Here are 15 more of Steve Glenn’s travel industry predictions for 2026 

Here are 15 more of Steve Glenn’s travel industry predictions for 2026 

This week, I will add predictions 16-30, with my next 15 predictions coming next week. CLICK HERE to read my first 15 predictions. 

16. Airlines will quietly rebrand fees instead of removing them – Airlines won’t eliminate fees in 2026—they’ll simply give them softer names. “Seat selection fees” become “comfort options.” Change penalties morph into “flexibility enhancements.” The price won’t go down, but the explanation will get longer and friendlier, often delivered by a chatbot that sounds apologetic while charging your credit card.

17. Early boarding becomes meaningless – By 2026, half the aircraft will be boarding before Group 3 is even called. Credit cards, status levels, premium seats, families, military, and “special circumstances” will flood the jet bridge early. Early boarding will no longer mean overhead-bin access—it will mean standing in line longer.

18. Hotel loyalty programs lose emotional loyalty – Travelers will still collect hotel points, but emotional loyalty fades. Free breakfast and late checkout won’t outweigh price differences, cancellation flexibility, or location. Guests will follow value, not brand slogans, and hotels will quietly realize loyalty has become transactional.

19. EV backlash hits rental cars hard – Travelers won’t revolt against electric vehicles—they’ll revolt against surprise electric vehicles. Being handed an EV with 18% battery, no charger, and a confused agent will drive complaints through the roof. Rental car companies will be forced to clearly label EVs or face customer backlash. Most renters do not want to rent EV’s as finding a charging station is too much of a hassle.

20. Business travelers become Free Agents and stop chasing elite status – This is the year of FREE AGENCY for business travelers as airlines now reward credit card purchases even more so than their most frequent travelers. With upgrades rare and lounges overcrowded, many road warriors will walk away from elite status pursuits. They’ll choose the best flight for the day, not the airline of the year. Loyalty becomes optional, not aspirational.

21. Europe extends tourist taxes without apology – What started off a few years ago as a tourist tax to control overtourism is now dominoing to many countries throughout Europe. Now tourists will be viewed as the “Chickens that lay the golden eggs”. Cities will frame higher tourist taxes as sustainability measures, infrastructure funding, or crowd control. Travelers won’t love it, but they’ll pay it—and complain about it over wine.

22. Travel planning becomes a data sport – Savvy travelers will analyze weather trends, crowd levels, pricing curves, and social media saturation before booking. The question shifts from “Where should we go?” to “Is this destination worth it this month?” Timing becomes as important as location.

23. Airports become more retail malls than transportation hubs – By 2026, airports will prioritize shopping, dining, and advertising over passenger flow. Long walks to gates become standard as airports monetize every square foot. Getting to your gate will feel like navigating a luxury shopping maze. Airports in Europe, the Middle East and Asia have the very best shopping experiences. However, airports in the U.S. are slowly catching up and the quality and shopping and dining experience is now pretty good.

24. Same-day flight changes get harder, not easier – With planes consistently full, flexibility is evaporating. Miss a flight due to weather, crew issues, or cascading delays, and there may be no same-day alternative—or even next-day options. This is especially brutal on low-cost carriers during peak holiday periods, where a single cancellation can mean waiting three to five days before seats open up again. Unlike legacy airlines with larger networks and interline agreements, low-cost airlines have limited recovery options. Travelers are learning the hard way that backup plans, buffers, and professional monitoring are no longer nice-to-haves—they’re essential.

25. The “hidden city” ticketing crackdown intensifies – Airlines are aggressively using AI to detect fare manipulation—hidden-city ticketing, skipped segments, and speculative bookings. Accounts may be flagged, miles confiscated, and elite status revoked, sometimes even when travelers believe they’ve done nothing wrong. And don’t even think about double-booking a backup flight on the same airline. AI systems can detect overlapping itineraries tied to the same passenger or payment method and may cancel one—or even both—reservations without warning. What once felt like a smart workaround is now algorithmically policed, and the risk keeps rising.

26. Luxury trains gain momentum globally – High-end rail experiences are accelerating worldwide, with Europe leading the pack. New overnight luxury trains are popping up across the continent, reviving the romance of rail with private cabins, fine dining, showers, and seamless city-center to city-center travel. These trains offer space, scenery, food, and dignity—things flying increasingly lacks. In the U.S., Amtrak is improving, but it still feels 40 years behind Europe in speed, comfort, and onboard experience. As airports grow more chaotic, slower travel by train becomes a feature, not a flaw, and for many travelers, rail is once again the civilized way to move.

27. AI-written reviews are killing star ratings and causing travelers to stop trusting online reviews blindly – AI-generated reviews and influencer hype are rapidly eroding trust in star ratings. If a review sounds too good to be true, it probably is—and increasingly, it’s likely written by AI rather than a real traveler. Perfect prose, generic praise, and flawless five-star enthusiasm are becoming red flags instead of reassurance. As a result, travelers are stopping their blind reliance on online reviews and shifting toward human recommendations, unfiltered photos, and trusted advisors who’ve actually been there. In a world of synthetic praise, authenticity becomes the real luxury.

28. Bleisure travel stabilizes instead of explodes – The post-pandemic surge in bleisure travel is leveling off. While companies still allow limited personal extensions, boundaries are tightening as travel budgets, duty-of-care obligations, and productivity expectations reassert themselves in the business travel management arena. The era of turning every business trip into a week-long vacation is fading. Instead, travelers are opting for smarter, shorter add-ons—arriving a day early, staying through the weekend, or layering in one personal experience rather than many. Bleisure doesn’t disappear, but it matures, with clearer lines between work and vacation and more intentional use of personal time.

29. Hotels experiment with guaranteed quiet floors – With more remote workers and lighter sleepers, noise complaints rise. Some hotels will pilot guaranteed quiet floors or soundproofing upgrades as a premium feature. Silence becomes a selling point, and some will repeat the 1960s song “silence is golden”. 

30. Travel burnout becomes real—and planned around – Travel burnout is no longer theoretical—it’s being actively managed. Travelers are intentionally slowing down, choosing fewer trips with greater meaning instead of stacking nonstop journeys that leave them exhausted. In both business and leisure travel, pacing becomes a strategy, not a compromise. On the leisure side, the shift is toward slowing down and cozying up—longer stays in one place, fewer hotel changes, later mornings, walkable towns, fireside lounges, spas, and destinations that invite rest rather than checklists. Recovery time is now built into itineraries, and the mindset shifts from “how much can we see” to “how good can this feel.” One great trip increasingly beats three exhausting ones.

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