New route

Affordable Dallas jet service JSX launches new flights to Austin for $129

JSX is doubling down on Texas travel.

Photo courtesy of JSX

Dallas-based hop-on jet service JSX is buckling in for takeoff to another city in Texas — Austin. The regional carrier, which offers semi-private air travel at affordable rates, will start daily roundtrip service between Dallas Love Field and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on September 27, with flights at $129 each way.

JSX is also expanding its service between Dallas and Houston, doubling the number of flights offered each day, beginning September 27.

“Demand for air travel continues to increase in our home state of Texas, and we are delighted to add Austin to our route map," says JSX CEO Alex Wilcox in a release. "In addition to our increased flying between Dallas and Houston, our new Austin route will give Texans what they’ve long been asking for: simple, accessible alternatives to packed commercial flights."

Details of the new JSX service between Dallas and Austin are:

Flights will operate between Dallas and Austin starting September 27, 2021.
Flights will operate twice a day between private hangars at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Dallas Love Field.
Fares start at $129 one way.

Details of the expanded JSX service between Dallas and Houston are:

Increased flight schedule starts September 27, 2021.
Flights operate up to four times per day, each way.
Flights operate between private hangars at Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby.
Fares start at $129 one way.

JSX debuted service from Love Field in June 2020, with introductory flights to Las Vegas and North Carolina, then adding service to Houston, the West Texas golf resort Lajitas, and special routes to Los Cabos, Mexico and Destin, Florida.

JSX calls itself a “hop-on jet service” because customers may arrive just 20 minutes before departure at private terminals and simply “hop on” a flight, avoiding the crowds and lines. At Love Field, travelers have access to valet parking, Wi-Fi lounges, contactless security, and speedy baggage retrieval.

On board a 30-seat jet, passengers can relax in a business class-caliber seat with ample legroom and enjoy complimentary drinks, snacks, and cocktails. JSX also has a pet-friendly policy that allows small dogs and cats to fly for free.

The company's goal is to provide a luxury travel experience at competitive prices, they say. Unlike some private- and semi-private jet services, they do not charge membership fees.

The company says it's continuing expansion plans throughout Texas to meet growing demand for "smarter and safer" air travel options.

"With business travel on the rebound, and leisure travel steadily on the rise, JSX’s entry into the Austin market and increased service between Dallas and Houston caters to those in search of convenient and efficient alternatives that prioritizes today’s most valuable asset: time," the release says. "Primed for short-haul getaway travel, business, or leisure, travelers who fly JSX can minimize the wasteful dwell time spent navigating huge terminals and waiting for flights and maximize their time spent with friends, colleagues, and family by checking in just 20 minutes before departure at private terminals away from crowds, lines, and hassle."

Founded in 2016, JSX relocated its headquarters from Irvine, California to Dallas in 2018. It was named by Fast Company as one of the “Most Innovative Companies” of 2020.

“We’re excited to welcome JSX to Austin, and know that the convenience and comfort offered by this unique new service will be a perfect fit for many of our Central Texas travelers,” says Austin-Bergstrom International Airport chief executive officer Jacqueline Yaft in the release.

JSX flights can be booked directly through the website or the app.

vacation transportation

ready for the future

United Airlines opens largest lounge in U.S. at major Texas airport

Courtesy of United

The United Club has two bars.

A stopover or trip out of Houston just got more luxurious for some fliers. After nearly three years of construction, the new Terminal B North Concourse serving United Airlines is finally open at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Part of a $2.6 billion renovation project, the terminal features a big new club, modern design, and premium amenities that should make traveling considerably more pleasant.

"The roads that were backed up, the lines out the door? Those days are behind us," said Phil Griffith, vice president of Houston Hub for United.

Terminal B was last updated in 1969, long before many of the accommodations and luxuries travelers now take for granted were common. The updated terminal features 22 new gates, a low sensory room, and comfortable seating complete with charging stations at nearly every chair. Even the bathrooms are exceptional, with more floor space than a one-bedroom apartment, full sized wooden stall doors for extra privacy, and sleek fixtures.

The renovation's crowning jewel is the new United Club located upstairs, touted by United as the largest club of any airline in the Americas. Houston Mayor John Whitmire joked that it was the size of a football field. If that's an exaggeration, it can't be by much.

At 54,000 square feet, the enormous space offers seating for 800 people. Amenities include two bars, one of which is size of a departure gate waiting area all by itself

It also offers two full buffet sections serving hot meals (brisket, biscuits and gravy, cilantro rice, and a taqueria bar at the opening), as well as coffee, fruit, and snack bars. Lounge chairs face the windows for those who want to watch the planes take off, and an elegant open-air patio will be refreshing now that Houston's hot summer has finally come to an end.

The new terminal reflects the importance of United Airlines as part of IAH's expansion into Latin and South America. Currently, United serves 57 destinations south of the border and in the Caribbean, which will expand in October with service to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico. A non-stop route to Cartagena, Colombia opens in December.

Terminal B also continues IAH's dedication to shopping, food, and art. Restaurants already or slated to open in the terminal include Pizaro's Pizza, Jersey Mikes, Katz Coffee, Smashburger, B&B Butchers & Restaurant, Rosie Cannonball, Blood Bros. BBQ, and H-Town Beer Garden.

A $16.8 million public art program includes 10 large-scale installations from Houston-based, national, and international artists. One piece that particularly stands out is Rick Lowe's "You Are in the Gray," a massive canvas of abstract lines Lowe painstakingly mapped from interactive flight data.

Courtesy of United

The United Club has two bars.

anderson george bush intercontinental airport united airlines travel houston airport