No worries. It's a complicated thread with lots of information dispersed along the way.

We originally booked the nonstop to London to visit friends, but after booking it, they indicated that they were going to be away for a few days. This is the genesis of our taking a side trip to Madrid. I had looked at nonstops but it left too early for us, as we will be three hours away from Boston, plus the two-hour check-in, plus factoring in any traffic delays. We just didn't want to push it.

We'll return to London from Madrid a few days later to visit our friends. The return flight to JFK works perfectly, as does our onward nonstop to Auckland.