Chicago via Ankh Morpork!

[luckykaa]

So, I appear to have completely failed to get out of Brussels.  Partly because I'm feeling tired and there's stuff to do in Brussels.  Also because I'm feeling a little bit poor. 

Why do I feel poor?  Well, partly because I decided to splash out on a holiday.  Chicago and Worldcon, here I come!  Hope I enjoy it.  But anyway, I left it late.  It's not cheap.  The other problem is taxes!  Honestly, after paying NI, accountant fees, Belgian social security and taxes, I end up with less than half of what I started with!  It's a little upsetting that my rate is higher and my take home pay is lower.  On the plus side, my general expenses are a lot lower.

I also bought myself a Wii fit on impulse.  I was feeling fat. 

However I am going to Worldcon!  Yay!  Also going to Discworld.  This makes flights...  Interesting.  Birmingham to Chicago is not an easy journey though.  I did find that I can still get the return price to England if I fly into Birmingham and out of Heathrow. And it's possible to fly direct from Heathrow to just about everywhere.

So my itinerary is Brussels to Birmingham,  Heathrow to Chicago.  Chicago to Heathrow.  Heathrow to Brussels.  I've given myself over a day after the convention to get from Birmingham to Heathrow so that will be easy.  Just need somewhere to saty on the Tuesday night.

I did have one moment of panic.  I realised I'd booked the wrong flight to Birmingham.  And it had the scary "all bookings are final" T&Cs.  There followed a slightly anxious phone call to Expedia, me asking ever so nicely if there's any way this can be changed and being told that since I'd only just booked it it could be cancelled, and I just had to pay the £5 booking fee.  I think I can afford that.

Phew! 

Comments

[tanisafan.livejournal.com]

There used to be direct flights from Brussels to Chicago but they're only doing them a few months out of the year now, I don't know why. But seriously. Try flying from Brussels to Milwaukee. 22 hour trip. I wanted to die, pretty much.

[luckykaa.livejournal.com]

Flight booking sites simply aren't all that good with complex sets of connections. I had similar from Birmingham. Change at Dublin or Amsterdam, or Warsaw and hang about in the airport for 8 hours.

Even more bizarre was Gatwick to Brussels. The logical thing to do is get to Heathrow (or the Eurostar terminal) by public transport, and get a direct flight or train. All the booking flights will only let you go by air spending more time in the airport than in a plane.

[blue-sun-scribe.livejournal.com]

Whoa! Sounds busy. As I won't get a chance to see you I've asked tictactoepony and masterofpath to hand over your birthday card & gift from me if they see you.
Hope you have a great time at both cons!