(CNN) — Huge airline profits.
New planes.
Longer routes.
Improved airports.
Heightened attention to safety.
Air travelers hate to waste time, so let's get to the details:
Airlines
Fuel prices: Record profits to continue?
In the United States last July through September, domestic airlines reported profits of $9.3 billion, according to U.S. government statistics.
And, yep, that's after taxes.
But things aren't perfect.
The number of miles airlines sell per seat are actually down -- especially on routes with premium long distance destinations in Asia and South America, Sloan said.
Will airlines pass some of these profits to consumers by lowering fares?
Not likely.
Aviation consultant Shukor Yusof of Malaysia-based Endau Analytics said there's no incentive "for airlines to reduce fares because of low oil prices because they're doing well and the demand is there."
However, low fuel costs do allow legacy airlines like American and Delta to directly take on ultra low-cost carriers like Spirit, Sloan said, "resulting in downward pressure on fares."
That's 61% lower than it was in 1995, adjusted for inflation.
American Airlines' new frequent flyer rules take effect in 2016.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images/FILE
Seats: More legroom
More seats with extra legroom are coming to more U.S. domestic carriers.
But you'll have to pay for it.
Mileage programs: New award calculations
The trend toward linking frequent flier perks to how much money you spend -- rather than how many miles you have -- continues in 2016.
The next airline to adopt the policy is American Airlines.
Beginning in the "second half of 2016 ... award miles for travel on American marketed flights will be calculated based on what you pay for your ticket," its website says. Low-cost airlines: New winners
In the Asia Pacific, the winner was Scoot.
In North and South America, it was Virgin America.
South Africa's Kulula.com won for Africa and the Middle East.
Norwegian got the nod in Europe.
Airplanes
COMAC C919: Chinese aviation vies for global footing
This is the year the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, COMAC, takes to the air with its C919 in its bid to compete with Boeing and Airbus.
It's one of the largest production airliners ever designed and manufactured in China.
The new plane is expected to take flight for the first time in 2016.
Boeing and Airbus shouldn't be worried in the near term, say analysts.
But as China's air travel market explodes in coming decades, 2016 might be looked at as the year COMAC made its first big move as global player.
Boeing 747: Farewell tours begin
Air France will retire its entire fleet of 747s in January 2016, after flying jumbo jets for 46 years, striking an emotional blow to aviation enthusiasts everywhere.
"It's with great sadness that the reign of the 'Queen of the Skies' is coming to an accelerated end," said airline analyst Sylvester Pittman of airlineguys.com. "Many other airlines, including Delta, have announced the retirement of this iconic aircraft."
The Jumbos are getting edged out by more efficient wide-body airliners that burn less fuel while flying long distances.
The super-efficient Airbus A320neo is expected to begin service in 2016.
Airbus
Airbus A320neo: Introductory tours begin
Qatar Airways was supposed to be the first airline to fly Airbus's super-efficient single-aisle A320neo, but in a last minute switch-a-roo, Airbus told Dow Jones Business News it'll be Germany's Lufthansa instead. The plane -- which burns 15-20% less fuel than existing models -- is expected to enter service for the first time in early 2016.
Airbus A350XWB: New tech displaces old
In aviation, the uber-advanced Airbus A350XWB family of airliners is kind of a rock star.
What's so special?
Other than its sleek swept-back wings and curly wingtips, it's the overall engineering.
More than half of the plane is made of strong, lightweight carbon fiber composite, instead of traditional aluminum.
The plane is so efficient that -- with only two engines -- it flies many routes that used to be reserved for older four-engine airliners.
Bombardier calls its CSeries "the first all-new single-aisle plane in 30 years."
Courtesy Bombardier
Bombardier CSeries: Airborne at last
It's smaller than a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, but larger than a regional jet.
"But the aircraft's performance looks to be solid, and there's the potential for a rumored order from United on the horizon."
Boeing 737MAX: More of more
It's kind of like a 737 ... to the max!
Boeing test pilots are expected to fly it for the first time early in the new year.
Airports
Technology: Helpful or creepy?
Electronic beacons sense when your smartphone enters an airport.
Then the beacons send you messages to guide you to nearby places, like restaurants and airline gates.
More airports and airlines will start using these kinds of apps in 2016.
One global survey reports 81% of airports plan to invest in beacons and other sensors in the next three years. Germany: More delays to huge project
Sorry, but this won't be the year when the new Brandenburg airport opens in Berlin.
Oh well, maybe in 2017.
New York: LaGuardia upgrades, finally
Airlines now using the airport's four terminals eventually will share a giant, modern unified terminal with convenient connections to ground transit.
"LaGuardia is always working at capacity, so any extra 'ingredient' to the LaGuardia 'soup' creates delays," said aviation analyst Phil Derner, of NYCAvation.com. "I don't think it will create air-traffic delays so much, but there will be delays for passengers during the transition."
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Vice President Joe Biden announced plans to redesign LaGuardia Airport in New York. CNN affiliate
WPIX reports.
New Jersey: iPads coming to Newark
Get this: they've promised to have an iPad stationed at every seat at 55 different eateries spread across the terminal's 100,000-square-foot space.
It's set to open in 2016.
Los Angeles: Easier domestic-international connections
This will eliminate the hassle of walking outside or riding a shuttle to change planes from domestic flights to flights in the international terminal.
It'll also let domestic passengers connect to international flights without having to suffer going through security lines again.
Brazil: Olympic upgrades
Rio de Janeiro's Galeao airport is gearing up for the 2016 Olympics in August.
Routes
Vietnam: More service
Low cost airline Vietjet Air is expected to become increasingly aggressive in opening new markets in Vietnam, which aren't serviced by legacy carriers, said analyst Yusof.
Cuba-U.S.: More access
Assuming aviation regulators can work out the details, a flood of tourism from the states is expected in 2016.
Emirates plans to begin flying the world's longest nonstop route in 2016 -- more than 17 hours between Dubai and Panama.
AFP/Getty Images
New ultra-longhauls: More time in the sky
Could you handle spending 12 hours-plus in a plane?
Airlines are adding more ultra-longhaul nonstop routes in 2016.
Both flights will use 787 Dreamliners.
Emirates is getting the most attention for its nonstop linking Dubai and Panama City, Panama.
Safety
Indonesia: Increased pilot training
Officials will be spending much of 2016 inspecting all of Indonesia's Airbus A320 airliners -- same as Flight 8501 -- looking for a technical glitch partially blamed for the 2014 crash that killed all 162 people aboard.
The nation also will require all airlines to increase pilot training as a result of the crash.
"I'd like to see them in 2016 pay more attention to safety and engage perhaps with the likes of Americans or Europeans to come help them with their infrastructure and to overhaul their aviation systems in terms of air traffic and maintenance and the whole mechanics of it," said aviation consultant Yusof.
Regionally, he said, there's "more urgency" now to create a single Southeast Asian safety framework, because many more airplanes are crossing between national air control zones.
2014's AirAsia crash will continue to affect travel in 2016.
STR/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Thailand: System makeover
A huge national overhaul of virtually all safety rules and procedures is expected to last into August.
It all started in 2015, when the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) "red flagged" Thailand.
An audit raised questions about the nation's airline safety oversight.
Next, South Korea, China and Japan placed restrictions on new Thai flights.
Then Singapore, Australia and the EU ordered enhanced inspections.
U.S. drones: New rules
Government regulators are still trying to get a handle on the problem.
In 2016, the FAA is expected to release new rules for an estimated hundreds of thousands of drone operators.
These will be aimed preventing drones from crashing into commercial airplanes or being sucked into their jet engines and triggering a disaster.
Preventing another MH370
Back then, the ICAO was expected in 2016 to adopt an airline standard for tracking planes by satellite.
CNN's Rene Marsh contributed to this report.