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    safer skies

    United Airlines launches new COVID testing for Houston flights to the Caribbean and Latin America

    Steven Devadanam
    Nov 23, 2020 | 9:25 am
    United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner, September 2017
    United is making international flights from Houston safer with new COVID testing.
    Courtesy photo

    As the nation prepares to travel during the holiday season, some 2.4 million Americans are expected to fly on Thanksgiving alone, according to CNN and estimates from AAA. While that’s the largest one-year decrease on record, it’s a significant enough number for airlines to increase safety measures.

    To that end, United Airlines, which boasts a significant hub here, announced on November 23 that it is expanding its customer COVID-19 testing efforts to include flights departing Houston to select destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    That means customers traveling out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) can take a self-collected, mail-in test that meets local entry requirements for 10 international destinations, allowing them to reunite with family or start their vacation immediately, according to a press release.

    The destinations are:

    • Aruba (AUA)
    • Belize City, Belize (BZE)
    • Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA)
    • Lima, Peru (LIM)
    • Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)
    • Panama City, Panama (PTY)
    • Roatan, Honduras (RTB)
    • San Pedro Sula, Honduras (SAP)
    • San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL)
    • Tegucigalpa, Honduras (TGU)

    United’s mail-in COVID-19 test costs $119 and will be administered by Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory and processed at their COVID-19 testing laboratory in San Antonio. The self-collection kit includes a plastic tube, a nasal swab, and instructions on how to properly collect a specimen.

    Customers will receive instructions 14 days ahead of their flights on ordering a test and the testing process. Travelers are advised to research the testing requirements of each location and take the tests 72 hours before departure. Results arrive via email within 24 to 48 hours of mailing in the test.

    “Widespread testing is key to unlocking international borders and safely reopening global travel,” Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United, said in a release. “This is particularly important for our customers in Houston, who rely on United to keep them connected with their family and friends in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

    United is yet another airline offering COVID testing for international travel. As CultureMap previously reported, Fort Worth-based American Airlines and British Airways have launched an optional coronavirus trial test on select flights between the United States and London Heathrow (LHR).

    vacation
    news/travel

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    coming to fredericksburg

    Star Houston chef signs on to luxurious Hill Country hotel

    Eric Sandler
    Oct 22, 2026 | 3:00 pm
    Aaron Bludorn headshot
    Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group
    Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

    Houston chef Aaron Bludorn is coming to the Hill Country. The chef’s Bludorn Hospitality Group will open a restaurant and lead the culinary program at The Kimpton Fredericksburg, a luxury hotel that’s expected to open in late 2027.

    The still-unnamed restaurant will be a fresh concept from the company that’s behind five Houston restaurants — its flagship fine dining concept Bludorn, seafood restaurant Navy Blue, French-inspired Perseid at the Hotel Saint Augustine, and two locations of Bar Bludorn, including its recently-opened location in The Woodlands. Later this year, Bludorn, his wife Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner Cherif Mbodji, will open a new restaurant in San Antonio.

    “We really loved the idea of being out in Fredericksburg. With us opening in San Antonio, we’ll already have a team out there,” Bludorn tells CultureMap. “We’re a growing Texas hospitality group. We see it as a great opportunity to grow our brand with Texans in really cool spaces.”

    Bludorn adds that the restaurant will be a new concept from the company. Details, including its name and menu, will be released closer to the opening.

    “We were drawn to Aaron’s ability to create a dining experience that feels both approachable and elevated, where exceptional food and thoughtful service come together in a way that makes every guest feel welcome,” said Blake Berg, senior vice president of development & construction for hotel owner DC Partners. “We recognize that experiential dining is an important part of what makes a destination successful, particularly in a market as distinctive as Fredericksburg. Our vision is to build on the area’s existing culinary character while introducing a new level of creativity, quality and hospitality. Aaron understands that balance. His philosophy aligns with our intentional approach to The Meuse, where every element is designed to complement the community, create a lasting impression and give people a reason to return.”

    First announced in 2025, the Kimpton Fredericksburg is a 210-room luxury hotel. In addition to the Bludorn restaurant, it will offer a 10,000-square-foot outdoor pool and deck, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and more than 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

    The hotel will anchor The Meuse, a 22-acre mixed-use development with more than 70,000 square feet of retail space. Previously announced tenants include Houston-based Padre’s Wine Company, Texas bootmaker Lucchese, westernwear label Double D Ranch, gourmet food company Fischer & Wieser, and Jackson Ballard Gallery.

    Aaron Bludorn headshot

    Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group

    Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

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