Bonds are negotiable...
Friend of mine just left a Luxemburg-based cargo outfit for another job, still owing them over 20'000 Euros on his 747 bond.
He sat down at the table with them on his exit interview, and candidly told them that he did not have the money, and that some sort of installment plan would have to be figured out whereby he could repay them over time...
In the end, they agreed to let him go for an immediate payment of 10'000 Euros! This not because they are kind-hearted people, but because their legal department probably told them the success rate they had with people moving away, and sustaining their payments over time... not good!
What's more, his new employer, happy to have him, paid him a 10'000 Euro "signing bonus" for joining, so in the end he got away scot-free, whilst maintaining his honesty and not burning any bridges..
Now, not everybody is gonna get that lucky, admittedly.. but the point i'm making is that talking to your present, past and future employer could go a long way in solving an immediate problem...