to the in-seat devices, Delta flights have not historically offered this option throughout the cabin.

Even though it's been years since Bluetooth headphones have become standard for most travelers over wired headphones, only the devices in the first-class cabin of Delta's Airbus A321neo jets can connect to Bluetooth headphones like AirPods.

Instead, passengers would have to bring their own wired headphones or use a cheap pair that Delta offers passengers on its flights.

This is especially surprising since United Airlines, which has been Delta's top competitor over the years, announced plans to outfit more than 800 jets with Bluetooth-ready onboard entertainment systems more than two years ago.

The reason for this, Sean Cudahy of The Points Guy explains, is that Delta hadn't found a viable way to upgrade its existing seatback screens without actually replacing them.

Delta Begins Testing Bluetooth Connectivity

While Delta has trailed its competitors in this regard for years, Cudahy reports that the airline is finally moving forward with a plan to bring Bluetooth connectivity to its customers. In fact, some customers might be lucky enough to experience it on their next flight.

"As we speak, the carrier is testing out Bluetooth on 'select fleet types,' a spokesperson said — including some of Delta's Boeing 767s," Cudahy wrote this week. "If successful, this could pave the way for the Atlanta-based carrier to expand headphone-pairing technology to many more planes in the future."

This change comes as Delta moves forward with a major software upgrade to its seatback screens, bringing its "Delta Sync" interface, which has already been installed on more than 300 domestic aircraft, to larger jets like its Boeing 767s and Airbus A350-900s. As part of that upgrade, the carrier is also working on adding Bluetooth connectivity.

Between this and Delta's long-term plans to add new, 4K seatback devices to its aircraft, it sounds like Bluetooth connectivity is coming one way or another.