Why I Love the Flight Flap
Tl;dr: the Flight Flap is a convenient way to watch your devices on the plane—and elsewhere—hands-free.
We just got back from Japan, a delightful trip done almost entirely on points that I’ll be talking about soon (it will be similar to, but different from, our last trip to Japan on points). For a quick post today, I want to talk about a little device that made our trip just a bit more pleasant: the Flight Flap (affiliate link).
The Flight Flap is a sleek, light little device that gives you a handy stand to watch shows from your in-seat tray table. You can also usually use it to hang a tablet from the tray table in its upright position, getting your neck into a more comfortable and upright position. On some seat configurations, you can even place the flight flap in an elevated magazine pocket for even better sight lines, although in my experience these days most planes on longer-haul routes either have seatback screens or device holders.
The Flight Flap can be bent into any number of positions so you can usually configure it in a suitable way on the airplane, and in many useful ways when you’re not flying—I have used it as a tablet stand around the house and as a phone holder in a rental car in a pinch. (Always make sure you’re using it safely, of course.) And once you’re done with it, you can straighten it back out and slide it easily into your bag. I’ve done this dozens of times and mine is still going strong.
My only complain about my Flight Flap is that it’s just too small to span across tray tables. This meant that when my wife and I flew together, we’d have to place the device on one tray table or the other, creating somewhat awkward viewing angles. We’d also have to put it away during meal times.
For that reason I invested in the Flight Flap XL (affiliate link). And it definitely solved those problems:
That said, to do so, it’s much, much bigger: 12x7 inches vs. 9x4.3 inches with the original Flight Flap. While the original fits easily just about anywhere, the massive XL takes up quite a lot of space in a bag or the seatback pocket, and may not fit in smaller ones. They are both about equally flat, though, and ultimately do not take up much actual space or add much weight. For most tasks, I would prefer to carry around the original Flight Flap, which will do the job as well without being so cumbersome. But the XL meaningfully improved our flight to Tokyo, so if I had to pick one, as someone who flies with a partner fairly regularly, I’d personally pick the XL.
Conclusion
I love to download shows to my tablet to watch on the plane without relying on airline wifi or in-flight entertainment options. But I also don’t want to hold a tablet for hours on end. The Flight Flap is an inexpensive little gadget that makes it easy to watch content hands-free in the plane, around the house, and elsewhere. It’s one of my favorite travel tools, behind only the tablet it holds and the noise-cancelling headphones I use to watch it, and I think it is a great investment for frequent travelers who prefer to bring and watch their own content.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.