Sipping my chardonnay in the Hilton Executive Lounge overlooking the snow capped mountains and ocean.

Tom - no, you do not have to go thru customs, etc. - Check your bags through with USAir from the US.

I would definitely recommend printing your boarding passes for Icelandair online - I didn´t see where you would check in while transiting, but admittedly I did not look. We checked our bags through in Albuquerque (ABQ-DFW-LHR-KEF) - just show AA/BA/USAir (or whoever) your Icelandair boarding pass and they will enter the details and your luggage tag will have KEF as the final destination. They all have inetrline agreements.

Icelandair leaves from Terminal 1. We arrived at terminal 3, with less than 2 hours turnaround time since our flight left Dallas about 40 minutes late due to equipment problems with the baggage loader. The bus transfer and security check over to T1 took about 45 minutes.

Our flight left from gate 21, down a long hallway broken up by security doors. Don´t go down there until you are ready to hang at the gate. They block the doors off when planes are disembarking people so you can't get back to the restrooms, etc. until all the disembarkers are though. I think they must be in the midst of construction.

The 1 PM flight boarded about 12:15, closed the doors and left early. We arrived 1/2 hour early in Reykjavik. Quick entry thru passport check and that is it. The airport is very Nordic - complete w/ wood floors! The ATM is to the left after you exit.

All luggage accounted for!!!

The airport shuttle guy will hold a sign - not with your name on it, just the name of the company and logo (orange semicircle w/ an arrow). They have your name on the list. We had only 2 other people on the small shuttle bus and we arrived at the Hilton at 4:15 PM (same time the bus was supposed to leave the airport, so that was great.) Much better than taking the HUGE flybuses that we saw on the curb. The ride from the airport is interesting with views of volcanic rocks tossed around in the tundra, snow-capped mountain vistas. Reykjavik looks very colroful and charming.

The Hilton is very nice - our room overlooks the mountains and ocean. We chatted with another couple who has been here for several days and they reported that the restaurant here is very good. The appetizers in the lounge are delicious. They also enjoyed Selfir - not sure of spelling. We are going to try the upscale Indian place and the Seafood Cellar with Andi tomorrow and Monday.

Weather is sunny - great forecast for the next 4 plus days.

Tomorrow morning we are picked up at 8:30 for our South Coast Thorsmark adventure.