The ‘sharing economy’ has taken the travel industry by storm. Now, ‘collaborative consumption’ is going luxe. But what does this shift mean for luxury travel? Will exclusive clubs and networks formerly accessible only to the super-wealthy become the new norm?

As professional critics lament their ebbing influence on consumers who increasingly rely on the opinions of online peers, the question is being raised of whether top-down reviewers matter anymore. Are crowdsourced reviews – a sort of ‘online word of mouth’ – the only currency that counts?

From Airbnb to TripAdvisor, digital tools have changed the way we plan holidays. Now, instead of relying on a guidebook, you can use Google Trips to build customisable plans to explore your destination. Is this the pocket pal that the new generation of travellers has been yearning for?

Brick-and-mortar travel agents were among the first casualties of the internet age. But considering the stress involved in finding the right seat for the best price, the old ways of arranging a trip now seem simple. With its new app, Virgin America aims to make booking flights as easy as it once was.