When registering for a trip, Elderhostel gives you a variety of options. You can elect to arrange your own travel, have Elderhostel arrange travel from a limited number of departure cities, or have Elderhostel's travel agent help you book travel before or after the given program.
In my case, I asked Elderhostel's travel agent to book me flights to/from Seattle, which would be my U.S. departure and return city for the trip to Scandinavia. Mechnically, all went well, but given that Denmark is a nine hours difference from Seattle, it was a long flight going and returning.
My flight from my home airport (Reno, Nevada) to/from Seattle, was via Alaska Airlines. It seemed sort of symbolic because the flight path for going Seattle to Copenhagen went north over Canada and the artic regions. Not quite Alaska, but you get the idea.
Click on any picture to see an enlarged view. Use back to return.