MOBILE CITIZENS: THREE EXAMPLES SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL. 
Many of us may have already thought ahead to 2019 and the trips we might take and (mostly) with excitement; with the possible of exception of the Brits, who due to an act of cognitive dissonance (i.e. 'Brexit') may have to settle for a ‘staycation’ in Bognor Regis and some Daily Express-encased fish and chips. However, even Bognor can only hide from progress for so long, so here’s three examples shaping the future of how we travel:
When your flight of fancy becomes a flying car 
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Both Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin have revealed plans for flying taxis and it has emerged that 'Alphabet' (Google’s parent company) is backing three different flying car concepts. However, a car that actually transforms into a plane in under a minute (a car with fold out wings, no less) will actually go on sale in 2019, designed by Terrafugia, a subsidiary of automotive giant, Geely, who state their model will result in, “eliminating the hassle of hangar storage, ground transportation and aviation fuel. The transition fuels up with automotive gas and can be stored in your home garage.”
#FOMO induced booking and the emphasis on personalised experiences 
The internet has democratised travel for most of us, allowing people to book, plan and navigate their own trips to their liking without the necessity of having to be reliant on a travel agent or opt for the best “package deal” that can only ever be almost what they’re really after and people all over the world are increasingly comfortable planning a trip in its entirety using a mobile device; for example, 48 percent of US travellers search, book and plan trips using only a mobile device. (Source: Steel Kiwi)
As a result, big data has firmly arrived on our travel habits and with it a wealth of entrepreneurship directed towards a surge in digital travel. Companies such as ‘Trill Travel’ for example, which turns all your travel content on Instagram into bookable experiences, from which you are capable of earning commission and travel credit.
Bringing to life destinations in a way a simple travel brochure simply couldn’t, virtual reality also continues to influence and entice us to travel, with airlines such as Lufthansa creating, and making available on YouTube, 360-degree videos of key destinations (Hong Kong, New York, and Tokyo) viewable on VR headsets, in recognition of the fact that an increasing number of their customers will now have a VR headset that works with their phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=62&v=EibrbcLnk14
Can’t someone else do it? Instructing AI Bots to do your booking 
In a survey carried out in 2018, Booking.com found that 29% of their global travellers stated they were comfortable with allowing a computer to plan an upcoming trip for them based on data gathered from their previous travel history and 50% don’t mind if they deal with a real person or a computer. Booking.com also has a new AI-powered ‘Booking Assistant Chatbot’ in training, which currently has the capacity to respond to 30% of customers stay-related questions automatically and in less than 5 minutes. However, at this point, James Waters, Global Director of Customer Service at Booking.com, explains that it’s about finding the right balance:
“As we operate in an industry that is incredibly personal, emotional and complex, maintaining the right balance between genuine human interaction and efficient automation is something we’re always trying to fine-tune and optimise throughout every stage of the customer journey.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=LNuTEV-AnGY
