After months of looking at the $1200+ prices from LAX to Germany June 17 thru July 4, I finally got $858 total on Continental from LAX to CGN. If it were just me and my husband I might have waited to book, but since I needed six tickets, I finally just booked them a few days ago. So, I'm done with THAT nightmare, YEAH!!!

Don't drive yourself crazy! I have been searching for airfare since last August! We are traveling to Sweden in June from Chicago and returning via Brussels. Check out faremax.com - this will let you see alternate dates. Also airfarewatchdog.com. We got a roundtrip airfare through JFK to London for $400 a ticket! This was just last week! It was only on Travelocity. We booked additional flights out of Heathrow to Sweden. Be patient- don't panic. Everything we looked at was around $1200 with taxes. We need four tickets- that's insane! Also beware of Orbitz, because everytime I saw a cheap airfare it was "not available" when I clicked on the "select" button.

Disclaimer - I don't know if this is true or not, but it is what I was told when thinking about combining a Greece trip with Italy. I was told that the fares go up when combined with Greece and that it is cheaper to book a flight to and from Italy and to book separate flights to Greece using a roundtrip from your Italian city.

Again, I do not have first hand experience, but you may want to give it a shot.

In other words, book a roundtrip LAX - ROM - LAX. Then, separately, book the Aegean flight.

Without sounding like an apologist for the airline industry (who have, in my opinion, plenty to apologize for) I would like to point out that the US Department of Transportation's Air Travel Price Index (ATPI) shows that the price of air travel, adjusted for inflation, increased by 2.9% between 1995 and 2005. Not 2.9% per year, but 2.9% full stop.

Name something else that's gone up by all of three tenths of a percent per year. Auto fuel? Artichokes? And by the way, the US Consumer Price Index in that time has gone up by 28.3%.

The price the major airlines pay for Jet A fuel has gone up by something like 200% in the past year or two (i.e. it's now 3 times what it was) and everybody knows half of the major US airlines are in, just out of, or trying to stay out of, bankruptcy.

I don't much like high airfares any more than anyone else, but let's not forget that these are businesses that need to keep operating.

Gardyloo I agree with your points. And I'll add that I am very glad that the airlines are still in business.

Nothing will keep me away from Paris, come hell or high airfare. When compared to the joy that Paris brings me, it is a small price to pay.

I'm just happy to get direct flights at convenient times.

Most airfares have almost a 20% fuel,security and tax charge onto the base fare. Try www.sidestep.com, it picks up fares from most sites like orbitz, travelocity, and almost every airline itself, like Olympic. I am also flying to Athens and it didn't matter if I went to Rome and flew Aegean air or went to Athens. Couldn't do less than $1150 per. So I am going to use miles and even that was an extraordinary challenge. You can call Delta, for example, which has the same partners as Continental and they will have nothing for the month of July. Then I called Continental (same airline partners) and they had a few options, suggesting an overnight layover on the way back rather than sit in an airport of 6 hours or have to be there at 4 AM (I hate that). So they were much more creative and helpful. Judging by the scarcity of mileage seats and blackout dates, I doubt fares will go down. The last time I did this, I went on every day and kept checking. For some reason about a month into this insanity I got 2 direct flights for $900 on Swissair and I grabbed them. Out of curiousity I continued to check for a week and nothing under $1100, so it was just freaky timing. But you have to get super lucky. Good luck.

Last week I finally broke down and purchased three tickets from SFO-CDG(late June) through a travel agent-not my usual MO (the company Rick Steves uses in WA). She was able to book us on Air Canada (we'll get United miles! Yippee!) w/ one brief stop in Canada going and coming. Price $950 RT per ticket. When I called Air Canada the operator told me that was about $200 less per ticket than they could offer me. I did try the AARP travel website (working w/ Travelocity)as my partner is a member. They had the second best fare coming in about $20 per ticket higher on United but w/ a long layover in Dulles.

I scoured a handful of websites every morning before work for weeks before this and made multiple calls to my five fave airlines almost daily hunting down a low fare.

One agent told me that Europeans on holiday to the states are filling the airplanes coming and going-not the Americans, so I shouldn't expect prices to fall as planes are filling.

I have made peace with the airfare now, but it was a stunning blow to my travel-agent alter ego not to get a "deal."

Hotel Bonaparte, Rouen, Bayeaux (the tapestry...at last), WWII beaches, Dinan, and the Loire Valley...here we come. Happy travels, everyone!

Just wanted to say, I found LAX-ROME, ATH-LAX with good times for 1258 pp thru ITAsoftware. Orbitz had it slightly higher at 1290 so I think this is what we will end up with. I really didn't want to fly american to LHR but beggars can't be choosers. At least it is a 777. Will Olympic check luggage thru to American at LHR on the return?? I know that should be a separate post but I couldn't resist asking it here. Even if they don't we have a four hour layover so we can deal with it if necessary...
Now on to Rome hotels!

The luggage thing depends on where you're stopping when you're returning to the states. If you have a stop before you get to LAX (which seems likely) then you will have to pick up your checked luggage and go through customs, then recheck it before your last leg to LAX. A minor inconvenience for a wonderful trip to Italy and Greece!

Oh, silly me! I just re-read and noticed that you are flying LHR to LAX. And I see now you were asking about the Olympic/American transfer. Sorry, its early here and I haven't finished my first cup of coffee.

Yes, Olympic should be able to forward your luggage to AA. Tell the check-in agent at ATH about it, and make sure the luggage is tagged to LAX on the correct AA flight number. They may have to call to confirm, but that's normal procedure.