T-318. Really.

Three hundred and eighteen days until we leave for Chrismas in Vegas 2007

Couldn't resist it when I saw BMI flights available for just over £500 each including taxes.  Did you know that the tax when you fly from the UK is about £130, but for the return leg it's only US$75.  They don't tell you this of course, unless you try to book only a one way flight from the USA.  I don't know if this is just for Las Vegas or the whole of the USA, but maybe the slot machines at the terminal help to subsidise the airport taxes.

I'd found this out because I was fiddling with all kinds of ways to try and spend some Diamond Club miles.  Getting a comped flight for the summer (T-164, still way too long) was a miracle in retrospect.  I don't think it will ever happen again.  There was almost a perfect deal for the Easter holiday 1st-12th April, but although it showed two seats available on the web site, there was only one when I called to try and book it.  I got way too excited, and will know better next time.  Would have been business class too.

Then there was some convoluted combination of miles and cash to get two flights out on 27th Dec, but buying a return ticket separately.  Came to about £1200 all together and virtually all our miles would be used up.  That return leg for US$925 was a premium economy ticket, and much cheaper than any regular economy ticket going, but I don't think airline pricing was ever meant to be understood though, was it?  So with the tickets I just bought, we get four days extra for two hundred quid less... no decision at all really!

In other news, it's snowing.  Headline news that is.  My train was cancelled and Claire is back from school already.  Some trains were cancelled and some schools announced to be closed yesterday evening, on the strength of a weather forecast only.  It didn't start snowing until about 7am here.  They got it right as it happens, but really... aren't we a pathetic nation?

The Sky News headline just about sums it up: