[council] Re: ICANN GNSO - Group 3356 - PAX NAME: Klein ***Response is Required ASAP***Attn Annie

["Denise Michel" <denise.michel@xxxxxxxxx>]

Please see the following for clarification on this issue from ICANN's
COO/HR Director.

Regards,
Denise

-- 
Denise Michel
ICANN VP, Policy
denise.michel@xxxxxxxxx


------ Forwarded Message
From: Steve Antonoff <steve.antonoff@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:20:33 -0800
To: Doug Brent <doug.brent@xxxxxxxxx>
Conversation: ICANN Travel Agency
Subject: ICANN Travel Agency

Doug:

I have researched the issues surrounding the travel arrangements for
Mr. Norbert Klein traveling to the Dehli meeting as to why he was able
to find a fare for $695 (and even less a few days ago) versus the
quoted fare from American Express Business Travel Services of
$2,577.70.

Our experience in general in this first year roll out of centralized
booking is that the fares obtained by American Express are
competitive.  In checking with American Express regarding this
specific circumstance, American Express called the airline directly to
determine why the fare they were quoted was so much higher than Mr.
Klein's travel agent.  The agent at Thai Air explained that they sell
"local" fares in certain local markets that are not available to
agents outside that market.  To be eligible for the lower "local"
fare, the ticket needed to be paid in full "in cash" and needed to be
picked up inside Cambodia (to ensure it was a locally sold fare).

ICANN's arrangement with American Express is expanding so they can
cover more and more of the world directly in local markets (today,
covering US, Europe, and soon Australia). In the meantime, we clearly
want to ensure cost effective and efficient travel options.  If a
traveler can clearly obtain a significantly more cost effective fare
locally that cannot be obtained through American Express, we will
either try and book that for the traveler directly (via phone or the
internet) if possible or have the traveler purchase the ticket and
submit for reimbursement. While sometimes fare differences are a
result of the subtle restriction differences on bookings, it is very
helpful when travelers raise concerns to us. Travel is a significant
expense for ICANN and we want to tune the travel system to provide
competitive fares, good financial controls through central booking
(whenever possible), avoid out-of-pocket outlays for travelers and
allow for 24 hour customer service for ICANN travelers.

I encourage anyone who has concerns, questions, or problems with
booking travel for ICANN business to contact me (either by phone or by
e-mail) and my team and I will work quickly to answer questions and/or
resolve issues.

Best Regards,

Steve Antonoff
Director of Human Resources and Administration

On Jan 11, 2008 11:09 PM, Norbert Klein <nhklein@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> I address this response mail to "Sabregrpair" <sabregrpair@xxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
> 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
>
>