In 1919, John Maynard Keynes described what the world was like (for the elite, anyway) in the years before World War I (or the Great War, as it was called at that time, since no one was expecting a sequel). The world of global mobility, communication, and finance actually took shape soon after the laying of the trans-oceanic telegraph lines (that is, by the 1870s); it didn't require the jet plane or the internet.
One excerpt from Keynes' book:
The inhabitant of London could order by telephone, sipping his morning tea in bed, the various products of the whole earth, in such quantity as he might see fit, and reasonably expect their early delivery upon his doorstep...
He could secure forthwith, if he wished it, cheap and comfortable means of transit to any country or climate without passport or other formality, could despatch his servant to the neighboring office of a bank for such supply of the precious metals as might seem convenient, and could then proceed abroad to foreign quarters, without knowledge of their religion, language, or customs, bearing coined wealth upon his person, and would consider himself greatly aggrieved and much surprised at the least interference. [1]
One excerpt from Keynes' book:
The inhabitant of London could order by telephone, sipping his morning tea in bed, the various products of the whole earth, in such quantity as he might see fit, and reasonably expect their early delivery upon his doorstep...
He could secure forthwith, if he wished it, cheap and comfortable means of transit to any country or climate without passport or other formality, could despatch his servant to the neighboring office of a bank for such supply of the precious metals as might seem convenient, and could then proceed abroad to foreign quarters, without knowledge of their religion, language, or customs, bearing coined wealth upon his person, and would consider himself greatly aggrieved and much surprised at the least interference. [1]
[1] http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Keynes/kynsCP2.html