So excited! My first international flight(s)!

So for my xmas gift, my parents got me a plane ticket to Sweden. Came out to about $1025 with tax, was pretty nice. I picked the routings and what not, and having never flown internationally (sans Cancun), I wanted to try some...more exotic? and indirect routes.

Well this is what I originally had:
December 25
FNT - CLE 142/241pm
CLE - EWR 317/504
EWR - OSL 8pm/945 am
(next day)OSL-ARN 745pm/845 pm (10 hour layover in norway, cool! - what should i do/see?) (SAS)

Way home was a tad bit boring.
Jan 3
ARN-EWR-CLE-FNT

Was happy with that, until I decided to do some messing around before bed. Uh oh!

For an extra $44, I can leave January 2nd at 530pm from ARN and do this:
ARN-ZRH (SAS)
ZRH-AMS (Swiss? (edilweiss air)

(Jan 3rd)
AMS-IAH (787!!!!!!)
IAH-CLE-FNT.

New cost $1069.30
Any other crazy ideas to consider? Maybe there's a way to get on a 787 outbound, maybe some route I'm not sure of that's international? I'm open for anything!

Also, since I'm travelling around x-mas and new years time, hopefully my chances of getting bumped are good. Anyone have any stories from flying during the holidays and getting bumped?