Want to explore Iceland? Icelandair has a buddy who can help. Since many of its customers are passing through Iceland on flights between North America and Europe, this year the airline started a first-of-its-kind program called Stopover Buddy, encouraging them to explore the country. Passengers who stop for a visit of up to a week, en route to another destination, can be paired with airline employees eager to show off the places they love. Travelers who participate get a buddy who is guide, driver and local expert. For the most part, the program is free to passengers. Travelers pay for their own meals and admission to sites and events, and Icelandair picks up the expenses of the buddy, who is also being paid for the day by the airline.
New this fall, travelers can book celebration activities, where the buddy comes up with something customized to suit the event, from marriage proposals to birthdays. In creating these programs, the airline asked, “How can we take the things our employees are passionate about and share that with the customer?” said Guthmundur Oskarsson, who worked on Stopover Buddy as an Icelandair marketing executive during its development. “The core of the company is we love our customers and we want to do everything we can to make sure they’re happy.” Apparently, Icelanders are not cold as ice. www.icelandair.us
Tags: Iceland, Icelandair, Stopover Buddy, Travel
