Well so far prices haven't come down flying from Vancouver to Paris...and it fact they've gone up about five or six dollars.

We're leaving for Paris on April 23; we've already booked our apartment. For the people who can forsee into the future ;-)...is it safe to wait it out for the next little while, or should I book something now?

Thanks for your help!

Tough call; you'll be flying after the Easter long weekend, but at a point when university kids start to move around. I tend to wait to reserve flights, so if I were in your shoes, I'd probably book in February. No science, just intuition.

What are you using as a benchmark? I just looked at AC and found Cdn $1057 for Vancouver to CDG return, taxes in, and $1017 if you forego seat reservations. I don't find that too oppressive, given what I am paying for Halifax-CDG on AC in February. Have you looked at other carriers?

Anselm

Have you asked about waiting prior to this? If so, did people say to wait or what?

Everything I have seen and heard indicates prices will not go down.

Lufthansa is currently having a sale and not surprisingly the period extends only through the end of March.

I think you have answered your own question when you sayquot;they've gone up about five or six dollars..." and unless there IS a sale they will probably go up even more.

Are you just looking for any airline? I signed up for e-mail for Air France and booked Paris when they sent a sale notice that covered my dates. You have limited time to book these "specials" so if you get a good fare don't quibble, just book it. I had gone from a round trip fare starting at about 860.00 when I first looked, to a high of 1,400.00 to a final purchase of 763.00. So find your airlines and sign up.

I can't remember where I read it, but I thought prices usually go down Oct/Nov, but I guess since we're almost into the middle of November, it's not happening.

I guess what has also got in the way, is the fact that in 2004, we paid under $700 each. And yes, I know that won't happen again, but I was hoping for something in the $800-950 range.

A couple of years ago I was watching AC fares to Europe for a family member and panicked when they went up by a few dollars about 3 months before departure, so I bought.
Then 3 weeks before departure they dropped sharply - by $400.
It's all a gamble.
AC will not have put any sales on for next spring at this time. They might after Christmas and the dates you're looking at might then have lower fares... but they might not.

Have you tried other airlines, like Zoom for example? I know a few people who've used them and liked them fine.

You still have quite a bit of time before your departure to book flights.

We usually find our best prices 2-4 months before our travel date. Of course, Vancouver could be one of those "special" markets that don't fit the usual pattern.

Against my better judgement this year, I allowed the doom-and-gloomers convince me to buy the tickets for our Wash DC-Prague, Berlin-Wash DC trip a couple of months earlier than usual. Paid $575 each. Of course, over the last 1-2 months I found prices significantly below that. No refund possible with the tickets and airlines we have.

$575 isn't terrible for open jaw tickets involving those cities, but with 4 of us traveling I could have saved up to almost $500.

Ah well, live and learn.

The "doom-and-gloomers"??????

And how would you describe us if we had been right????

elphaba, I neglected to mention in my earlier message that fare of $1057 for YVR-CGD includes $180 in fuel surcharges. I can't remember when AC started tacking those on, but I doubt there were any when you made the trip in 2004.

Those fuel surcharges are a bit of a shocker and AC hasn't lowered them, despite recent changes in oil prices. It's hard to say what they'll do between now and April, but that could be another consideration.

Anselm

Elphaba2004,

Well, I just looked up flights leaving from Vancouver to CDG on April 23rd, and back on May 13 (picked that date at random). $279 going, and $249 coming back. Total, with all of the surcharges is $787.

We live in Anacortes, WA, South of your border, and have been thinking of using Zoom. If you do fly them, please post your experiences.

Flyzoom to London, Eurostar to Paris

elphaba:

<i> I thought prices usually go down Oct/Nov</i>

That's not what happened last year. We were going to Italy/Paris at the end of January and waited until early December when prices finally dropped.

This is not to say the same will happen this year, but we hope so. We're flying to Italy about the same time you're going to Paris.

Dukey--the point is that I've been hearing it for several years, and you've never been right yet. I guess if the same prediction is made every year thru eternity, eventually it will be right. But being right once won't make for all the years it was wrong.

Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. After talking it over with my sister, we're going to take a wait and see approach right now. Yes, it could end up costing us more, but there's also the possibility that prices will come down.

I guess we'll wait to see who blinks first.

elphaba - Air Canada often puts on a bit of a seat sale in January for spring travel. You certainly won't do yourself any harm by waiting a bit.

But I still say to check out Zoom. They fly to Paris too.