Probably it is a mixture of both those feelings. Since many PWs go on furlough during the summer, December seemed a good time to talk about furlough planning. Your husband has probably already been emailing contacts to plan the itinerary. Email has made that process so much faster and easier.
Different airlines offer different packages, so be sure to compare plans.
Some airlines may have great prices, but don't go to the destinations you need. You must carefully plan the order of stops because changing those sectors can be very costly. If you will be traveling by road, MATS can help. They buy and recondition cars for full-time workers to lease or buy while in the States on furlough. They were able to arrange for us to pick up a car in Portland, Oregon and drop it off in Cincinnati, Ohio.