For the third year in a row LanChile was picked up the best airline in Central and South America and the Caribbean by the Official Airline Guide (OAG), the most prestigious US airline guide viewed as the world’s leader in travel information for the business executives. The selection is based on an international survey among business passengers throughout the world.

Bahamasair will slash 60 employees from its payroll in a continued stream of layoffs due to financial woes, in an effort to cut costs and achieve higher effectiveness and efficiency, the management alleged.

Venezuelan wholesale tour operator Always Tours and Colombia’s ABC Tourism came out the winners of the Eighth Annual Dinner of the Curazao Tourism and Hospitality Association for their outstanding work and outcomes all through 2002.

Go-Go Worldwide Vacations and Liberty Travel, both from the U.S., as well as Constellation Travel from Trinidad & Tobago and the Dutch pair of Maduro Travel and Indigo Tours, were praised for similar reasons.

Alitalia airlines and its Belgian counterpart SN Brussels signed a shared code agreement that will now knit together the Brussels routes with the Rome, Fiumicino, Milan, Turin, Venice and Bolonia connections.

Alitalia also renewed its shared code agreement with Air Malta last March 30 with a view to improve connections between Maltese terminals and the airports of Rome, Milan, Catena and Palermo.

European company Festival Cruises inked a cooperation agreement with E.J. Krause & Associates Spain, planners of Expo Comm, a professional communications fair held in Spain whereby the maritime enterprise is now trying its hand at telecommunications and company-to-company communications.

On the other hand, the fifth edition of Expo Comm –going on this week at the Juan Carlos I Fairgrounds in Madrid- beefs up its offer with 160 cruises that open up entrepreneurial alternatives other that the exclusive telecommunications realm.

SuperClubs and Gaviota have great plans for this coming summer. The two companies are planning to open the Grand Lido Varadero, a 434-room resort under the key-in-hand modality.

The new hotel is currently being built at the end of Las Morlas highway. Construction works kicked off in September 2002 and are running on a 22-month schedule.

The hotel will be made up of four beachfront bungalows and two garden ones. The deluxe upper area will consist of a main building and the pool. Hotel facilities will be at the guests’ beck and call, including a couple of suites for newlyweds.