IcelandairStopoverBuddyService
Courtesy Icelandair
CNN  — 

As an experienced pilot who flies Boeing 757s for Icelandair, Commander Sigrun Bjorg Ingvadottir might seem overqualified as a cycling guide.

But these days she’s just as likely to be leading visitors across the wild, windswept ridges of Iceland as she is flying them across the North Atlantic.

Ingvadottir is one Icelandair’s 12 “stopover buddies” – staff volunteers who give their free time to offer passengers a glimpse of Icelandic lifestyle as they pass through the island.

A remote air hub

It’s a cool idea – and one that’s been adapted elsewhere.

But beyond the gimmick is a serious drive to bolster Iceland’s status as a stopover destination in the fiercely competitive transatlantic aviation market.

In the early days of commercial aviation, shorter flying ranges meant Iceland, halfway between Europe and North America, became an unlikely aviation hub.

Aircraft advances have diminished this role, but Icelandair has continued pushing its routes as affordable alternatives to flying directly across the Atlantic.

It’s also been looking for new ways of using Iceland’s stunning natural settings to persuade passengers traveling through Keflavik International Airport to lengthen their stopover.

And so Stopover Buddy was born.

Best airports for a long layover

Iceland is home to more glaciers, geysers and fresh water than countries 10 times its size. Haifoss waterfall is near the Hekla volcano in southern Iceland.
Iceland is home to more glaciers, geysers and fresh water than countries 10 times its size. Haifoss waterfall is near the Hekla volcano in southern Iceland.
Philip Bloom
Dramatic Icelandic landscapes like the highlands surrounding Landmannalaugar have inspired movies such as "Lord of the Rings" and television series like "Game of Thrones."
Dramatic Icelandic landscapes like the highlands surrounding Landmannalaugar have inspired movies such as "Lord of the Rings" and television series like "Game of Thrones."
Philip Bloom
Reykjavik's Blue Lagoon geothermal pools are a happy accident. Builders of a nearby geothermal plant thought the excess water would soak back down into the rock. It didn't, and a national tourist attraction was born.
Reykjavik's Blue Lagoon geothermal pools are a happy accident. Builders of a nearby geothermal plant thought the excess water would soak back down into the rock. It didn't, and a national tourist attraction was born.
Bill Weir
With just over 300,000 people, Iceland's population is smaller than that of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
With just over 300,000 people, Iceland's population is smaller than that of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Bill Weir
Arctic terns dive through the air near Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. The birds hold the record for the longest migration recorded in any animal, migrating twice annually from the North and South poles.
Arctic terns dive through the air near Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. The birds hold the record for the longest migration recorded in any animal, migrating twice annually from the North and South poles.
Bill Weir
A group of puffins overlooks the annual Vestmannaeyjar Music Festival -- the largest in the country -- from the high cliffs of Iceland's Westman Islands.
A group of puffins overlooks the annual Vestmannaeyjar Music Festival -- the largest in the country -- from the high cliffs of Iceland's Westman Islands.
Bill Weir
A church hosts a wedding on the outskirts of Reykjavik. Iceland leads the developed world in unwed mothers, with two out of every three kids born to parents who are not married.
A church hosts a wedding on the outskirts of Reykjavik. Iceland leads the developed world in unwed mothers, with two out of every three kids born to parents who are not married.
Bill Weir
Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon is at the southern end of Iceland's Vatnajokull glacier, the largest ice cap by area in all of Europe.
Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon is at the southern end of Iceland's Vatnajokull glacier, the largest ice cap by area in all of Europe.
Bill Weir
Gullfoss waterfall is part of Iceland's "Golden Circle" of natural wonders. Iceland leads the developed world in clean water and power.
Gullfoss waterfall is part of Iceland's "Golden Circle" of natural wonders. Iceland leads the developed world in clean water and power.
Bill Weir
The continental divide at Thingvellir National Park is the only place in the world where you can hold two continental plates at once: the North American plate on one side, the Eurasian plate on the other.
The continental divide at Thingvellir National Park is the only place in the world where you can hold two continental plates at once: the North American plate on one side, the Eurasian plate on the other.
Bill Weir
Iceland: Land of contrasts

Outdoor pursuits

Anyone flying from Europe to North America with Icelandair who decides to spend some time in Iceland on their way can sign up to the Buddy program on the airline’s website.

Passengers choose from a range of activities – mostly free apart from equipment rental charges – and are then matched to an Icelandair volunteer host.

Outdoor activities and sports feature prominently on the menu.

There’s hiking, horseback riding and fishing in the cold North Atlantic waters, but also cultural and food-related outings.

So far it’s been a hit.

Nearly 700 Stopover Buddy requests were received during the program’s debut February to April 2016 run (it’s returning in the fall), with outdoor sports being the most popular activities.

Photos: Iceland is a stunning land of fire and ice

Enthusiastic response

Air crews and other Icelandair staff have responded enthusiastically, with even the airline’s CEO, Birkir Holm Gudnason, signing up.

Ingvadottir, the mountain biking pilot, says she’ll be volunteering again when the program restarts after several successful buddy excursions.

“As an airline pilot I do my fair share of traveling, and wherever I go, even if it is only for a few hours, I don’t like to do the standard tourist things.

“I would rather experience local lifestyle as closely as possible. So, when I heard about the Stopover Buddy program, I did not need to think about it for long!

“It has been very gratifying so far. We, in Iceland, are very proud of the beauty of our country, so it has been a nice experience to share a bit of it with our guests.”

The secret to Iceland’s happiness? It’s in the water

Layover with a Local

Icelandair isn’t the only airline experimenting with peer-to-peer schemes.

Dutch flag-carrier KLM might not have Iceland’s volcanoes and majestic national parks to capitalize on, but its main hub at Schiphol international airport is barely half an hour away from the center of the buzzing city of Amsterdam.

The airline’s Layover with a Local app aims to offer transit visitors the chance to briefly escape the airport to perhaps join a local for a drink at one of the Dutch capital’s picturesque cafes.

As with Icelandair, transit passengers make up a very significant chunk of KLM’s traffic.

While Schiphol airport has plenty of amenities, the airline’s marketing team was looking for a way to help anyone with a long enough stopover to experience the true Amsterdam.

Layover with a Local allows passengers to connect with local Amsterdam residents who’ve registered with the app and are available when the traveler is in town.

Free ride: Yellow Backie bike lifts offer new way to see Amsterdam

Free drinks

In order to use the app, travelers enter their name and booking code.

KLM then checks if there’s enough time for the layover experience.

If the answer’s yes, and a match for languages and interests can be found, the passenger gets a notification on their phone.

Once they land at Schiphol, the app guides them toward the airport’s train station – the train ticket is included for free, as is the first round of drinks.

From there it’s just a short hop to Amsterdam’s Central Station, where they should encounter “their local,” holding up a phone with the traveler’s name displayed on it.

The free app ensures they make it back in time for their flight by sending an alert.

It’s still in pilot phase until the end of June, being made available for iTunes download in the U.S., Canada and Italy, but has attracted interest from more than 3,000 people.

Around Amsterdam in seven strange museums

Bikes are a great way of getting around Amsterdam. The city has about 4,000 kilometers (2,480 miles) of cycle paths and so many bikes it's like the Tour de France for normal riders. <br /><br />If you're planning a trip there, check out the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2015%2F10%2F29%2Ftravel%2Finsider-guide-amsterdam%2Findex.html">Amsterdam: Insider Travel Guide</a>.
Cycling in Amsterdam —
Bikes are a great way of getting around Amsterdam. The city has about 4,000 kilometers (2,480 miles) of cycle paths and so many bikes it's like the Tour de France for normal riders.

If you're planning a trip there, check out the Amsterdam: Insider Travel Guide.
Barry Neild/CNN
Sometimes bikes end up in a canal on purpose. One ingenious storage solution makes use of the city's waterways to accommodate a floating bike park.
Canal boat storage —
Sometimes bikes end up in a canal on purpose. One ingenious storage solution makes use of the city's waterways to accommodate a floating bike park.
Barry Neild/CNN
Another huge facility outside the city's central station houses so many bikes it might be easier buying a new one rather than spending four days trying to remember where your old one is parked.
Multi-story bike park —
Another huge facility outside the city's central station houses so many bikes it might be easier buying a new one rather than spending four days trying to remember where your old one is parked.
Barry Neild/CNN
Cycle mechanic Geert Gelissen says tourists who don't know how to behave on Amsterdam's bike paths are a problem -- especially when they come up against "stubborn" Dutch cyclists.
Tourists vs. Locals —
Cycle mechanic Geert Gelissen says tourists who don't know how to behave on Amsterdam's bike paths are a problem -- especially when they come up against "stubborn" Dutch cyclists.
Barry Neild/CNN
An estimated 55,000 bikes get stolen every year in Amsterdam. Bike expert Geert Gelissen says a bike that isn't secured with a chunky lock attached to a solid object won't last more than a few weeks.
Lock it or lose it —
An estimated 55,000 bikes get stolen every year in Amsterdam. Bike expert Geert Gelissen says a bike that isn't secured with a chunky lock attached to a solid object won't last more than a few weeks.
Barry Neild/CNN
Bikes aren't welcome everywhere in Amsterdam. If they're parked in the wrong spot, city authorities remove them to a pound on the outskirts of town. It's a long walk.
No cycles here —
Bikes aren't welcome everywhere in Amsterdam. If they're parked in the wrong spot, city authorities remove them to a pound on the outskirts of town. It's a long walk.
Barry Neild/CNN
Why use the train to carry your suitcase the full 20 kilometers to Amsterdam's airport when you can cycle?
Cyclists with baggage —
Why use the train to carry your suitcase the full 20 kilometers to Amsterdam's airport when you can cycle?
Barry Neild/CNN
Samantha Shaffer (left) says giving a bike a name helps the rider "become one" with their steed.
Give it a name —
Samantha Shaffer (left) says giving a bike a name helps the rider "become one" with their steed.
Barry Neild/CNN
Night cyclists are required by law to use lights. Drinking and cycling is illegal. But "after dark, assume everyone on a bike is drunk," jokes student Stephanie Shaffer.
Cycling at night —
Night cyclists are required by law to use lights. Drinking and cycling is illegal. But "after dark, assume everyone on a bike is drunk," jokes student Stephanie Shaffer.
Barry Neild/CNN
Many big companies rent out bikes in lurid colors. The key to blending in is renting a typical Dutch-style cycle, like this black, indestructible machine.
Any color, so long as it's black —
Many big companies rent out bikes in lurid colors. The key to blending in is renting a typical Dutch-style cycle, like this black, indestructible machine.
Barry Neild/CNN
The key to definitely not blending in is renting a bicycle shaped like an uncomfortable wooden shoe. Rent this and expect scornful looks from locals and ill-concealed mirth when it accidentally gets steered into a canal.
Clog cycle —
The key to definitely not blending in is renting a bicycle shaped like an uncomfortable wooden shoe. Rent this and expect scornful looks from locals and ill-concealed mirth when it accidentally gets steered into a canal.
Barry Neild/CNN
Amsterdam by bicycle

Peer-to-peer is having a moment

With the “collaborative economy” being one of today’s hottest concepts, businesses around the world are keen to sprinkle themselves with some of that Airbnb or Uber-style peer-to-peer tech magic.

Icelandair and KLM are leading the way in Europe with new experimental travel experiences tied into their offering, but no doubt more and more airlines will be following suit.

With stopover sweeteners like this, a mid-flight break no longer has to be spent at the airport.

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Miquel Ros is an aviation blogger and consultant with a passion for all things travel. An economist by background, he’s worked for for the likes of Bloomberg and Flightglobal and currently covers the airline industry through Allplane.tv. As an independent consultant he advises companies in the travel and technology space.