We are thinking of going to Europe again next summer (Well, I am, DH is still in the dark about this! I always need to work on him gradually) In looking on Kayak.com I have found some prices in the $800-$900 range for June, which is better than I could find last fall and winter. It is too early for us to purchase (see above!) but I am wondering if any others have already booked. Inquiring minds want to know!

We just got back from a visit to Greece THIS MORNING and I have already checked British Airways website (we live in London) to see how far in advance we can book for next year!! We had such a fantastic time that I am starting to plan next year's trip to help me through the winter blues...

Nope. Also planning June travel. If I find something under $650/pp for travel after June 1st, I would definitely buy it. Otherwise, I am waiting Jan-March 2007. If the prices still in the $800 range by March then I'll but the bullet, not before, no way.

If you find something in the $650 range, call me! Last fall the prices were above $1000 for June and we finally jumped on an $850ish fare in February for June travel. Only reason it was that price was because we had a 6 hour layover in Dublin! (Don't want to do that again.) Last fall checking fares was my part time job! I checked 5 times a day from October - February and the $850 was the best price I found.

we are flying boston to florence end of next June and I haven't seen anything below $1135 or so. (want more than an hour layover, so that might eliminate some fares and also only 1 stop).

trying to decide how low to wait for?

I booked IAD-ZRH non stop at the end of July for departure last week of next May, return two weeks later for $872.00. This was about $30.00 more than two weeks earlier. The cost for the same flight is now $200.00 more.

According to farecompare.com the June prices for my travel route have averaged the $800 range for the last couple of years. So, I am certainly realistic about it, but I rather pay $800 later than sooner. I do have a wide selection of airlines/airports within 80 miles radius that service the route, so I am not that limited, it would be a different story if I only had one airport/one airline/narrow travel window to stay within.

We generally travel in May and book sometime between Jan 31 and the end of March. This year, we paid over double what we paid for our last trip in 2004. So, with that in mind, I saw what I consider to be a reasonable fare and booked our May travel about a month ago. I have never booked this early in 8 trips to Europe.
In 2004, we paid $560 from Portland, Or to Milan this year it was $1,330 for June travel. When I saw $900 for PDX to Zurich in May 2007, I jumped on it.

Booked 4 FF tix to London in late June, next year.

Last week I booked two open jaw tickets DCA to CDG w/return from Stockholm for July 2007 in Business Class on USAirways

The same itinerary in coach was running $816 PP incl taxes and fees.

Last year, I booked a round trip from DFW to Scotland for June in August. I regreted that decision later as the Orbitz deal detector eventually notified me of a much cheaper fare that would have fit our itinerary, which was only available for one day from some reason (I'm guessing computer error by the airline, but I think it would have been bookable).

Nonetheless, since I'm flying open jaw this year and Obritz doesn't do a deal detector for those routes, I went ahead and booked my flight for a June 2007 trip yesterday. My reasoning was that without deal detector watching fares for me, I was unlikely to catch any outrageously low fare (would have to check fares every day without fail), and, I was paying for my ticket with trip cancellation insurance proceeds.

So, if you are planning to fly in and out of the same airport, I think I would go to Orbitz, create a deal detector, and see if you can get a better fare in the next 60-90 days.

I just purchased tickets for next May to Zurich from Newark & back for $652. The price is now $632. The price dropped a week after I booked. Go figure. Gas prices are coming down, so who knows what's next.

We flew Washington DC to Amsterdam in late June for $695 round trip. I normally wait until close to 2 months before departure to buy tickets, but with all the chat about ticket prices, I bought them 3 months before.

Wouldn't you know that in late April I could have gotten tickets for $620. Well, $150 wouldn't make or break us, but I could have used that for an automatic transmission car instead of an irritating manual shifter.

Did I learn my lesson? Nooooooooo. Bought tickets for our November trip D.C. to Prague and return from Berlin in July. $575 each. I've seen as low as $535 since--again it's not a great deal of money, just irritating.

I should just limit myself to following prices on our airline to see if I might get a credit or something if their price drops a lot, but I can't help myself. It's only $80; it's only $80; it's only $80.

Next year, I go back to our old strategy--I wait. I think. Maybe.

so yesterday luftans1a was $1,135, now they are back up to $1,800. Is this crazy or what?

we aren't going till june, but when do you buy? kind of far ahead now.

I got two FF tickets Denver to Athens and return from Istanbul for next June. I am waiting on some bonus miles to hit to see if I can get one more and then will have to buy only one. Tickets for this route when I checked were $2200! The lowest price I have seen for this route is $1350. If I cannot get another FF ticket one parent and one child will fly on different flights which I hate to do.

Budman-- don't sweat it, that price still really good!

Joanel-- wait unless it drops below a certain level (<=$800?; your call). I am also monitoring June fares. I will wait till the end of MArch 2007.

end of march too late for me. really only want certain flights. think late june gets busy and full. can sort of monitor seats on orbitz. also think $800 may be too low nowadays with gas prices up although coming down and extra security costs. etc.

No one can guarantee prices--too many variables. However, odds are that sometime over the next 6 or 7 months prices for June travel will be lower than they are now.

Of course, if your time window for travel is very narrow (Mrs. Fly is a teacher, so we are always dealing with narrow travel windows), you might have to buy somewhat earlier than most people just to get the travel dates you need.

I just used FF miles for first class tickets for 07/2007 to Copenhagen, leaving from Stockholm. You can beat a $10,000 ticket for just the cost of tax $91!

Any recommendations for funky/modern hotel in Stockholm?

chelsea I'm with you (although your typo on "can" instead of "can't" threw me for a moment).
I love using FF miles for those big trips instead of using them up paying for simple domestic flights that don't get you much of a return on your "investment".