The future of airline travel will feature more technology of smartphones and portable devices for easier and less stressful travel. These days, mobile check-in apps, automatic flight updates and mapping software to navigate airports and technology to locate bags are already being used.

SITA, a multinational airline technology company, discovered that carriers worldwide plan to invest heavily in Internet-based technology for the convenience of the passengers, LA Times reported.

Airlines are investing in such technology because passengers who enjoy their travel experience are more likely to fly again and remain loyal to their airline, said Nigel Pickford, SITA's director of market insight.

"Happy travelers spend more money during the journey," he said.

According to the survey conducted by SITA, about 9 percent of air travelers today use digital tablets or smartphones to check-in before boarding a flight, and that number is expected to climb to 24 percent by 2018, Travel Daily News reported. 

Aside from that, 74 percent of carriers are expected to offer automatic luggage drop-off machines while 70 percent would update passengers on the location of their baggage.

SITA also revealed that more airports will also rely on so-called "beacons" that are placed throughout airports, using Bluetooth technology to sense the movement of travelers through their smartphones. Special apps could also allow travelers to open a map on their smartphones and navigate through an airport from the check-in desk to a gate.

The use of beacons had been tried by about 9 percent of airlines today and around 44 percent of carriers plan to invest in the technology by 2018.

"More and more, people regularly connect with real-time information," Pickford said.