hi I just returned I was able to skip the rom-mad segment! when I returned they made me a 45 minute stopover so I could not make the connection to mad. they put me up overnight at the hilton(free supper and breakfast-useless!) then the next day they let me just fly straight to jfk!I would have done this on the way to Israel but the reports here seemed they where not so accommodating, I had a 45 minute stopover on that way too but I ran like crazy. In retrospect I should have took my grand old time! but at least the way back was a regular connecting flight with a free nice hotel overnight!