Take a leap into the future with this year’s hottest innovations: From the awesome powers of AI to new-wave wellness, these fresh ideas will change the way you travel
New year, new travel plans—it’s that time when we all start dreaming of where to go and what to do over the next 12 months. And we’re here to help you make this your best travel year yet. From exciting new direct flights to clever tricks that will make getting there quicker, easier and far less stressful, read on to count down our 25 predictions for how travel will change in 2025, compiled by Expedia Magazine’s expert contributors and staffers.
Travel journalist and host of the podcast AI-Curious Jeff Wilser rounds up the latest gadgets, from time-saving smart assistants to self-driving cars
Analyzing flights. Managing bookings. Tweaking your itinerary. Finding that perfect tapas spot that’s near your hotel but also has a rooftop view for sunset. Soon, the hours you spend planning your trip could be delegated to your personalized, AI-powered travel assistant—like Expedia’s Romie, which learns your quirks and gets smarter over time.
On arrival at LAX from an international flight, you’ll see a sign of a woman’s smiling face and the message, “Say hello to the new face of speed and security,” as “biometric facial comparison is providing a more seamless travel experience.” The sign is accurate—security is a breeze. This type of software is rolling out across the globe, slashing paperwork and time wasted in lines. When Singapore’s Changi Airport adopted the tech, for example, they found passengers could clear immigration in 10 seconds.
After years of hype, self-driving cars are finally here—in cities like San Francisco, Austin, and Phoenix—and they’re pulling double duty as tour guides. On this Silicon Valley tour, for example, a driverless car whisks you around the sights of San Francisco almost like an amusement park ride.
We’re still a long way from the flying cars of The Jetsons, but 2025 should see early adoption of “electric vertical takeoff and landing” (eVTOL) vehicles, aka air taxis. The aviation startup Joby, for example, is near final FAA approval for its working prototype—which has six electric propellors, is 100 times quieter than a helicopter, and can shuttle four passengers from Manhattan to JFK airport in seven minutes flat.
“I’ve tried every jet-lag hack out there,” says Rachel Sullivan, Expedia’s Executive Creative Director of Editorial. “The Timeshifter app is one that truly works.” Designed to help travelers adjust to new time zones by providing personalized plans for using bright light, melatonin, and caffeine to tweak the sleep cycle, you can try the Timeshifter app here.
Jenny Southan, editor and founder of travel trends forecasting agency Globetrender, on ways the Gulf States are at the cutting edge of travel
It may not be possible to predict the future, but travel to some of the Gulf States in the Middle East right now and you’ll get a glimpse. Start at Dubai’s inspiring Museum of the Future, where among the futuristic exhibits you will come face to face with Ameca, a hyperrealistic robot that displays real facial expressions when it converses.
Wow museums to see now
In neighboring Abu Dhabi, four new world-leading galleries and museums, including the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, will open alongside the Louvre Abu Dhabi in the next couple of years.
Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, developers have a blank slate (and plenty of funds), resulting in some truly architecturally audacious hotels. Although its desert and mountainous terrain might appear inhospitable, architects have taken them as an opportunity: Red Sea Global’s stunning Desert Rock Resort is being built directly into the rock face, with glass-fronted rooms facing out of the cliffs. The destination is also investing heavily in “zero-carbon” infrastructure: Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which opened in May 2024 on a private island in the Red Sea, is one of a rising number of new luxury resorts powered entirely by the sun.
In a country like Saudi, winter sports may sound inconceivable—but synthetic skiing is on the way. In the mountains near Neom, where temperatures can drop below zero, developers are laying 22 miles (36 kilometers) of ski slopes enhanced with artificial snow as part of the otherworldly Trojena resort. Visitors will be able to stay in futuristic hotels from Raffles, Anantara and Marriott International.
Travel expert and Expedia Magazine columnist Fiona Kerr reveals the new routes and innovations that will make your journey smoother in 2025
Expedia’s Trip Planner, our feature that lets you keep track of all your travel plans, continues to evolve. Save and compare your favorite destinations, hotels, activities and more, then share with friends or family to comment, vote and collaborate—so no more convoluted group chats. You can even import external bookings, while U.S. users of Expedia’s iOS app can also use Itinerary Builder, which leverages AI to suggest day-by-day recommendations for your trip, from restaurant bookings to sightseeing. Watch this space for more developments to come in 2025.
Simplify your plans with Trip Planner
In the sky, Wi-Fi wars are speeding up with the arrival of free Starlink on board. Hawaiian and Qatar have already launched SpaceX’s satellite-enabled internet at 35,000 feet—fast enough to live stream TV and movies—with Air France, Air New Zealand and United set to roll it out over the coming year.
While major U.S. flight carriers will all be adding fresh routes to vacation favorite Italy this summer, United is taking off to some more off-the-beaten-track spots. The airline is debuting new flights to the capitals of Mongolia, Senegal—and even Greenland, where a new international airport has just opened in Nuuk, meaning that the country’s icy wilderness will only be a four-hour hop from the United States.
These new routes will help you book vacations that aren’t about chasing the sun—much the opposite, says Expedia Magazine editor Kate Bussmann. “After a sweltering beach vacation last summer, I’ve decided that 2025 is the year of the cold-climate vacation, or ‘cool-cation.’ A trip to cooler climes suits our outdoorsy family much better, and Scandinavia is high on the list right now.”
2025 sees Delta celebrate its centenary with a cabin overhaul across its entire fleet. The update will include memory-foam seat cushions and mood lighting that matches different phases of the flight, including sunset-inspired sleep times.
Back on the ground, slick new airport lounges touch down from Virgin Atlantic at LAX (with Clubhouse cocktails and “The Royal Box” VIP booth), as well as JetBlue at JFK and Boston (a first from the airline).
Finally, could this be the year that aircraft accessibility becomes a long-overdue priority? The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expects safety approvals for wheelchair spaces in cabins by the end of 2025, while Delta has already partnered with Air4All to develop accessible seat designs and bathrooms. American Airlines also recently introduced autonomous wheelchairs to transport passengers to and from gates, and United has begun adding braille signage to cabins—important progress in making sure air travel truly is for everyone.
