Wheels up

Texas-based JSX jets from Houston to sexy new Florida beach destination for $149

JSX is taking off to Florida next month.

Photo courtesy of JSX

Bikini babes and boogie boarders, start your airbrush tans. You could be frolicking on a sexy Florida beach next month.

Dallas-based affordable hop-on jet service JSX is launching seasonal roundtrip flights from Houston to Destin, Florida starting Thursday, April 22. Now available for booking online via the JSX website, flights start at $149 one-way, including tax. And bags (including golf bags) fly free.

"We continue to make great strides in our home base of Dallas; first with the launch of our unique 1x1 seating configuration—an air industry first—and now, with expanded flight service from Dallas and Houston to Destin, Florida just in time for the resurgence of safe spring and summer travel. says JSX CEO Alex Wilcox in a March 16 release. "We are so pleased to offer Texas residents an opportunity to experience the joy of a simple, safe, and socially distanced getaway after such a bitter winter season."

JSX continues to touts its "no crowds, no lines, and no fuss" travel experience during the ongoing pandemic. Houston travelers fly out of a private terminal at Hobby Airport and can arrive just 20 minutes before their flight. Passengers have access to valet parking, Wi-Fi lounges, and speedy baggage retrieval. Touchless check-in and frictionless security minimize "dwell" time — less time on the journey, more time at the destination.

Destin, in Florida's panhandle, is known for its white sand beaches, emerald green Gulf waters, plentiful fishing, and challenging golf courses.

According to the release, details of the new service include:

Houston Hobby (HOU) to/from Destin Executive Airport (DTS):

Flights operate between Houston Hobby and Destin starting April 22, 2021.
Flights are available Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday through June 30, 2021.
Fares start at $149 one-way, including tax.
Go Rental cars are available on-site for all travelers.

The service is also launching from Dallas' Love Field. Those details are:

Dallas Love Field (DAL) to/from Destin Executive Airport (DTS):

Flights will operate between Dallas and Destin starting April 22, 2021.
Flights are available Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday through June 30, 2021.
Fares start at $149 one-way, including tax.
Go Rental cars are available on-site for all travelers.

JSX planes feature just 30 business class-caliber seats in a unique 1x1 configuration for natural social distancing, as well as complimentary service of drinks, snacks, and cocktails. The company also has a pet-friendly policy that allows small dogs and cats to fly for free.

Dallas-based JSX debuted service from Love Field in June 2020, with introductory flights to Las Vegas and North Carolina. They've also added routes to Lajitas Golf Resort in West Texas; limited seasonal flights to Los Cabos, Mexico; and regular service between Houston and Dallas.

Passengers should continue to follow CDC guidelines regarding travel, the company says, and face masks are required on all flights, lounges, and other common areas.

JSX flights can be booked directly through the website or the app. The company also partners with JetBlue, and TrueBlue members may earn points on JSX flights.

vacation transportation

REVIVING THE ALAMO

Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership

Photo by Gower Brown/ Unsplash

A 90-pound cannon used in the Battle of the Alamo is returning to its San Antonio home.

It turns out the Alamo's original 1836 cannons are good for more than just defense — they also make a sturdy birdbath. After serving as a garden ornament for Samuel Maverick’s descendants, an authentic piece of San Antonio history is finally returning home to the revered mission.

According to an Alamo announcement, the swivel cannon weighs 90 pounds and is approximately three feet long. The relic was originally found in 1852 when Maverick built a home near the northwest corner of the battle’s site.

The lawyer and land baron was saved from death when he was urged by William Barret Travis to ride to the Texas Declaration of Independence convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos to send reinforcements. Returning to the Alamo’s grounds, he found a cache of cannons buried where the Hotel Gibbs sits today.

From there, the cannon wound up at the Maverick family’s Sunshine Ranch on the Northwest Side, where it was eventually incorporated into the garden DIY project. In 1955, the cannon was removed from the ranch, and the current location remained a mystery until the Alamo received a call from a Maverick relative in Corpus Christi.

Alamo cannon This Alamo artifact gives an idea of what the cannon will look like once restoration is complete.Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

“The relative graciously donated the cannon to the Alamo,” wrote a rep from the mission. “Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham and Head Conservator Pam Jary Rosser drove down the very next day to take this piece of history home to the Alamo.”

Although the artillery is mostly intact, it is missing its trunnions (the pivot-point protrusions on the sides of the barrel) and cascabel (the knob and neck assembly at the rear of historic muzzle-loading cannons). The parts were removed by the Mexican army to make the cannon inoperable.

Once preservation is complete, this cannon and the Alamo Collection’s other battle cannons will make their way to the upcoming Visitor Center and Museum, where they will be joined by rocker Phil Collins' collection of Alamo artifacts. The Alamo is in the midst of a $550 million preservation project, which includes conserving the Alamo Church, Long Barrack, and the mission’s original footprint. The museum is on track to debut in late 2027.

history museums artifacts texas history the alamo

Wheels up

Texas-based JSX jets from Houston to sexy new Florida beach destination for $149

REVIVING THE ALAMO

Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership

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