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Today's air travellers have it so much better than those from the golden age of travel, but they will weep when they see what's in store for future generations of holidaymakers.
Designers and engineers have envisioned hypersonic passenger jets that can reach speeds of nearly 7,700mph, rockets that can propel aircraft from London to Sydney in just four hours, and three-deck planes that can hold 800 travellers.
While some of these concepts may never see the light of day, those that do may never be completed in our lifetime. These are some of the most radical designs from the past year.
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Terrafugia said its concept vehicle that doubles as a plane and car, with fold-out wings and twin electric motors, is 10-12 years away
The vehicle has fold-out wings and twin electric motors, with a cruising speed of 200mph and a flight range of 500 miles
Since the animated series The Jetsons debuted on TV in the 1960s, people have dreamed of the ability to fly a car.
Terrafugia is hoping to do just that with a concept vehicle that doubles as a plane and car, with fold-out wings and twin electric motors.
It would be powered by a 300-horsepower engine with a cruising speed of 200mph and a flight range of 500 miles.
SkyDeck
SkyDeck, designed by Windspeed Technologies, is the ultimate seat for travellers who love to gaze at the scenery outside the window
SkyDeck is a teardrop-shaped glass pod on top of a passenger plane or business jet, with stunning 360-degree views from 35,000ft
Two people can sit inside the pod at a time while tracking their flight's progress. The glass is designed to withstand bird strikes
For those who love the window seat, this is the ultimate way to travel.
Designed by Windspeed Technologies, SkyDeck is a teardrop-shaped glass pod on top of a passenger jet, with 360-degree views from 35,000ft.
The glass is designed to be strong enough to withstand bird strikes and has UV coating and an anti-condensation film to prevent fogging.
TriFan 600
XTI Aircraft's TriFan 600 is a six-seat fixed-wing jet that is designed to soar like a plane and take off and land like a helicopter
The aircraft is designed to fly as fast as today's business jets, but provides even more convenience as it doesn't have to travel to airports
The jet can land and take off from paved, helipad-sized spaces, using three ducted fans for lift-off and two wing fans for hig h-speed flight
XTI Aircraft's TriFan 600 is a six-seat fixed-wing jet that can soar like a plane and take off and land like a helicopter.
The aircraft is designed to fly as fast and high as today's business jets, but provides even better convenience because it can land and take off from paved, helipad-sized spaces – eliminating the need to travel to airports.
The jet uses three ducted fans for lift-off and then rotates two wing fans forward for high-speed flight.
Supersonic planes
More than a decade after the Concorde's last flight, Nasa invested $2.3million in research projects aimed at reviving supersonic planes
The projects will look at how to reduce the noise of sonic booms in order to reintroduce the flights and how to improve fuel efficiency
More than a dec ade after the last flight of the Concorde, Nasa has invested $2.3million (£1.5million) in eight research projects aimed at reviving the dream of supersonic planes.
The projects will look at how to reduce the noise of sonic booms in order to reintroduce the flights, how to improve fuel efficiency and how to limit the impact on the ozone, among other things.
Three decades of supersonic travel ended in 2003, when the final Concorde flight landed at London Heathrow Airport on a transatlantic trip from New York. Air France and British Airways decided to retire the aircraft because it was no longer profitable.
Progress Eagle
The AWWA-QG Progress Eagle, mocked up with Lufthansa's livery, has three seating decks that can hold a staggering 800 passengers
It would run on hydrogen fuel, have solar panels to generate electric al power, and be 75 per cent quieter than today's planes
Designed by Oscar Vinals, the AWWA-QG Progress Eagle has three seating decks that can hold a 800 passengers.
That's nearly 200 more passengers than the Airbus A380 – the world's largest passenger jet. It would run on hydrogen fuel, have solar panels to generate electrical power, and be 75 per cent quieter than today's planes.
It provides added comfort for the flight crew, with a cockpit on the second deck including beds, an office and workroom.
Skreemr
A concept aircraft called Skreemr would exceed Mach 10 with a flight from London to New York taking as little as half an hour
The plane, powered by liquid-oxygen or kerosene rockets, would be catapulted into the sky and reach speeds of nearly 7,700mph
When it comes to the future of travel, passengers are eager to see flight times drastically reduced.
A concept aircraft called Skreemr aims to do just that by exceeding Mach 10 (10 times the speed of sound) with a flight from London to New York taking about half an hour.
Designers Charles Bombardier and Ray Mattison have dreamed up a launch system that would see the hypersonic plane, powered by liquid-oxygen or kerosene rockets, catapulted into the sky, where it would ultimately reach speeds of nearly 7,700mph.
Lapcats
A design from Reaction Engines, based in Oxfordshire, could see passenger jets, called Lapcats, reach speeds of Mach 5
With rockets that can propel aircraft to speeds of Mach 5, the Lapcats would be able to fly from London to Sydney in just four hours
British aerospace firm BAE Systems announced this year it has invested in a company that is working on an engine that would slash the flight time between London and Sydney to just four hours.
The design from Reaction Engines, based in Oxfordshire, could see passenger jets, called Lapcats, reach speeds of Mach 5 – two and a half times that of the Concorde.
Designs for passenger aircraft are still at least 20 years away.
Concorde 2
The Concorde 2, designed by Airbus, has a top speed of Mach 4.5, allowing it to fly from London to New York in an hour
This aircraft envisioned by Airbus has been called the Concorde 2 as it has a top speed of Mach 4.5.
That would allow it to fly from London to New York in an hour.
It would climb vertically and break the sound barrier as it soars horizontally. Three engine types would propel the aircraft at speeds of 3,425mph.
Co50 Valkyrie
Cobalt has started taking pre-orders for its $700,000 (£472,000) Co50 Valkyrie aircraft, which doesn't have dials, gauges or switches
Co50 Valkyrie is powered by an aft propeller and a 350-horsepower turbocharged engine, allowing it to travel up to 260 knots (300mph)
The Co50 Valkyrie won't be available until it gains full Federal Aviation Administration certification, and that may not happen until 2017
Cobalt has started taking pre-orders for its $700,000 (£472,000) Co50 Valkyrie aircraft, which doesn't have dials, gauges or switches.
Inspired by a fighter jet, the five-seater has three iPad-style screens that display the most essential information, including remaining fuel and speed.
As the fastest private aircraft in its class, it is powered by an aft propeller and a 350-horsepower turbocharged engine, allowing it to travel up to 260 knots (300mph).
AHEAD
The AHEAD aircraft can carry 300 passengers over a range of 8,700 miles, allowing for non-stop flights between the UK and Australia
Dutch airline KLM has partnered with Delft University of Technology to design a blended wing plane with hybrid engines to reduce fuel consumption.
The AHEAD (Advanced Hybrid Engine Airc raft Development) aircraft can carry 300 passengers over a range of 8,700 miles, allowing for non-stop flights between the UK and Australia.
KLM said the blended wing body would minimise drag and the engines would burn fuels such as cryogenic hydrogen or kerosene – but this type of plane likely won't be introduced until 2050.
Source: A hypersonic jet that can soar from London to New York in half an hour, a flying car and a plane that can land almost anywhere: The year's most radical aircraft concepts revealed
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