If you thought biometrics was the wave of the future in airport technology, wait until you hear what some futurists think it will look like 50 years from now.
Ryanair, the budget airline based in London, recently commissioned a study to see what travel would look like going forward and the results are straight out of a science fiction movie.
Of course, when people first told us we could check email on our phones and see sports scores and anything else, we were incredulous. So read on with an open mind.
According to EuroNews, in the year 2070, we are talking about passports that are based on your heartbeat. What could be more high-tech than that? That's among other things, including the actual selection of your destination long before you actually take the trip.
"Just as you try on clothes in a store today...customers will be able to explore and try out holiday destinations in the online metaverse before making a purchase," Professor Birgitte Andersen, the CEO of Big Innovation Centre, told EuroNews.
Trust us, folks. When you saw Tom Cruise virtually flipping through a USA Today newspaper in a film many years ago, it's not that far off.
"It will benefit those who have limited time or financial options and need to make a better, educated choice," said Andersen.
And it's not just about airfare, either. Hotels will change as well.
"Think of the hotel itself as one single AI-meets-human organism that controls all aspects of your stay, customized to your preferences," says trend forecaster Shivvy Jervis. "A digital virtual room assistant (think Super-Alexa) will greet you and help you with anything from ordering a new towel to suggesting a place to eat and making a reservation for you."
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