TAM Mercosur and the LAN Alliance -comprised of LAN Airlines, LAN Peru, LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador- have decided to formalize a business alliance. The agreement aims to develop partnerships in routes operated by these companies in South America, broadening passengers’ options to fly to several destinations around the continent.

The Italian government said it would not permit any new bidders in Alitalia’s auction, in a setback to hopes that a mystery suitor with deeper pockets might yet emerge to salvage the unprofitable airline.

Reporting from the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) Global Conference and Latin America Summit, American Express Business Travel named Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC) as one of the Company’s fastest growth markets in 2006 –up 20 percent on a total travel sales basis- following Greater China and India.

Pegasus Solutions.jpg Pegasus Solutions has acquired Wizcom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Travelport. The acquisition establishes Pegasus as the only provider of Global Distribution System (GDS) switch services -the alternative to GDS direct connects.

Some of Jamaica’s major tourism players yesterday called on the Government to allocate more money to advertise and promote the country in order to correct a 2.1 percent slide in stopover visitor arrivals since the start of the year which, they project, will worsen in the summer and fall if nothing is done.

European travel company giants TUI and First Choice, which agreed to merge in March, said they would sell their Irish assets so that the proposed merger wins the approval of the European Commission.