United Airlines to Start Houston-Havana Flights on Saturday
On Saturday, United Airlines will launch a weekly nonstop flight between George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Havana - Cuba's capital that, although a mere 2½ hours away by plane, has been out of reach to Houstonians for half a century.
United Airlines launches weekly nonstop flights from IAH to Havana on Saturday. Prices start at about $550, roundtrip. You will need a credit card to buy a Cuban entry permit at your departure gate. The $50 permit is not included in the price of your ticket; an additional $25 service charge will also be collected.
Majestic Spanish colonial forts and palaces coexist with the architectural eclecticism that grew during decades of prosperity, along with visual narratives like Cuban socialism posters now dotted with flags and American symbols since the opening of relations between both countries.
Visitors can feel Havana's vibrant urban dynamic by walking through its streets and alleys, encountering constant music, neighbors engaged in dominoes or chess, children playing baseball, and both beautifully restored buildings and structures destroyed by time and poverty.
Ordinary tourism to Cuba remains off-limits - when you book or check in for your flight, you will be asked to certify the reason for your visit. Travel is permitted only for those with a license. Many licensees visit under the people-to-people category. To view all categories go to united.com.
People-to-people trips are educational ones that anybody can take, so long as they include a full schedule of activities that produce "meaningful interaction between the traveler and individuals in Cuba." Organized trips usually entail meetings, lectures and visits to artists' studios, small businesses or community projects.
Bring cash to Cuba. ATMs are few and far between, and many establishments are unable to process credit-card payments.
The best way to experience the city is "with an open mind that allows you to go beyond prejudices and clichés," says Luis Duno-Gottberg, a Cuba expert and chair of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at Rice University. "Reducing Cuba to the tropical flavor, the rum and the cigars, is losing sight of the richness and complexity of the country."
Source: The Houston Chronicle
