Greetings from Austin! For the third weekend in a row, the ATX crew is hanging out at home. While many are traveling for the holiday weekend laying low and hitting the lake with friends. While our weekend plans may be relaxed, we had a busy week of travel related news along with a couple of new reviews. The weekly recap for April 19, 2025 is below.
Table of Contents
- American Airlines is Introducing Free Wi-Fi for AAdvantage Members
- The Maldives Bans Israeli Passport Holders from Entering the Country
- American Airlines Flight Diverts After Service Dog Bites Passenger
- Hilton Will Begin Charging Guests for Late Checkout Across All Brands
- China Bans Boeing Aircraft Deliveries Amid Trade War
- British Airways Pulls Out of DFW, Cedes All Flying to American
- Review: KLM Boeing 777-200 Business Class
- Summary
American Airlines is Introducing Free Wi-Fi for AAdvantage Members
American Airlines will roll out free Wi-Fi for AAdvantage loyalty program members beginning in January 2026. The Fort Worth based carrier is partnering with Dallas based AT&T on the rollout which is expected to cover more than 90% of American’s fleet. American is also working to outfit more than 500 American Eagle aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi prior to launch.
The Maldives Bans Israeli Passport Holders from Entering the Country
Israeli passport holders have officially been banned from entering the Republic of Maldives. The President of the country stated that this is due to the country’s ongoing conflict with Palestine. While a small percentage of travelers to the country enter on Israeli passports, I can’t help but wonder about the downstream impact to the country’s large tourism and hospitality industry.
American Airlines Flight Diverts After Service Dog Bites Passenger
A service dog onboard an American Eagle flight bit a passenger which forced the plane to divert. The flight between Utah and Dallas-Ft. Worth diverted to Colorado Springs where the victim was transported to a local hospital. The flight spent roughly an hour and a half on the ground before flying to Dallas-Ft. Worth.
Hilton Will Begin Charging Guests for Late Checkout Across All Brands
Hilton Hotels Corporation is preparing to roll out a new pricing chart for late checkout across all of its properties. Individual hotels can set availability parameters based on demand but, I’d expect to see the number of complimentary late checkouts plummet.
China Bans Boeing Aircraft Deliveries Amid Trade War
China has banned airlines in the country from taking delivery of Boeing aircraft along with parts that come from the United States. Chinese airlines have a robust order book and I have to imagine that Airbus is waiting to swoop in and takeover the orders that have been frozen by Boeing.
British Airways Pulls Out of DFW, Cedes All Flying to American
As of March 31, 2025, British Airways no longer flies between London Heathrow and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The flag carrier of the United Kingdom has ceded the route to joint venture partner American Airlines, which operates it 5x daily.
Review: KLM Boeing 777-200 Business Class
As part of our trip across Asia, we flew with KLM on its Boeing 777-200 in Business Class between Amsterdam and Dubai. This flight left me with mixed opinions based on the hard product and service.
The seat was the best of the variants KLM offers on its long-haul aircraft, combining the best of the 787-9 and 787-10 seats along with a door for extra privacy. The food on this flight was a major miss and, while the service flow was somewhat choppy, the crew was extremely friendly and did a fantastic job with ATX Jr.
Summary
It was another busy week for travel news which included some highs, like free Wi-Fi coming to American Airlines aircraft, and lows, like Hilton charging guests a set rate for late checkout.
The current geopolitical climate impacted travel by Israeli citizens to the Maldives and caused Chinese airlines to reject deliveries of new Boeing aircraft as a result of the ongoing trade war. Those stories and more are available in the weekly recap for April 19, 2025!