The year 2010 sounds so far away, but - face it - it’s really just around the corner.

I was thinking about this, after being asked to participate in a panel discussion on the future of air travel - a discussion hosted by Southwest Airlines.

So will the future be all that different? To an extent. What I’ve done is isolate some of the trends I expect will continue - so take a look - and add to the list if you like, in the comments section.

14 AIR TRAVEL TRENDS: 2010

1. Decline of Human Interaction: it started with Alaska Airline’s “virtual customer service agent Jenn” and kiosks galore

• Ticket and luggage barcodes sent directly to phones, handheld devices
• Retinal scans at TSA checkpoints
• Noise-canceling headphones — for relief from the cell phones on planes

I’ve got more - lots more - so please keep reading.

Not good news for Las Vegas.

According to Merrill Lynch analysts, “abundant, cheap seat capacity to Las Vegas — a thing of the past”.

Airlines will continue their capacity cuts into next year and watch capacity (seats) drop another 6+ percent this quarter and another 16 percent by the end of December.

Las Vegas cuts are more severe than in other markets because Vegas visitors tend to be “price sensitive leisure travelers and conventioneers/business travelers”.

Bad news, not just for the passengers, but for the people who run the casinos and the hotels and restaurants: as capacity cuts continue, airfare is expected to rise, and Vegas visitors will have less to spend on all the “fun stuff”.

Let me just add, there will always be some bargains - and you can always rely on us to help you find the cheapest airfare.

Saw this article in BusinessWeek, and wondered if you had the same take as I did.

An analyst from Stifel Nicolaus & Co. (who just announced this week they would be covering airlines) said airlines will likely be profitable over the next couple of years, because of all the things they’re doing, including capacity cuts.

But he also says, the high fuel prices will help make airline travel a “mid-priced luxury good”.

Joe Sharkey also seems to agree about this prediction of travel only for the “rich”.

If this premise is actually accurate then their could be a big problem as it was noted recently that “premium airline traffic” is down with the suit and tie crowd as the financial meltdown continues.

I agreeairfares are getting higher, i see tens of thousands roll buy a day,but I believe air travel will continue to be part of the fabric of our lives - for business and leisure. I am not buying into this concept quite yet. The trick for road warriors and vacationers will be to find the bargains - but then, that’s why there’s FareCompare.com - try us and see.

This word from Boeing’s marketing man, Randy Tinseth (and see his always interesting blog here):

Yes, Boeing is predicting a further “contraction in the world economy next year” and the airlines will continue to face challenges. It’s a situation that remains fluid, but…

But Tinseth said his company also believes the industry will continue to show “robust growth” over the next several years - and indicated the airlines are doing things right by cutting capacity and taking older planes out of service.

Plus, he expects that fuel will “eventually” drop back to levels of about $70 to $80 a barrel.

Hope he’s right.

That’s what Morgan Stanley is saying (and they’re not alone): actually, the word these analysts use to describe the airline industry to investors is “attractive”.

This forecast is based in part on PRASM, or “Passenger Revenue per Available Seat Mile”, and why not? We know airfares are rising, and we know that most seats on airlines will be filled with passengers who purchased airfare - with fewer seats flying empty (capacity cuts are kicking in now, so look for 180,000 fewer seats by the end of the year, and millions fewer by next year).

What does this mean to you?

Well, there will still be bargains - they’ll just be harder to find, but FareCompare will help you. And here’s another comforting thought: despite all the economic bad news and gloom & doom from forecasters earlier this year, we still have an airline industry - and at the moment anyway, it’s fairly healthy.

With fuel prices continuing to rise and questions surrounding the state of the airline industry, the prognosticators have begun to prognosticate:

What will air travel be like in the future?

Many think they have the answer…but some of the answers sound like scenes from Back to the Future or an episode of “The Jetsons:”

“‘Globally, no more than 25 airports will be functional by 2025…only one of them in the Pacific Northwest.’ And that airport will be a ‘travelport,’ featuring high-speed electrical rail interconnections designed to carry passengers to and from all points around Cascadia.” (from the Vancouver Sun)

The above is from Simon Fraser University professor Anthony Perl, and it’s similar to predictions futurists have been making for nearly a century.

Some of the most exciting predictions of the past? Keep reading…

I’ve been perusing the transportation analysts’ reports on several airlines’ 4th quarter financial results as well as reviewing some of the future looking guidance from airlines to investors — and it is pretty simple: demand is still firm — even in the wake of a “possible” economic downturn and record fuel prices.

Several airlines note firm demand in the U.S. domestic markets, and legacy airlines are also pleased about the demand for seats on transatlantic and Latin American flights…

Liked this? Then check out “Good News, Bad News”

Just the other day, I was thinking about my air travel predictions for this year when, it hit me: airfare is the iPhone of 2008.

No, I haven’t gone round the bend. Still have most of my marbles. But, there are a lot of valid things to be said for comparing finding airfare today, and the experience of folks who stood in line to get that first edition iPhone. Okay, I can explain!

And, I’ll also let you in on my 7-best tips for getting the cheapest tickets in today’s crazy airfare market. Just click “more” to see it all.

Bottom line: Fliers will have plenty of opportunities to play “who-gets-the-armrest” this year. In other words, the planes will be packed. More than ever before.

I’ll explain why and tell you what it all means. I’ll also give you the silver-lining: there are things you can do, so read on…