21 Travel Trends

The next decade of business travel holds evolution and innovation that will transform the way we do things.

- Jenny Southan

1. THE NEW SUPERSONIC

Concorde may be dead but supersonic is set to make a comeback. US engineering firm Spike Aerospace is developing a 12- to 18-seat jet (the Spike S-512) that could fly between London and New York in four hours. It would have “luxurious multiplex digital cabins” with full-length screens along the windowless walls. If all goes to plan, it could be flying by the end of 2018.

Meanwhile, Aerion Corporation is working on a private jet able to reach Mach 1.6 (1,100 mph) for a launch by 2020, and Hypermach Aerospace plans to start work on its SonicStar jet at the start of the next decade. It would be able to go twice as fast as Concorde, reaching speeds of Mach 4 (3,045 mph).

From left: Spike S-512 supersonic jet and interior

And then there is Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, which he is pushing ahead with despite a fatal crash last year.

2. HAIL-A-JET AGE

Private jets are entering the mainstream thanks to apps enabling travelers to book seats on aircraft that would otherwise fly half-full or even empty on return trips.

Private Fly, which launched in 2010, provides access to more than 7,000 jets around the world and claims it can get passengers from the ground to the air in 45 minutes.

JetSmarter, which entered the market in 2013, offers more than 2,500 empty legs a month at a cost of $7,000 per year, plus 3,000 planes available for charter.

There’s also Blackjet, which sells seats on jets travelling between ten US cities (annual membership is $2,500 and grants discounted empty-leg flights), and Surf Air, which has a $1,750 a month payment plan lofting 44 daily flights to eight destinations in the United States.

Fresh Jets doesn’t charge anything to sign up, has more than 1,200 aircraft and flights starting from $799.

3. ECONOMY CLASS SLIMS DOWN