Will be going to Italy mid-June to mid-July this summer (from DC area) and the cheapest fares I can find are in the $1,100-$1,150 range on Iberia, Air Canada or (via consolidator) British Airways.

I have been assuming that with the economy in the tank and fuel prices relatively low that cheaper deals would start opening up later this month and next month. However, some travel agents I have talked to say this is as good as it's going to get and, if anything, prices will rise from here. Of course they have an incentive to say that, too.

I'd be interested in people's thoughts about whether my assumptions are right or whether $1,100 is a price I should jump on.

Thanks in advance.

No one can predict but I would say from experience, this may well be as good as it gets. (from the looks of the prices, it seems you are traveling from the West coast?)
I think those are good prices for summer travel. We've not gotten anything too much less than $1,100 for air travel from SFO to ATH for the last 3 years, in May through June!
I wouldn't count on prices lowering...

Take a look at the online seating charts for those flights. Trust me, no matter what anybody here says, or any travel agent says, if the plane is empty, prices will come down. If the plane is filling up, then you need to buy now.

Hi B,

Have you checked www.kayak.com, www.mobissiomo.com, www.1800flyeurope.com and http://www.flycheapabroad.com/default.aspx

I don't know but fuel prices have been rising lately, anyway, so they are cheaper than last summer, but I wouldn't expect airlines to be giving flights away real cheaply this summer.

However, my opinion is while those fares may be about what you get this year, they don't seem any terrific bargains that you would need to jump on them immediately. I was seeing fares like that last summer when fuel prices were worse.

Reading a recent article on Frommer's Budget Traveler, "Airfare secret! Airlines using "coupons" for their best deals" ~ ~ ~ http://current.newsweek.com/budgettr...src=newsletter

Personally, my favorite site for tracking airfares is http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

If you pack light the Air lingus fares from Dulles are cheap and Ryan Air flies to many places in Italy for about 35 euros. The advantage is you can fly in to places like Pisa or Milan and out of, say Rome.

In my experience, travel agents will say anything to get you to buy right then. But I also suggest looking a bit more. I found IAD-FCO on Aer Lingus for $824 for June 15 - July 14, on Orbitz. If you do this, you have to click through the screens to get to the cheaper fare, and there is time in Dublin both ways.

Comments all so helpful - my question is, are there better cities from the East Coast to fly out of, in terms of getting deals? I am in Raleigh/Durham planning June trip to Rome, and I search through kayak to Dublin, London and Rome (best prices now around $1064 mid-week directly to Rome, by the way!!!), but every so often I also search out of Atlanta, DC, NY - in lieu of running 20+ searches, is there a way to know my best alternative departure cities, and the airlines to look at?