Kevin got home on Saturday and we've been busy since the minute he walked in the door. We're trying to plan one last trip before we leave, get everything squared away back home before we get there (insurance, jobs), clean and pack up the apartment, and get all our loose ends tied up here.
One of the first things we needed to figure out was our flights home. When Kevin came to Italy, the team booked him a return flight for May 3. But when we booked my flight, we booked me returning on May 17. Obviously, we realized we would have to change one, depending on how long Kevin ended up working. Since Kevin went away with the National Team and we really haven't had a chance to travel by ourselves, we decided we would switch his flight to the same day my flight was on.
Yesterday morning, Kevin called US Airways to try to arrange everything and was told that all the flights on May 17 were sold out, but he could fly on the 16th or 18th. His other option was to fly Lufthansa (a partner of US Airways), but the change fee, along with the difference in fare would be $2600! The person Kevin was talking to was less than helpful and basically told him these were his only two options. On that note, Kevin hung up and we started brainstorming.
1. We could change my flight to May 3 (which had open seats) and not travel. Neither of us were fans of this option because part of the reason Kevin works in Europe is so we can travel.
2. Kevin could fly out on May 16 and I would just stay the night in Munich and fly out on May 17. For me, this was not an option because it would require we to go through Passport Control by myself without any proof as to why I was in Italy for 100 days over my allowed time. Just thinking about it gives me anxiety.
3. We could change both of our flight to May 16. Last night, we decided on this option. Yes, it was going to cost us about $700, but it was really the only option that made sense.
First thing this morning, Kevin called US Airways. The first thing he did was ask if there were any open seats on my flight on May 17, but nothing had opened up. Luckily, the guy who Kevin was talking to was actually helpful. After 40 minutes on the phone, he had found a flight that would require Kevin to have two connections instead of one, but would have us both leaving on May 17 and arriving in Pittsburgh within 2 hours of each other. Obviously, flying 11 hours home separately isn't what we want to do, but this solution is the most logical.
Instead of dwelling on the 11 hours we'll spend by ourselves on the plane home, we moved onto our next task..planning one last trip. Due to my visa (or lack thereof) issues, we can only travel by car or train. We haven't booked anything, but we think we have decided to go to Rome, Sorrento, Naples, Capri, Pompeii, and Florence. We've been to both Rome and Florence, but don't feel like we've seen everything they have to offer. And we can't wait to see some new places. Make sure to check back in the next week or so to read about our trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment