Airlines are only beginning the process of "unbundling", with more radical changes to how travel is bought still to be revealed, the Business Travel Coalition predicts.
Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the US-based lobby group, told the Business Travel and Meetings Show in London there were four key phases to come.
These would include the purchase of new services by passengers, such as wifi; followed by the extension of third-party services like baggage delivery from home to airport.
A third phase will see "rebundling", with a package of services being offered, perhaps for an annual fee.
Finally, Mitchell predicted that once technology allowed, airlines would examine "door to door" opportunities, where they covered all the traveller's needs from start to finish. Mitchell said that eventually, airlines would regard basic ticket prices as something which just covered its costs. "The airline seat could be viewed as a loss-leader," he said.
Kyle Moore, Sabre's vice president, product marketing, said airlines were planning to get a substantial amount of revenue from unbundling. "I have had conversations with airlines that have said they see 30% of revenue coming in this way. In the US, Allegiant Air has over 40%."
The BTC predicts that global annual ancillary sales by airlines will total $500 billion "within a few years" and urged the need for standardisation.
"We are on a certain path to mass confusion," warned Mitchell.
However, Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa's UK and Ireland general manager, said the airline would resist attempts to follow this path: "We think our customers want to know what they are getting for the price they are paying."