Icelandair's New Celebration Stopover Buddy Service Helps Passengers Make Memories That Last a Lifetime With Staff as Local Hosts to Grant Even the Most Obscure of Wishes

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REYKJAVIK, Iceland, October 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

From blowing out birthday candles in a volcano to meeting the Principle of Elfschool, heli-skiing on your honeymoon or planning the perfect proposal, the airline will stop at nothing to make your Celebration Stopover one to remember 

• Experience hungry travellers are seeking out unique activities yet are more time pressured than ever to plan
• New Celebration Stopover Buddy service sees members of Icelandair's airline team, matched to passengers in the ultimate personalised celebration concierge offering
• From the pilot that flew you there, to the CEO, all Buddies are local experts who not only know the lay of the land but have brilliant connections to other locals to save you money and time
• You can request a Buddy for free as a local party planner to help arrange a bespoke celebration on your transatlantic stopover
• From watching the Northern Lights on a secluded island for your anniversary, or partaking in a 'Viking clap' made famous at EURO 2016 in a local football match, to celebrating your birthday 'Beyond the Wall' with a Game of Thrones expert - Icelandair's Buddies are up to your challenge

Icelandair, the world's friendliest airline invites you to come and celebrate with them. Due to popular demand, the transatlantic airline's Buddies are back with the launch of their free Celebration Stopover Buddy service.

The Buddies are all members of the Icelandair team who are not only local experts, but also have brilliant connections to other locals, to offer your celebration a Buddy boost.

Co-Pilot, Sverrir's brother is in Icelandic band, Of Monsters and Men and could arrange an exclusive meet at Iceland Airwaves festival. Flight attendant Hlíf is related to the captain of the women's national football team and could take you to watch her at a local game. Captain Bjorn is a keen adventurer and could help you plan the ultimate proposal in one of Iceland's best secret beauty spots.

On a transatlantic stopover, all passengers can request a free Buddy and are matched according to their celebration request, however big or small. Buddies will be on hand to act as a host in Iceland and offer their personalised local expertise.

Whether it is a lifetime milestone such as a 30^th birthday or celebrating ticking something of your bucket list like seeing the Northern Lights or abseiling down a volcano, Icelandair's Buddies will make it even more memorable and affordable through their local insight.

Birkir Hólm Guðnason, CEO at Icelandair, comments, "Travellers are seeking local, unique and personalised adventures in an experience economy. By bringing back our Stopover Buddy service focusing around celebrations, we are able to help passengers create unforgettable memories on an Icelandair stopover through our Buddies' local knowledge and connections. Our Buddies are passionate and friendly individuals who can not only help take passengers off the beaten tourist track but also educate them in local culture and responsible tourism."

The Buddies can also help you to celebrate like a local at traditional festivities that brighten the winter months such as the arrival of the Icelandic Yule Lads, the Winter Lights festival in Reykjavik and Annual Beer Day.

Icelandair has strong musical legacy with their festival Iceland Airwaves, which plays host this year to Björk. You could be paired with a Buddy who could introduce you to their band for a jamming session, invite you to a secret gig or take you to the hottest after party in town in a local's living room.  

Earlier this year, the Stopover Buddy service was launched in response to global research highlighting people want to experience local culture and unique adventures over anything else whilst on holiday.

Over half (51%) of the respondents stated they are keen to mix with locals when abroad to have an authentic local experience and three quarters admitted to feeling embarrassed for looking like a tourist.

The Buddies are available for any Icelandair transatlantic passengers to enjoy from 11^th October 2016 to 31^st March 2017.  To request a Buddy and find out more visit http://www.icelandair.us/Stopover-Buddy.

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Notes to Editors: 

*The study surveyed 11,000 holidaymakers from the UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and Finland. It was commissioned in November 2015.

SOURCE Icelandair