Dear Norbert,
I have
discussed the below with American Express and they are looking into the quote
you received from your agent of $695 ticket and why it did not show up in their
system.
American
Express will be sending an explanation of their findings as well providing
another flight option.
Thank you in
advance for your patience.
Stacy Hoffberg
ICANN -
Meeting Planner
Phone:
310.301.3875
Skype:
stacy.hoffberg
From: Norbert Klein
[mailto:nhklein@gmx.net]
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008
11:10 PM
To: Sabregrpair;
STACY.HOFFBERG@icann.org
Cc: Denise Michel; Paul Twomey;
GNSO.SECRETARIAT@GNSO.ICANN.ORG; GNSO Council
Subject: Re: ICANN GNSO - Group
3356 - PAX NAME: Klein ***Response is Required ASAP***Attn Annie
I address this response mail to "Sabregrpair"
<sabregrpair@aexp.com>
but I copy it also to several other persons, because it shows
that the present discussion about a fair sharing of travel and hotel expenses
for GNSO Council members needs obviously to be carried to a different level,
first of all also to
Ms. Stacy Hoffberg, in charge of ICANN travel arrangements.
Dear Stacy,
I just found the following mail this morning in my inbox,
requiring a response within 72 hours:
= = =
Hello,
fare is now USD 2577.70 no lower fares available
Please review the tentative itinerary below for changes or
approval to ticket. You have 72 hours from the time of receipt of this email to
respond, otherwise your tentative flight reservation will automatically gets
canceled...
. . .
PENALTY FARE REMARKS
THIS IS AN ADVANCED PURCHASE NONRFUNDABLE FARE.
ANY CHANGES MAY RESULT IN A HIGHER FARE AND CHANGE FEE...
= = =
I am utterly surprised. When I started to inquire about flights
to the New Delhi ICANN meetings and made a tentative reservation a long time
ago, I could have bought the ticket for US$535. Then, in the meantime, it went
up to US$590 – and I had mentioned this also in my earlier mails, always adding
that the airfare prices I quote are subject to possible change.
So this morning, after receiving the mail above, I contacted
immediately my normal agent again: the ticket is now $695, changeable and
refundable – and still available, if I would purchase it early in the week. And
it is exactly for the same airline and for the same flights for which the ICANN
agent would charge 3.7 times more than my agent here.
I remember some comments in the discussions of the Council that
ICANN should not too easily accept to pay for the expenses which the GNSO
Council members incur for travel and face-to-face meetings. Especially, there
was hesitation expressed about paying hotel costs for GNSO Council members.
In the meantime we had the GNSO information about the prices for
the suggested hotels – the hotel rates for one night are in the general range
of the GNP per person for one year in
As I am working as a volunteer without salary since the last 18
months, I would appreciate:
1) to be authorized to buy my ticket here for US$695.00 (for
later re-imbursement), and
2) to receive the difference between the two prices quoted
($2,577.70 minus $695.00), that is $1,882.70, towards covering hotel costs in
Naturally, I need an answer within less than 72 hours, as that is
the deadline that was given in the mail to me this morning.
I am aware that this may raise some difficult questions, but I
think the price difference is so outrageous that I cannot but put this up for
wider discussion for a quick decision now, and towards future policy
discussions.
Sincerely,
Norbert Klein
Member of the GNSO Council
cc:
Ms. Denise Michel
Dr. Paul Twomey
GNSO Secretariat
GNSO Council