The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences has honored Frank Rainieri, President and CEO of Grupo Puntacana, with their prestigious Personal Achievement Award.

With the distinction of being the only nation outside of Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday, the island of Montserrat comes alive for the annual event.

Air Canada has sent its third humanitarian flight undertaken by Air Canada stocked with medical and other urgent supplies in support of Haiti relief efforts.

Immediately after news broke of the earthquake that struck Haiti earlier this month, three Sol Meliá properties located in Haiti’s neighboring country, the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana), began providing aid to victims.

American Airlines said that it will furlough up to 175 pilots in the first half of 2010, beginning at the end of February. The airline issued a statement calling the furlough “unfortunate,” and said it was a result of the economy and reduction in capacity over the past 18 months.

Delta Air Lines said it will invest $1 billion, or about $300 million per year, through mid-2013 to improve the customer experience in the air and on the ground. The capital investment will improve the consistency and level of service provided to Delta’s BusinessElite, First Class and elite-level flyers, as well as increasing the efficiency of the airline’s fleet.