RustyC

Well, after a barn-burner of a research-and-crunch session (looking at numerous alternatives), I came up with this:

Tue, Apr 30, 2013
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Ap, (IAH) to Amsterdam, (AMS)

Flight: Air France Flight 639 (on Boeing 777-300)
Depart: 04:00 PM, Houston, TX (IAH)
Arrive: 08:35 AM, Paris, France (CDG)

1 Stop - change planes in Paris, (CDG)
Connection Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Flight: Air France Flight 8230 operated by KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES (on Boeing 737 800)
Depart: 10:20 AM, Paris, France (CDG)
Arrive: 11:40 AM, Next day Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS)

(23:55 layover in AMS, which was a nice thing about this and a selling point)

Thu, May 2, 2013
Amsterdam, (AMS) to Abu Dhabi International Airport, (AUH)

Flight: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 437 (on Airbus A330-200)
Depart: 11:35 AM, Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS)
Arrive: 08:05 PM, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (AUH)

(Then stay in Abu Dhabi, most likely, until the wee hours of May 8 (5 full days)

Wed, May 8, 2013
Abu Dhabi International Airport, (AUH) to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Ap, (IAH)

Flight: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 438 (on Airbus A330-200)
Depart: 01:55 AM, Red-eye Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (AUH)
Arrive: 07:00 AM, Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS)


Flight: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 661 (on Boeing 747-400 Combi)
Depart: 10:00 AM, Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS)
Arrive: 01:05 PM, Houston, TX (IAH)

Fare equivalent $671.80, paid 100% with FlexPerks points (though I'd hafta say their booking engine was very clunky and limited on choices with this one).

I picked Abu Dhabi over Dubai because it appeared more compact and with better hotel selection (higher stars at lower costs), though there's apparently a lot of bus service between the two. AUH also allowed for the AMS almost-stopover more easily. Will be first trip to that part of the world...hope it's not impossibly hot then (maybe Florida-in-July hot).

Looks like I missed Queen's Day by 1 day for AMS, and hotels were still pretty tight on 5/1 but at least not impossible. I guess everyone will be excited about having a new monarch.

Also considered Cairo for similar fare $$, which had some very alluringly low hotel costs (and even more so with Luxor). Narrowly passed because of the political-uncertainty bit (Arab spring being too springy).

Also had to get an IAH RT on DL for $197 a-i to make this one go. If the FP booking engine wasn't so clunky I could have OW'ed it to IAH and routed the return through ATL and hopped off.

If anyone wants to critique this plan feel free.