CaribPR Wire

Agreement Expands Travel Options At San Juan Focus City

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) and Seaborne Airlines today began selling flights under a codeshare agreement that will offer customers increased travel options and new destinations throughout the Caribbean. Connections will be made via San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), where JetBlue is the largest carrier.

Customers flying on JetBlue and Seaborne will enjoy the benefit of traveling on a single ticket which allows for one-stop check-in, baggage transfer to the final destination, and conveniently timed connections in San Juan. Flights are available for purchase today on JetBlue.com.

“This latest codeshare agreement combines Seaborne Airlines’ experience serving exciting Caribbean destinations with JetBlue’s established footing as an award-winning carrier to the region,” said Scott Laurence, senior vice president, airline planning at JetBlue.

Initially, JetBlue will place its ‘B6′ designator code on eight Seaborne Airlines routes allowing JetBlue customers to reach more destinations in the Caribbean on a single itinerary.:

• Anguilla (AXA)
• Tortola, British Virgin Islands (EIS)
• Dominica (DOM)
• Nevis (NEV)
• St. Kitts (SKB)
• St. Maarten (SXM)
• St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)
• St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX)

Following receipt of all necessary government approvals, JetBlue will place the ‘B6′ designator code on the remainder of the Seaborne Airlines network to include:

• Antigua (ANU)
• Fort-de-France, Martinique (FDF)
• La Romana, Dominican Republic (LRM)
• Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe (PTP)
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ)
• Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ)

“The entire Seaborne Airlines team is excited to begin our codeshare relationship with JetBlue,” said Gary Foss, President and CEO of Seaborne Airlines.  “I’m confident that our customers, Caribbean residents, and tourism to our region will all benefit as a result of this agreement.”

The routes add to JetBlue’s already extensive list of destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America including Grenada, Curacao, Antigua and Mexico City, which were all added to the JetBlue route map in the past year. Additionally, flights to Quito, Ecuador begin in February 2016.

The partnership between JetBlue, a leading carrier to the Caribbean, and Seaborne Airlines, the largest regional operator in the Caribbean, expands upon the carriers’ successful interline agreement established in 2013.

About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline™, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 32 million customers a year to 91 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 875 daily flights. For more information please visit JetBlue.com.

About Seaborne Airlines
Seaborne Airlines has been operating in the Caribbean for over 23 years, carrying approximately 3 million customers safely. With over 1,500 monthly departures to 17 airports, Seaborne serves San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, St. Thomas airport and Seaplane base, St. Croix airport and Seaplane Base, Anguilla, Antigua, Tortola, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, St. Kitts, Nevis, La Romana, Punta Cana and Santo Domingo.  All Flights operate with two pilots and two engines under Federal Air Regulations Part 121, the strictest code of the US Federal Air Regulation governing air travel.

CONTACT: Sandra Colon Perez, [email protected]

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Aug. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Seaborne Airlines today issued its storm policy for customers who may be impacted by Tropical storm Erika:

Tropical storm Erika is expected to affect travel to, from and through the Caribbean in the coming days. Please check flight status frequently on seaborneairlines.com or Seaborne’s Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information about your flight plans.

Rescheduling Flights
If your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed, you are entitled to a refund. Even if your flight is not cancelled, you may make a one-time change to your ticket without any change fees if you are schedule to travel as follows. For all ticketed passengers to and from the following locations:

*The Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies  (DOM)
*The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies (SKB and NEV)
*St. Maarten (SXM)
*Anguilla (AXA)
*Guadeloupe, French West Indies  (PTP)
*St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands (STT)
*St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands (STX)
*St. Thomas Seaplane Base, United States Virgin Islands  (SPB)
*St. Croix Seaplane Base, United States Virgin Islands (SSB)
*Tortola, British Virgin Islands (EIS)
*San Juan, Puerto Rico   (SJU)

On the following dates: August 26 – 28, 2015
and your ticket was issued no later than: August 25, 2015
You may travel: August 27 – September 3, 2015
Original inventory required? No

To change travel dates or for questions contact our Reservations personnel at
1-866-359-8784 or 787-946-7800 throughout the Caribbean. If calling from the
Dominican Republic, please call 809-200-0331.

Safety is our number one priority at Seaborne Airlines. Be Vigilant and Be Safe. You are
very important to us.

Seaborne Airlines

CONTACT: Sandra Colon, [email protected]

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ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands, July 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (viNGN) is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new partnership with Seaborne Airlines. Free Wi-Fi service is now available to all Seaborne Seaplane passengers traveling between St. Croix and St. Thomas. Travelers can now experience the fastest broadband speeds in the Virgin Islands and Caribbean free of charge for personal use or business from viNGN’s hotspot locations at both Seaplane terminals. Travelers can access the Internet simply by selecting the “viNGN_Hotspot” network on their computers and mobile devices.

“We believe that the transformational power of viNGN resides in its ability to make daily life easier and more convenient for Virgin Islanders. Our partnership with Seaborne allows us to assist commuter, leisure, and other travelers to stay connected whether it is for business or pleasure…and at superfast speeds. This is the real power of technology, its ability to transform lives, and we have that power right here at home in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We thank Seaborne for this amazing opportunity to help them to transform the travel experience for its travelers. We, with the partnership of Seaborne Airlines, are moving steadily toward the Next Generation of the Virgin Islands,” said Dr. Tonjia S. Coverdale, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network.

“Seaborne Airlines and the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (viNGN) are both privileged to work in one of the most important and honorable undertakings – that of connecting people” said Gary Foss, President and Chief Executive Officer of Seaborne.  “Both are in businesses that ­­have shrunk the globe, brought people together, and broadened the horizons of so many.  Seaborne, through being the United States Virgin Islands largest air carrier, and viNGN as the company who brought world class, open access, high speed, 100% fiber optic broadband services to The Territory.  Both company’s missions are critical to the local economy, facilitating commerce and creating jobs.  It is with pleasure that we enter into this agreement to provide free WiFi at our St. Thomas and St. Croix Seaplane bases to approximately 100,000 Seaplane travelers annually and to work in partnership with a company having such an important role in the United States Virgin Islands,” said Foss.

About Seaborne Airlines

Seaborne Airlines has been operating in the Caribbean for over 23 years, carrying more than 2.5 million customers safely.  With over 2,300 monthly departures to 17 airports in service or announced, Seaborne serves San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, St. Thomas’ Cyril E. King airport and Charles F. Blair Jr., Seaplane base, St. Croix’s Henry B. Rohlsen airport and Captain Svend Aage Ovesen Jr.,Seaplane base, Anguilla, Tortola, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, St. Kitts, Nevis, La Romana, Punta Cana, and Santo Domingo and will launch service to island of Antigua later this year.

About VI Next Generation Network­

With viNGN’s state-of-the-art 100% fiber optic Network, Virgin Islands residents and tourists may now experience the Next Generation of technology with up to 1 Gigabits per second (Gbps) of bandwidth speed (1000 Megabits per second), a drastic improvement from the previous high of 16 Mbps that is currently offered in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

CONTACT: Sandra Colon, [email protected]

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SOUTHLAKE, Texas, July 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR) has launched a new portfolio of consortia solutions to help hotels compete for high value business travelers and connect travel buyers with hotels that cater to business travelers. Sabre will feature the Business Travel Services during the 2015 GBTA Convention at booth #1425.

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Many independent and small chain hotels today find it difficult to compete for new travel agency and corporate business due to limited resources and investments compared to global hotel chains. Sabre Business Travel Services connects hotels to new business opportunities and helps them compete for and manage corporate accounts. At the same time, the solutions make it easier for travel managers and travel management companies to identify, negotiate and contract with hotels that best fit their corporate hotel programs.

“On a macro-economic level, business travel continues to be a major economic driver and the same is true on a micro-level for hotels looking to build their corporate business and serve business travelers,” said Alex Alt, president of Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “Our Business Travel Services simplify that process by helping hotels compete for valuable business travel contracts and helping corporations get the most from their travel budgets.”

According to a recent research report sponsored by Sabre and conducted by GBTA, managing supplier relationships and monitoring traveler compliance with corporate travel policies are two of the most time-consuming and important aspects of most corporate travel programs.

The new report, Travel Manager 2020 – Foundational Shifts in the Role of the Travel Manager, discusses how corporate travel managers increasingly rely on technology and data as critical tools in negotiating contracts with suppliers, identifying hard-dollar savings, and monitoring compliance.

“As hotel rates continue to climb, a corporation’s hotel spend can account for as much of the travel budget as air travel. So it’s extremely important that corporations can tie negotiated rates to booked rates to ensure travelers are being offered what was negotiated and that they track that savings throughout the year – not just during negotiation season,” continued Alt.

Sabre Business Travel Services provide the ability to integrate negotiated rate data into both the hotel’s reservation system and into the travel buyer’s online and offline booking channels to maximize savings and efficiency. The solutions portfolio builds upon Sabre’s existing Sabre Hotel RFP technology and hotel consortia program to add an elite hotel consortia tier, BT Advantage, and Global Account Management.

About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is a leading technology provider to the global travel and tourism industry. Sabre’s software, data, mobile and distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading global travel marketplace, which processes more than $110 billion of estimated travel spend annually by connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre operates offices in approximately 60 countries around the world.

Media Contact:
Daniel Duarte
Sabre, Corporate Public Relations
[email protected]
+1 214-236-9473

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Revitalization to Restore Iconic Property as World-Class Destination

Investor Group to Significantly Upgrade Facilities through Planned Restoration

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – Fundamental Advisors LP (”Fundamental”), a leading alternative asset manager, today announced that along with partners León, Mayer & Co., (”León Mayer”) and Aimbridge Hospitality (”Aimbridge”), it has acquired the iconic El San Juan Resort & Casino, a Hilton Hotel from an affiliate of Blackstone.  Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

El San Juan, established in 1957, is a landmark 387-room hotel overlooking two miles of pristine beach in the Isla Verde district of San Juan, and a valued member of the Hilton Worldwide system.  It boasts an 11,000 square foot grand ballroom (second largest in San Juan), three pools, nine award-winning restaurants, 15 active bars, lounges and nightclubs, a 7,500 square-foot casino and 12 beachfront acres.  Just two miles from Puerto Rico’s international airport, the property is located in a neighborhood known for upscale boutiques, beautiful beaches and eclectic restaurants, bars, and live music venues.

Together with partners León Mayer and Aimbridge, Fundamental plans to significantly enhance the property’s offerings and revitalize the storied resort to its original splendor by capitalizing on the investor group’s expertise in the hospitality sector and experience in the region.  As part of a planned revitalization of the property, the investor group is committed to significantly upgrading the resort’s facilities through a substantial capital expenditure investment to create a true luxury lifestyle property.

“This project represents an exciting development for both future guests of El San Juan as well as the vibrant community that surrounds this historic property,” said Laurence Gottlieb, Chief Executive Officer of Fundamental.  ”Fundamental has a long history of investing in Puerto Rico and we look forward to working with our partners as we return this iconic resort to its place as a world-class destination.  With a portfolio of unique or underutilized municipal and hospitality real estate assets, we intend to leverage our expertise to ensure that El San Juan delivers an unparalleled and unforgettable experience for guests of this truly exceptional property.”

“El San Juan is truly a one-of-a-kind property.  We are excited to partner with Fundamental and Aimbridge and look forward to leveraging our team’s strong connection to the Puerto Rican market and experience in hospitality, entertainment and real estate to elevate the physical condition and guest experience at El San Juan to a level that befits its historical status as an iconic luxury lifestyle resort and entertainment property,” said Andro Nodarse-León of León Mayer.

“With our principals having formerly served as the property’s operators, Aimbridge has long appreciated the remarkable vitality of El San Juan,” said Dave Johnson, President and CEO of Aimbridge Hospitality.  “Working with Fundamental and León Mayer, we are excited to use our deep expertise in hotel management to revitalize El San Juan, a property with a truly unique character and history.”

About Fundamental Advisors

Fundamental Advisors is a leading alternative asset manager dedicated to the municipal markets.  Founded in 2007 as a private equity firm focused on revitalizing distressed assets, Fundamental invests in a range of vehicles that capitalize on the growing opportunity set in the municipal market. For more information, please visit www.fundamentaladvisorslp.com.

About León, Mayer & Co.

León Mayer is a private equity and investment banking firm based in New York City and Miami.  Andro Nodarse-León and Benjamin Mayer established the firm in 2005 after having respectively been at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (”KKR”) and Tishman Speyer.  Leon Mayer’s private equity practice invests in corporate and real estate assets that are underperforming relative to their full potential and takes a hands-on approach to improving their operating performance.  For more information, please visit www.leonmayer.com.

About Aimbridge Hospitality

Aimbridge Hospitality is one of the nation’s largest independent hotel investment and management firms with a proven track record for delivering superior returns for its strategic partners in a variety of markets and economic cycles.  Aimbridge provides management, asset management, development, renovation and consulting services.  Based in Dallas, Texas and with development offices in Chicago, Dallas and Puerto Rico, Aimbridge currently owns and/or manages over 270 upscale, independent and branded hotels with over 36,000 rooms across the United States and the Caribbean, including such affiliations as Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Aloft, Hyatt, Wyndham, Westin and Curio.  For more information on Aimbridge Hospitality, please visit www.aimbridgehospitality.com.

About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 95 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company’s portfolio of twelve world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,350 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 720,000 rooms in 94 countries and territories, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®. Visit news.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide, and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.

Contact
Jonathan Keehner / Julie Oakes
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449

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GREENSBORO, N.C., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – On June 27^th 2015 Dynamic International Airways will be celebrating its first anniversary since entering Guyana market.

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After our initial bumpy start, Dynamic International Airways was been able to accomplish its goal in establishing itself as the preferred carrier of Guyanese. We have proven sustainability of air service between United States and Guyana as well as progressively increased our customer service levels.

Since inauguration, Dynamic International Airways has been able to expand its non-stop service between New York, NY and Georgetown, Guyana. Service started initially two times per week and expanded to five times per week this coming high season while still keeping its pricing low and affordable for Guyanese and members of Guyanese ethnic in New York.

“Our goal in the first year of service was to establish ourselves as the preferred carrier of Guyanese.  We achieved this by maintaining the highest safety records, delivering the most desirable schedule, and reached highest on time performance standards as well as exemplary customer service. Our goal for the immediate future is to build upon that momentum and expand our non-stop JFK to GEO service by operating daily frequency.  Most importantly continue raising the bar in our safety, reliability, and customer service standards,” said Bill Grey CSO of the company.

“We believe that our coming daily service from Georgetown to New York combined with non-stop service from Georgetown to Toronto, which we intend to start in October of this year, will allow us to provide Guyanese with safe, reliable and affordable service into two of their favorite international destinations. As you probably already know we have directly and indirectly created over 150 new jobs in Guyana with our service to New York by hiring Guyanese based Flight Attendants, local ground handlers, catering providers and we expect a similar positive impact with the launch of our new service to Toronto. Dynamic has proven its intent and dedication to stay, improve and grow international travel to and from Guyana. Expect some amazing surprises for loyal passengers and exciting announcements from Dynamic in coming days.”

About Dynamic

Dynamic International Airways is a US Certificated FAR PART 121 AIR CARRIER. The Airline changed ownership and management in 2013 with the goal of providing high quality, affordable, long haul, point-to-point air service. Dynamic Airways, which is headquartered in Greensboro, NC, offers service from airports in New York, Guyana, Florida, Hong Kong, Palau with its fleet of B767 wide body aircrafts. Recently company has added International in its official name as reflection of its transition into long haul carrier.

For reservations & information, visit www.airdynamic.com, www.facebook.com/airdynamic, www.twitter.com/flyairdynamic, contact your favourite travel agent or call (336) 790-8176.

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CONTACT: Rosa Avelar, 336-686-0028

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