WORLDHOTELS has announced plans to adopt a flexible pricing strategy for 2006, providing consortia and travel management partners with a guarantee of the best, unrestricted rate available. “Travel Buyers are heading into the toughest hotel negotiating season in years –a climate created by a strong rebound in business travel and overall occupancy and limited hotel supply growth. This pricing approach will move buyers away from traditional fixed rates to a structure that better responds to market conditions throughout the year,” said Christian Fiederer, Vice President EMEA from WORLDHOTELS.

Hotels.com and StarMedia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wanadoo, have entered into an agreement to launch StarMedia Viajes, termed as the most extensive travel booking engine for Spanish-speaking web users. Under the terms of the agreement, StarMedia will feature the Hotels.com booking engine in a new area within its portal designated as "Viajes y Hoteles" (Travel and Hotels).

Officials here said the Florida Keys are ready to invite visitors back after the islands´ brush Sept. 20 with Hurricane Rita. Although meteorologists had warned Rita could be a possible Category 2 or 3 storm when it impacted the Keys, Rita only rose to Category 1 level at the time, with maximum 74-mph winds.

Hopes by Trinidad and Tobago authorities for a decline in murder toll this year have been squashed. The murder toll for the year has so far surpassed that of last year´s with more than three months to go. Acting Police Commissioner Glen Roach told online publication Caribbean Net News that he was hoping that they could have kept the figure under last year´s but they didn´t.

While Beth Twitty is calling for a boycott against Aruba on American television, the father of the missing American teen Natalee Holloway, Dave Holloway, is on Aruba to show support for the local authorities. “I am here to meet with the Prosecution to see if they are still on track, and to assure the police corps I am still with them, that I am still supportive of them and of the people of the island,” Mr. Holloway stated. “Because it is only with the help of Aruba that we can eventually solve this case.”

Expedia Inc. officials said they are satisfied with the Expedia.com-Worldspan relationship, but are mulling their options and want to remain flexible in the evolving distribution environment that marks today´s travel industry and online reservations. Company officials noted last week they are considering the establishment of direct-connects with airline reservations systems. Sources close to the negotiations said they are talking to and doing due diligence on the new-entrant GDS.