Frictionless Security and Supersonic Flights: What Travel Might Look Like in 20 Years

If you’re a child of the 1970s, you probably looked to the whimsical optimism of the cartoon show “The Jetsons” for an idea of what the future of travel might look like. We would hop into flying “aero sedans” that folded into briefcases and take holidays on an asteroid.

Obviously, those things haven’t materialized, but some big changes in travel are expected by 2046.

We spoke with industry thinkers and researchers about what travel might look like 20 years in the future. Here is what they told us.

Your AI agent handles everything

The era of search-and-click travel, where consumers spend hours on booking sites comparing flight prices and room options, will be over. Scott Fleming, president of the travel practice at Aon, a global professional-services firm, describes a future where your personal AI agent handles the entire choreography of a trip, from that first search to the final taxi home.