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United Airlines boosts travel to England with new daily flights from Houston

Attention Houston passengers: United is traveling to London each day.

Photo courtesy of United Airlines

Summertime sees masses of Houstonians departing to cooler temps (Colorado, California) or south of the border. Now, jet setters can head to England, thanks to a major airline’s boost in flights across the bond.

United Airlines has increased service to London from Bush Intercontinental, the airline announced. The move comes with the England’s recent reopening to fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S., which began August 2.

This month, United will boost service from Houston to London from five times weekly to daily. Those jumping on added legs can expect a second daily flight from Washington, D.C.

A quick search shows basic economy flights starting at $1,051 from Houston to London (Heathrow — LHR), up to $12,972 for a business class jaunt.

Importantly, those traveling to England must be fully vaccinated in the U.S. — with vaccines that have been approved by the FDA, per the airline. Travelers must also take a test before departure as well as a PCR test within the first two days of arrival.

Additionally, passengers vaccinated in the U.S. must complete a passenger locator form prior to traveling to England as well as provide proof of U.S. residency, a United press release adds.

To streamline the checklist process, United has introduced a unique “travel-ready center” online tool for passengers. Here, travelers can upload and store their COVID-19 test results and vaccination records directly through the airline's website and mobile app.

Global visitors should note that the airline has also increased flights to European destinations, including new routes to Dubrovnik, Croatia; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Athens, Greece.

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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.

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