Greetings from Istanbul! Mrs. ATX, ATX Jr., and I are wrapping up a fantastic trip to the Middle East and Asia before heading back to the states next week. Just like last week’s update, I didn’t do a ton of posting as I wanted to focus on spending time with family. However, there were a few noteworthy bits of travel news and I promise that there will be many new reviews coming over the next few weeks. That being said, check out the weekly recap for March 29, 2025 below!
Table of Contents
- My Awful Blacklane Ride in Istanbul
- American Will Offer Premium Cabins on Every Chicago-O’Hare Flight this Summer
- The First Waldorf Astoria in Texas is Coming to Fredericksburg
- Emirates Opens an Exclusive Cabin Crew Facility in Dubai
- Star Alliance Partners With Austrian Federal Railways for Intermodal Connectivity
- Summary
My Awful Blacklane Ride in Istanbul
While we have been having a great time in Istanbul during our visit, our ride from the airport to the city was anything but enjoyable. Having had a great experience with Blacklane in Dubai, I decided to book another car transfer in Istanbul.
Unfortunately, our experience was so poor that I actually had to message Blacklane customer service on our ride into town to ensure we were in one of their vehicles. While the local operator was unwilling to acknowledge the shortfalls, Blacklane did their best to rectify the situation after the fact.
American Will Offer Premium Cabins on Every Chicago-O’Hare Flight this Summer
American Airlines announced this week that, as of June 2025, all flights to and from Chicago-O’Hare International Airport (ORD) will be operated by dual-cabin aircraft featuring premium offerings on every flight. The change comes as American is looking to refocus on premium offerings as it works to catch up to Delta and United.
The First Waldorf Astoria in Texas is Coming to Fredericksburg
The Texas Hill Country is growing like crazy and the once sleepy town of Fredericksburg is at the epicenter. Located a short drive from Austin and San Antonio, Fredericksburg is slated to be the home of the first Waldorf Astoria property in the State of Texas.
Emirates Opens an Exclusive Cabin Crew Facility in Dubai
Emirates has opened a new facility exclusively for its cabin crew. The Crew Zone is located at Emirates Group headquarters adjacent to Dubai International Airport. To my knowledge this is the first cabin crew-specific space for any airline but we could see others follow suit.
Star Alliance Partners With Austrian Federal Railways for Intermodal Connectivity
Star Alliance is expanding its intermodal partnerships by adding Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) for air and rail connections to multiple cities. The new partnership will allow passengers to connect seamlessly between Star Alliance flights and ÖBB trains at Vienna International Airport (VIE).
Summary
Thanks for checking out the weekly recap for March 29, 2025. While things have been slow the last couple of weeks due to travel, we should be back up and running at full speed by the middle of next week.
(Images courtesy American Airlines, Emirates, Hilton, and Star Alliance)