Greetings from Austin! The ATX crew is enjoying a weekend at home before I head out on my next adventure on Monday. This week, I finally got back to working on our trip report from Asia, we saw a major change to a popular credit card, and a hotel tried to screw guests that booked on a cheap fare. All of that and more in the June 7, 2025 weekly recap.
Le Meridien Maldives Attempts to Trick Guests into Cancelling Reservations
The Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa appears to be trying to get out of mistake rate bookings by demanding information within 24 hours or risk having the booking cancelled. Hopefully the hotel comes to its senses but, if you have a stay booked, be sure to check your email ASAP.
Alaska Airlines is Launching Flights to Rome in 2026
Alaska Airlines has just announced its third long-haul, international, destination from its growing Seattle hub. The airline will fly to Rome 4x weekly beginning in May 2026 using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It will be interesting to see if Delta decides to add a Rome flight or if it is content ceding this route to Alaska.
Capital One Makes Major Lounge Access Changes for Venture X Cardholders
Capital One is making some big changes to its popular Venture X and Venture X Business premium travel cards. These changes appear limited to lounge access restrictions and will go into effect on February 1, 2026. While not ideal the card still appears to be a good value for those visiting airports with Capital One lounges.
United and Spotify Partner to Offer Podcasts, Audiobooks, and More Onboard
In a first-of-its-kind partnership, United Airlines and Spotify are bring audiobooks, video podcasts, and more to the seatback IFE screens on more than 680 aircraft. Beginning next year, customers will be able to login to their Spotify accounts via the IFE screen to stream their personalized content.
Reagan National Airport Will Suspend Airline Operations During Army Birthday Parade
A parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States Army will occur on Saturday, June 14 from 6:30-9:30p. Given the logistics of this event, expect airline operations to be significantly disrupted on Saturday evening. Some reports are showing that flights could be held at their origin for up to three hours while operations at Reagan National are suspended.
Exploring Almaty
We had an amazing time in Almaty. We went in not knowing what to expect and were blown away by the city and the people. Everyone we met were extremely friendly and welcoming. While we went into the trip thinking we may not return, we can’t wait to go back and explore more of Kazakhstan’s largest city.
Summary
It was another busy week in the travel and aviation space. While the Capital One Venture X lounge benefits got the most attention, there were plenty of other stories that made waves this week. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the June 7, 2025 weekly recap!