The travel industry always seems to be on the cutting edge. There are always new gadgets, trends, and products entering the market, but which ones are making the most noise in terms of sustainable impact?
Let’s check out a few noteworthy trends and developments.
1. Online Booking Sites
In the past, booking a flight, hotel, or any other accommodation wasn’t exactly convenient. If you remember what it was like in the pre-internet age, you had to call up a travel agent, inquire about their available options, and then provide payment over the phone. Your other option was to visit a ticket office, which airlines maintained in most major cities.
Thankfully, you no longer have to call an agent or visit an office. Want to take a trip to go snorkeling in Aruba? All you have to do is find an online booking site, check out the prices, provide some information, and book the trip. With so many online booking sites out there, cost-effective trips can be planned in a matter of minutes.
2. Noise Canceling Products
Traveling can be stressful and mentally draining for some people. If you enjoy having your personal space and being left alone, the thought of being crammed on an airplane with a couple hundred other people for multiple hours isn’t exactly appealing.
And while you can’t do a whole lot about getting stuck in the middle seat between two total strangers (other than upgrading to first class), you can pop in some noise canceling headphones.
Noise canceling headphone technology has come a long way over the past few years. You can now find Bluetooth, noise canceling headphones that block out virtually all sound and allow you to listen to music, watch a movie, or fall asleep in peace. If you spend a lot of time traveling, these can be a lifesaver.
3. In-Flight Streaming Media
While there’s nothing wrong with reading a book, solving a crossword, or talking with the traveler next to you, sometimes people just want to lose themselves in a movie or TV show and drown out the stressors of travel. That’s why the growth of available in-flight media streaming options has been welcomed with open arms by travelers.
Over the past few years, travelers have been introduced to different forms of in-flight WiFi, digital touch screens on headrests, airline sponsored digital media libraries, and more. You can check out a list of the top airlines for in-flight entertainment to see what options exist.
4. Mobile Charging Gadgets
Many people still prefer to stream movies, listen to music, or check their email on their own personal tablets, smartphones, and mobile devices. However, for a number of years, the ability to conduct business while on a flight or in an airport was severely limited by the device’s battery capacity. Today, there are handy tech tools designed to alleviate this point of friction.
For starters, many airports now include mobile charging stations that are equipped with various chargers for different phones. Some airlines even have outlets built into their seats. But the real growth in this area is happening in terms of mobile charging gadgets, which allow travelers to charge their devices wirelessly and without access to outlets.
Making Travel Seem Effortless
In the past, planning a trip and traveling to a destination was cumbersome and time-consuming. If nothing else, it required that travelers deal with a number of uncomfortable issues and unresolved pain points. And while travel can still be stressful, new technology is beginning to make it feel more effortless.
That’s a good thing for travel companies, travelers, and everyone in between.
