The future of travel is all about choice

HANGOVER butlers, pet nannies and sunglass buffers, the travel industry will be going all out next year to woo you.

Man reading book, being served martini, in first class on airliner

THE future of travel is healthy, highly technical and increasingly personalised. To find out what 2015 has in store for you, Cheapflights.com has given us a sneak peek at what’s ahead.

Here are their predictions for the trends that will shape where we go and why choice will change travel forever.

Health and wellness move up the travel agenda

In the era of Fitbits and Crossfit, healthy living is on the upswing. So too is healthy holidaying. More and more travellers are baking “wellness” into their getaways, going out of their way to nurture mind and body on their vacations.

While high-end resorts are rolling out high-priced programs such as the newly launched Energy by Four Seasons, bargain hunters will seek out conventional and alternative therapies farther afield.

More of us are using holidays to recharge the batteries.

Mexico and Costa Rica are rising stars for stress-busting yoga and wellness getaways as well as places to get in touch with your inner athlete (surf camp anyone?).

Asian countries such as India, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Korea all have well-developed — and reasonably priced — retreats that offer a variety of massages (no, not that type) and spa treatments ranging from fish pedicures to python massages to butt facials and fat-transfer treatments that will give you a bum like Kim Kardashian. She may be doing her best to “break the internet,” but at least you won’t be breaking the budget when it comes to looking after your body abroad.

Wearable tech and location-based services to go mainstream

Virgin Atlantic tried out Google Glass for its passengers.

Airlines are increasingly using wearable tech to engage directly with their passengers and provide efficient, targeted service throughout the journey — from check-in to baggage.

Virgin Atlantic held trials with Google Glass and Sony Smartwatches. Japan Airlines has been ahead of the curve too, equipping staff with smartwatches.

In 2015 we’ll see a greater rollout of this — in-flight as well as on the ground. For example, the Spanish airline Vueling has partnered with Sony to create the concept of a smartwatch-based boarding pass.

For the travellers themselves, high-quality wearable cameras such as GoPro and Autographer will continue to fuel social media networks, meaning that every single step of a vacation is documented.

Japan Airlines equipped staff with Sony Smartwatches.

On-the-go tech also translates to the ability to arrive in a city and find “just-in-time” deals on everything from tours to hotels to meals. This trend is increasing in popularity with budget-minded travellers who are not fixed on a particular hotel or plan and will trade predictability for affordability.

Greater segmentation and personalisation on flights

2015 is all about the “c” word — choice, choice, choice. Be on the lookout for opportunities to personalise and upgrade your flight. Airlines will create special pods in their economy classes giving families and couples greater privacy — if not oodles more legroom.

The U. K.s’ Thomson Airways’ newest jets will be featuring booth-style seating at the back of the plane that can accommodate four to six people. Duo-seating includes a third seat that can transform into a table.

This follows Air New Zealand’s Skycouch, which offers Premium Economy seating at something closer to Economy prices. JetBlue’s new Mint class offers personal suites on flights between New York and both Los Angeles and San Francisco (with more routes coming) for prices far below traditional First Class.

Singapore Airlines unveiled new seats and other in-flight amenities as part of a sweeping upgrade of its cabins amid intensifying competition in the industry. AFP PHOTO / ROSLAN RAHMAN

More airlines will offer the sort of perks once reserved for First-Class flyers. Think the Flying Nannies service and butlers on Etihad Airways’ long-haul flights, although butlers for bargain hunters may be a ways off yet.

We’re also betting hotels will strive to differentiate themselves against peer-to-peer rental sites such as Airbnb with value-added services (concierges for example) and establish themselves as destinations in their own right.

Expect more opt-in extras and “value packs” as hotels look to woo higher-spending customers. And the list of extra services will grow and grow from basics like kids go free to pet nannies, helicopter rides, tour tickets, children’s activities, hangover butlers and staff to buff your sunglasses and gadgets. At the other end of the scale, sharing-economy accommodation sites will add higher end offerings and features to compete with hotels.

Airtiquette

The controversial Knee Defender is challenging flying etiquette.

With power-up rules at some airports, omnipresent mobile tech, the potential for hacked boarding passes, seat defenders wielded by assertive passengers, the predominance of the in-flight selfie (taken with the near-ubiquitous selfie stick) and carry-on meals that often pack an odour punch all creating flash points for passenger conflict, we are expecting “Airtiquette” to be a major issue in 2015.

Airlines will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to air rage. Flight crews will be on the lookout for trouble and ready to bring in official help when they need it. However, to get ahead of issues, the airlines will get proactive, adapting the seats on their planes, creating alternate seating layouts, adding dual-level armrests and “smart” pockets to stow devices and charging “stations.”

Celebrating food

Celebrity Chef’s like Luke Nguyen celebrate travelling for food.

Food has always been part of both travel and celebrations but, increasingly, travel has become a way to celebrate cuisine. 2015 is a landmark year in this regard as the idea of a formal restaurant turns 250. The birth place of dining out was (where else?) Paris. The year was 1765. The restaurateur was Monsieur Boulanger. And the house specialty was soup.

Fast forward to today and celebrity chefs, online reservations and reviews and a more mainstream “foodie” mentality have turned dining into entertainment at home and on holiday. Cooking (and even extreme eating) shows spotlight the cuisine of cities and cultures around the world, making everything from destination cooking classes to celebrity chef tours (on land and on cruise ships) and a renewed emphasis from airlines on food and beverage ready to be front and centre in 2015.

Along these same lines, expect sustainability and traceability to be high on the menu next year. Expo Milano 2015 will be the largest worldwide event ever, running from May 1 to October 31, drawing 22 million visitors from 130 countries (a billion people online) for food festivals and cultural celebrations.