Recently I moderated a panel including Amnon Ginati from the European Space Agency, Nicolas Tschechne from Airbus 2050 and Jennifer Coutts Clay, author of Jetliner Cabins, at the Aircraft Interiors, Catering and On Board Services Expo in Hamburg, Germany. My fellow panelists and I come from diverging backgrounds and hold diverse perspectives on the industry, yet we all agreed that urbanization, along with our rapidly rising global population, will drive more people to travel farther and more often that ever before. This increased usage will elevate their expectations for their airline experiences—the more consumers patronize airlines, the more they will demand from them.

In response, we concluded that the future of aviation looks something like this:

“Power-On” Places. Airlines will adapt to cater to an increasing need for some passengers to be highly productive. We will see office-like work zones (with video conferencing and even access to on-board experts ranging from doctors, to chefs, to management consultants).

Airports in the Air. Once the stuff of science fiction, floating airports may become a reality. Technology is being developed that will make runways obsolete—planes will be able to take off vertically, like helicopters. That means airports won’t need to be on the ground. Instead, refueling stations will float in the sky, completely changing the long-haul flight experience.

Live IFE Venues. Flying does not need to be about transportation alone. Instead of taking you from point A to point B, the airplane itself will become the destination and entertainment venue. For example, imagine going to dinner up in the sky, instead of uptown. In-flight entertainment (IFE) will evolve from on-demand movies to real live entertainment: shows, concerts, receptions, restaurants, or even casinos that fly.

Spa-ification. Airlines will exploit the fact that they are self-contained eco-systems. Everything about being inside an aircraft can be designed and manipulated to enhance the consumer’s experience: air, light, smells, sounds, furniture, food, and more. As consumers place more focus on health and wellness, aircrafts will “strive to revitalize,” creating a healing ambiance and adding in natural materials, plants, and perhaps even therapeutic animals.

In addition, these futuristic themes have real-world implications and applications today. For example, given passengers’ need for productivity and access to information, IFE systems can easily evolve into “In-Flight Edutainment” systems. (After all, in our information-hungry society, education has become the new entertainment.) Airports need not be in the sky to become destinations on their own, so, airports can be designed as neighborhood attractions that appeal to the residents of the very cities they serve. Finally, as consumers’ desire for “control” increases, so does their need for “letting go.” Flying is the ultimate “trust/fall” metaphor as passengers relinquish control and put their faith in others, making it the perfect venue for indulgent, pampering services.

So, what can brands learn from all of this? Certainly, they can pull from the trends we’ve identified to apply them to their own businesses. Sustainability, social good, health, energy, efficiency, and emotion aren’t issues limited to the aviation industry. They’re key themes for all brands moving forward—especially if they plan to continue moving upward as well.

But, there’s something else to consider: take time regularly to imagine the future. Then, analyze the impact it could have on your business. “Blue sky” brainstorms are the ideal venue to generate visionary ideas for the future, but they’re also as a way to get to smaller scale, achievable ideas that you can implement now.

Click here to listen to “The Future of Aviation” panel podcast, sponsored by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).