8. Airline Wi-Fi Is Finally Getting Better

A little healthy competition is driving faster Wi-Fi in the skies. Two years ago, ViaSat introduced an ultra-fast, 12 mbps Internet service that’s now rolled out to United, JetBlue, Qantas, and El Al planes; its cutting-edge, high-capacity satellites are a notch above the ones that Gogo uses for its own in-flight Wi-Fi offerings. This February, American Airlines tried to break its contract with Gogo in order to provide its customers with the faster service, but Gogo responded by upgrading its equipment. High-speed Gogo service is due to roll out globally within the year—making it easier to get work done at altitude.

9. Premium Economy Is Becoming More Ubiquitous

As much as premium economy cabins have been on the lips of every airline chief executive officer, some prominent carriers still have yet to roll out the offering that’s halfway between coach and business class. American will be the first U.S. legacy carrier to offer the product on overseas flights when its three-row premium economy cabins are launched this November—the seats will include extendable footrests, USB ports, and free checked bags. Delta will launch something similar in mid-2017, though details are still forthcoming. Perhaps most exciting are the premium economy cabins on Singapore Airlines, which were introduced on the carrier’s Singapore to Sydney route earlier this year. Those seats are as wide as 19.5 inches, feature eight inches of recline, and cost $80 million to install on just 20 A350s. (The cabins are now being rolled out on routes to major financial capitals around the world, including Beijing, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, London, and Tokyo.)

10. High-Speed Planes And Trains Are Coming

Elon Musk’s Hyperloop is on its way to reaching viability, but it’s not the only ultra-high-speed transit option in the works. Bullet trains are slated to link Asian capitals such as Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in the coming decade—transferring between those two cities would take a mere 90 minutes. And Boom, a startup focusing on supersonic commercial planes, has recently gotten Richard Branson onto its list of investors; the Virgin Group optioned 10 of its planes before Virgin America’s merger with Alaska Airlines. (A round-trip flight from New York to London would cost roughly $5,000.) What’s more, NASA is developing supersonic planes that it thinks will be in commercial production within a few years. What could be more emblematic of a new golden age of travel than the return of the Concorde?

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