We booked our October tix for EWR to FCO a couple of months ago for 423 + 92 tax = 515.

Keep working the different booking agencies and you might get lucky. Also, keep trying various combinations of airports, including short flights to JFK or EWR or ORD.

Currently, Travelocity is showing a TAP round trip to FCO from New York for 475 for a September trip.

Don't give up hope just yet!

Have you looked at some of the little airlines in Europe like Ryanair.com or aerlingus-- some of those are partners with the larger airlines-- We are taking aerlingus to Dublin they accepted our amex milage for a partner ticket - then ryannair to Venice. When we return from a cruise to Rome-- We are taking Ryannaire to Valencia-- Some of these flights within Europe run from as little as 19 to 35 Euros-- There is a site for alot of these airlines--whichbudget.com or lowcostairlines.org-- aerlingus flies out of JFK and is reasonable appoximately 650 for a ticket.

I was astonished at the airfares for May. Air Tahiti Nui was offering a 500 RT LAX-CDG, of course it was all sold out. After fiddling around for several days on Orbitz, Sidestep, etc, I snatched up an open jaws LAX-Brussels, CDG-LAX for $760 on Delta via Orbitz.

My daughter is flying Honolulu-Paris-LAX-Honolulu in May. The airfare was coimg out to a very painful $1800. I was able to get her a free ticket on United using the standard award (80K) just a month before her departure.

The original poster may want to grab a 1st class seat for the dad using mileage award on the Delta flight and then pay for the 3 other seats. Or maybe there will be enough leftover miles to get one other free seat in economy.