Lufthansa and United Airlines have combined their individual corporate incentive programs to create a single joint program under United’s PerksPlus brand. Lufthansa’s previous “Corporate Mileage Plan” members and United’s PerksPlus participants will now have access to more benefits across a wider, global network.

The international crisis of the airlines, which has prompted layoffs in different carriers, less air routes and higher airfares, “cause neither a reduction of flights nor seats in Dominican tourism, nor in regular flights, nor will run over the passenger who travels from the U.S. to the country”, said Dominican Civil Aviation director Jose Tomas Perez.

The United States and Brazil have concluded an agreement that will provide for a nearly 50 percent increase in passenger flights between the two countries as well as eliminate restrictions on the number of airlines that can provide U.S.-Brazil air service, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced last week.

Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines continues to expand its Caribbean network by launching a nonstop service from its Fort Lauderdale hub to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Port of Spain becomes Spirit’s 25th Caribbean/Latin American destination and the 43rd city it serves.

Surinam Airways (SLM), Suriname’s national carrier will resume direct flights to the United States of America (USA) after nearly 16 years a company official here disclosed. The move comes at a moment when several airlines are scaling back operations to the Caribbean due to increased fuel costs.

MIAMI - For the seventh time LAN Airlines is chosen Best Airline in Central/South America and the Caribbean by the Official Airline Guide (OAG). This guide is the well-recognized leader around the world for information in air travel.