Cleared for TAKE OFF!

Though researched and recommended, we are choosing NOT to do the Round The World (RTW) ticket. There were a few factors in our decision including timing, destinations and pricing, but we've decided to roll the dice and do it on our own with a wait and see approach. Well, this morning we rolled big... in this morning's Metro was a 2 page ad for Air Berlin (the same carrier we bought our one way ticket from) with a small call out for their Europe Pass. "Discover up to 4 European cities of your choice for only $249 incl. taxes."

Is there a jackpot in craps? I Googled it with no luck, but whatever it is, that's what this morning felt like. Their connections are limited, but their destinations include Naples, Ibiza, Bucharest and more... Granted our last experience with Air-Berlin involved a hole in the cabin interior, watching a passenger have a panic attack and an eight hour delay with a free ham sandwich... for $63/leg, we're willing to give them a second, third, fourth and fifth chance respectively.

If you're going to Europe this summer, why not splurge a little? And if you're not going to Europe this summer, it's probably a good idea because the dollar is supposed to tank when the Fed stops buying back debt or whatever it was they were talking about on Meet the Press... Hey, look over there, they killed Osama bin Laden, woohoo! USA! USA!

-Bill