Trip to Iceland-July 9- July 12, 2012

We have finalized the Registration/Purchase website for the Iceland Trip during July 9-12, 2012.   Feel free to register and purchase the hotel room and the excursions at any time before end-May. You will find the link here: https://asp.artegis.com/lp/1818Society/1818Society?1=1.

The site should otherwise be self-explanatory, but in case there are enquiries, you can contact the travel agency via the link on the above website. You can also contact me at tssigurdsson@aol.com, but please note that my e-mail connection will be intermittent after June 29, when I will be traveling in Iceland. 

You may be interested in the fact that at the reunion dinner on July 9, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Helga Jonsdottir, has agreed to address the group.  Her topic will be economic development in Iceland in recent times (I do not have the details of the title).  If Ms. Jonsdottir's name sounds familiar to some of you, it is probably because she was the Alternate ED in the World Bank for the Nordic Countries in the early 1990s.

Several airlines fly to Iceland during the summer. Among them are Icelandair, Iceland Express, Scandinavian Airlines, Delta, Easy Jet and WOW. You can access Icelandair's website at http://www.icelandair.com/. It allows you to book airlines that link up with Icelandair in several cities in Europe and North America. You can of course also book through any other agencies or portals that suit you better.

Those of you traveling with friends who are staying in a separate room and paying for everything separately, may find it simpler to register separately for the whole event. In that case I suggest that your friend put a note in the comments field: Friend of Society Member____.

The price differences between the hotel rooms are based on whether you simply have a view, or a fabulous view!

Please note that there are restriction on the visit to Bessastadir, the official residence of the President. It is limited to Society members and their spouses. There is also a first come first served policy in effect for this part of the trip. This is explained on the relevant part of the website.

The hotel rooms are block-booked for the period of July 6 to 16, 2012. That is a few days before and after the reunion. You must register before May 1 2012, or there is no guarantee of a room. Please contact conferences@icelandtravel.is for assistance with extra nights outside the July 6 to 16 period. Otherwise the hotel might charge you a higher rate. The cancellation policies of the event are spelled out under the Booking tab.

If flight traffic shuts down because of unforeseen events, such as a volcanic eruption, you will not be charged a cancellation fee for hotel and tours booked/operated by Iceland Travel. However, if an eruption starts while you are in Iceland, neither Iceland Travel nor the airlines will pay for your lodging and subsistence. As not all airlines have the same cancellation policies regarding eruptions you may wish to check their policies in this regard before booking the flight.

Finally, here is a sneak-preview of Iceland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG92NUXKzZ0 

See you there in July!

Sverrir Sigurdsson