First, I'd like to offer a HUGE thank you to posters in another thread (OHare to Rome) who mentioned kayak.com, a site I'd never heard of and just visited.

I learned that in place of a non-stop Lisbon to NYC flight on Continental for about $1,000 per (one way flight), I could get us back to the US on Aer Lingus - with an hour and a half layover in Ireland - for just $504. That just seems so so cheap, and I'd like to hear thoughts of veteran travelers, esp those with experience on Aer Lingus (they do use planes with wings, right?)

Now - that Aer Lingus flight will take us back to Boston, but that doesn't really matter; we're headed ultimately to the Midwest, but prefer to break up the long overseas journey with a night somewhere on the east coast to recuperate.

Thanks for any thoughts/opinions!

It's fine to fly Aer Lingus, especially for a good price. But it makes no sense to get to Boston, then have to buy another ticket to Chicago, and potentially an extra night of hotel. The difference in flight time between Europe-Boston and Europe-Chicago is minimal.

Thanks for the thumbs-up on AL, rkkwan. I well know that I'm adding time and expense by breaking up the homebound trip, but we are such abysmal fliers that it's how it has to be. The thought of being on a plane just for 6-7 hours practically puts me in a coma (if only!); anything longer than that simply is not doable for either of us.

We'd probably have many more European visits (and perhaps beyond) under our belts by now....if it weren't for having to be encased in that little metal tube in the sky, unable to doze and with restless legs athrob. Ah well, I digress I know....