Greetings from Austin. We’re keeping things low key this weekend as ATX Jr. has come down with a stomach bug. We have a trip in the middle of next week so our only focus is getting everyone feeling better before we jet off to North Carolina.
On the travel news front, the big story for the first part of the of the week involved Air Canada and its bitter labor dispute. Thankfully the two sides were able to resolve that dispute and operations for the carrier have returned to normal. Soon after that was resolved, Alaska and Hawaiian set the internet abalze woth the launch of their new Atmos Rewards loyalty program.
Those stories and more in the August 23, 2025 weekly recap!
In this post:
- Air Canada Restarts Operations After Reaching Agreement With Flight Attendants
- Atmos Rewards: The New Loyalty Program for Alaska and Hawaiian
- Delta Keeps Expanding in Austin
- Qatar Airways is Moving to Terminal One at New York-JFK
- American Airlines Opens Its First Grab and Go Lounge in Charlotte (CLT)
- Review: Delta Sky Club Charlotte (CLT)
- Summary
Air Canada Restarts Operations After Reaching Agreement With Flight Attendants
Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, reached an agreement this week that saw the embattled crews return to work.
The strike caused days of disruptions and the government even ordered the union members to return to work. The union refused, with the union president saying he was willing to go to jail if necessary. Thankfully, cooler heads have prevailed in an event that will still be costly for Air Canada.
Atmos Rewards: The New Loyalty Program for Alaska and Hawaiian
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have officially unveiled their new loyalty program, Atmos Rewards. Overall, I’d say the changes are overwhelmingly positive with additional perks for travelers and more ways to earn points. Additional upgrades to Atmos Rewards status is coming in 2026, though there may be a few growing pains as the two airlines work to integrate their loyalty systems.
Currently, Atmos Rewards is the most appealing loyalty program of the major U.S. carriers but, being based in the middle of the country, I’ll have to decide if status with them is worth pursuing.
Delta Keeps Expanding in Austin
Delta has announced another expansion in Austin, bringing its route total to nearly thirty! These new routes take direct aim at Southwest as the Atlanta based carrier continues to make inroads in the Texas capital.
Qatar Airways is Moving to Terminal One at New York-JFK
In a surprising move, Qatar Airways is moving from Terminal 8, home to fellow OneWorld alliance members American Airlines and British Airways, over to the New Terminal One. As part of the move, which is expected to occur in 2026, the carrier will open its first dedicated lounge in the United States.
American Airlines Opens Its First Grab and Go Lounge in Charlotte (CLT)
American Airlines has opened its first grab and go lounge, Provisions by Admirals Club. The new space is located near Gate A1 and will be a great option for travelers with quick connections at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).
Review: Delta Sky Club Charlotte (CLT)
The Delta Sky Club at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is a fantastic new lounge space. At roughly 14,000 square feet the lounge is extremely large for an outstation, especially when you consider the scale of Delta’s operation in Charlotte.
Summary
This is (hopefully) our last weekend at home for the next month so, even though ATX Jr. is under the weather, we’re trying to relax and enjoy it the best we can. The launch of Atmos Rewards and Air Canada’s labor dispute were the two main stories in the news this week, along with plenty of other news.
While I couldn’t include everything in this recap, we’ll keep bringing you the top stories each week at ATXJetsetter.com. As always, thank you for checking out the weekly recap for the week ended August 23, 2025!
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