Atlantica - 01.09.2002, Blaðsíða 73

Company Notes (I C E L A N D A I R
Little Iceland is joining the big league as Iceland, England and Spain are Europe's second-coolest
countries according to a recent survey of 18 to 30-year-olds conducted by UK branding and
marketing specialists Superbrands. King of cool was Italy, while Germany finished with the unen-
viable title of the Continent's most uncool country.
As part of a series of organisational changes in Icelandair’s sales and marketing,August 1st saw
the opening by the company of a European Internet Centre in Copenhagen.According to Sales
and Marketing Director Steinn Logi Björnsson, the centre is intended to spread best practices
rapidly across all markets, and assist the carrier's smaller offices in using their Internet sites
more effectively, without the need for added investment in knowledge and resources.
The chances of customers hearing an engaged tone or being put on hold when trying to con-
tact their local Icelandair office have been significantly reduced, following the opening by the air-
line of a European Call Centre in Reykjavík. Designed to improve customer service by reduc-
ing waiting time and lost calls during peak or off-hours, the centre handles all flight reservations
and enquiries on fares coming into the Icelandair Amsterdam office, as well as overflow from
the company's other offices in Europe.
Personnel changes at Icelandair's UK & Ireland office will see
Sales & Marketing Manager Stephen Brown take over as General
Manager, effective from October 1st. He replaces Stefán
Eyjólfsson, who returns home to Iceland to become Managing
Director of Icelandair subsidiary, Reykjavík Excursions.
An Icelandair employee since 1993, Mr. Brown began his career
with the company as a Sales Representative in New York, later
moving on to the airline's US head office as Manager Icelandair
Holidays, before crossing the Atlantic to London to assume his
current position. His replacement as Sales & Marketing Manager
is Helgi Már Björgvinsson, currently Icelandair Sales Manager for
the Americas.
Icelandair's reputation for pampering its business class passengers received further confirma-
tion recently. A survey conducted for prestigious US publication Business Traveller, concerning
wines served on board, saw the carrier finish eighth among 27 of the world's top internation-
al and domestic airlines in the quest for the coveted title, ‘Best Cellar in the Sky 2002’.
The judging, conducted at the Bull & Bear Restaurant at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, was
led by a panel of 35 leading US vintners, restaurateurs, wine experts, food writers and journal-
ists, who faced the taxing task of choosing from a final field of 100 wines selected from an orig-
inal entry of 250 labels.
Among the individual entries, two wines served on board by Icelandair also claimed top-ten
spots: Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV champagne, which finished second in the sparkling category, and
South African vintage Fleur du Cap Merlot 2000, which placed ninth among the best reds.
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Cool Destination
On Call
Changes at UK Office
Cheers to that!


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Stephen Brown
Europe Online
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067-80 Fluglei›ir(n‡tt) 20.8.2002 12:57 Page 71