Flights home booked :(

I've not even left on my adventure yet, and I've already got flights booked to take me home...way too organised and it's slightly depressing to know exactly when I'll be back before I've even left..especially as I'm supposed to be taking a break from my normal super hyper planning mode! Re-visited Trailfinders today...weird experience.

Last week I was quoted just shy of €1400 for me to fly Perth - Melbourne, Brisbane - Auckland and Christchurch - Dublin (had to change the plan up a bit based on the revelations about trains appearing to be booked & the restriction about validity period of driving licence restricting when I'd be able to do some camper driving). I figured all's I needed to book was the Brisbane - New Zealand (now Christchurch) and New Zealand (now Auckland) - Dublin flights so I matched up with what Conor was booked on. The quote for him last week for his whole round trip was €1213 and I was told it was only valid until Feb 28th so we wanted to move on it.

You can imagine my surprise when we got in there today all ready to book those flights for me to be told that my flight would be a minimum of €4500 while Conor's has dropped to €1169!!!! The guy said I'd be better off calling a travel agent in New Zealand and tell them the exact flights I wanted to get on as it'd work out cheaper. So Conor's all sorted with little or no effort and I'm back online searching like a crazy lady for a reasonable quote as owing to the time difference I wasn't really going to get a travel agent too easily in time for Conor to finalise his booking. So I spent an age searching for a bargain...can you believe that I found the flights Conor's on from Brisbane - Christchurch and Auckland - London (need to sort out London to Dublin separately) for less than €700!!! That's such a saving on what Trailfinders were saying they'd have to charge...WTF??

I'm still in shock over the price difference..and slightly peeved that I won't be getting air miles for the flying I'll be doing. Had to pay more to get them on the flights and as we're now flying with Singapore Airlines (rather than Quantas/British Airways where I'd get the miles automatically) I thought why bother spend the extra. The guy sold us on SA because he started on about the A380 (in my naivety I had no idea what the big deal was about but Conor seemed excited) and the reputation of SA (again..I've never heard good, bad or indifferent I just wanted flights!). Somehow we ended up leaving the building with an itinerary in hand for Conor and with nothing in place for me..just the knowledge that I needed to get on the same flights within the next 24 hours to make sure we travel home together. Managed it but it seems that I don't get to go on the A380...it's one of the planes Conor gets on his way over!! ARGHH!!

Still..at least that latest drama is over..I've got a bus to get me to Oz and I've got flights to get me home :)