American Airlines has appointed classically trained winemaker and viticulturist Ken Chase as the airline’s official wine consultant. He will select wines for customers traveling on American’s various routes throughout the world.

Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino offers a windfall of meetings savings with its new “Meet & Treat in St. Maarten” package. The package includes a 15 percent commission for planners, added extras and tax incentives. The new offer is valid for travel for 2009 and 2010, but some blackout dates apply.

The long-delayed redevelopment of Owen Roberts Airport on Grand Cayman is slated to begin in September. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012, according to Charles Clifford, the Cayman Islands’ minister of tourism.

According to Donald N. Martin & Company’s March Newsletter, which tracks travel to Europe, U.S. visits to Europe totaled 12.4 million in 2008, according to preliminary numbers from the U.S. Department of Commerce, a decrease of 6.3 percent from the record-setting total in 2007.

With an opening date set for July 1, 2009, Capella Pedregal, in Cabo San Lucas, readies for its debut. Boasting a secluded cliffside setting where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez, Capella Pedregal will afford a standard of personalized service no other resort can match.

Virgin America, the California-based domestic airline, has announced the appointment of Holly Nelson as the company’s chief financial officer. Mrs. Nelson joins Virgin America in April, and will oversee the award-winning airline’s financial operations, including treasury, tax, financial planning and analysis, accounting, financial reporting, budgets, procurement and fleet planning.