Colleagues, Since in many of our cases the actual airfare being paid by ICANN for us to attend the New Delhi meeting is considerably less than what was available from the original budget allocation from intercessional travel, I'd like to propose we discuss the possibility of requesting ICANN contribute to our hotel accommodations for New Delhi also. Possibly support up to the amount originally allocated for our intercessional travel. I recall the amount estimated to be available for travel support was $7,777 per councilor. I know in my own case, my airfare costs ICANN $2k, so it seems there is a considerable difference that could be used to help with our hotel accommodations for this meeting. Thanks, Robin On Jan 11, 2008, at 11:09 PM, Norbert Klein wrote:
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 Cambodia.
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 New Delhi.
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
IP JUSTICE Robin Gross, Executive Director 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451 w: http://www.ipjustice.org e: robin@ipjustice.org