If there’s one lesson the past few years have reinforced for us, it is that time is very precious. Before, we may have taken for granted our opportunities to travel, explore and meet with loved ones and colleagues. In hindsight, many regretted they had not taken more advantage of the time they had before restrictions limited where they could go and what they could do. Conversely, many of us discovered we had time to pause and reflect on where our priorities lay and how we wished to make the most of such a valuable commodity.

Now, calendars are full again, travel has rebounded, and while daily life for most has returned to “normal,” we have not forgotten the lessons the pandemic taught us. I doubt any of us will again take for granted a hug, an elegant dinner out with friends, a deal sealed with a handshake, a comfortable seat at 30,000 feet or the lovely view from the balcony of a 5-star hotel.

We invite you to explore the pages of our 2022 edition of Global Traveler’s Class Act Guide, a time- saving source of all kinds of information to help you in your travel planning and give you insight into current and future trends. As you’ll see in our First and Business Class and Premium Economy surveys, airlines have planned for a boom in travel as they continue to expand, enhance and upgrade their premier seating. (Read more on what goes into actual seat design on page 46.) And as Mark Chesnut shares in his article on upscale hotel openings on page 60, the hospitality industry also seeks to accommodate eager, discerning guests.

We also share how the industry is adapting and changing in our post-COVID, time-conscious world. Learn what it takes to become a commercial airline pilot and what the airlines are doing to develop a new generation of pilots on page 42, and get insight into an air traffic controller’s life (and what’s behind those delays and cancellations) on page 26. For a potential genuine time-saver, check out Richard Newton’s fascinating look at future supersonic travel on page 30. Literally a little more down-to-earth, on page 54 Kelly Magyarics shares several travel tools and apps to keep you going in the right direction.

Speaking of apps, be sure to download our new app by scanning the code on the cover of this issue. Available for iOS or Android devices from the App Store or Google Play, the GT app lets you search archives, read the current issue, bookmark favorites, share on social media, listen to on-demand narration and more. The app puts the wealth of Global Traveler’s timely and time-saving information at your fingertips, anywhere in the world.

Here’s to travel!