My hubby and I are looking to take a post-Xmas trip somewhere in Europe, probably Paris and London (we've been before). Dates we're looking at are Dec. 26 or 27-Jan. 4 or 5. I've been obsessively checking prices daily on the popular search engines, and everything from around here (Ark.) is in the mid-$700 prices and up. I see lots of "fall sales" advertised right now, so I'm wondering if I just wait a month or so, if they might start running some winter sales. I know prices depend on where you fly out from, and we'll pay extra from flying out close to home, but I figure if prices dip at the major airports, they should dip a little around here too.
Anyone have any advice on when to buy or whether there may be some sales pretty soon?

Keep in mind that your dates are post-Christmas, but the proposed dates occur over the New Years Holiday. I looked at flights to Paris right before and after New Years Eve and found a difference in price -- we are leaving right after the first. However, we also fortunate to live in a metro area with non-stops to CDG, so you might have a more difficult time.

Computer modeling of buyer behavior seems to keep getting better and better - - meaning that the need to tweak the prices... to fill othrwise unsold seats is occurring later and later.

The hot sales on trips to LON/MAN/GLA from OH/KY/IN were just announced yesterday (Aug 31) apparently... for travel which must occur Sep 12-Oct 31.

That requires considerable patiece to not pull the trigger earlier and pay a higher price.

And of course, the price you seek, for the route you need, on the dates you want - - may never get cut.

Best wishes,

Rex

Your question is impossible to answer. You are, however, going about it in the right way. You just have to keep checking.

I don't want to discourage you but my guess is that if you see a good buy on a flight that meets your needs, don't delay. Grab it quickly. Generally, the airlines are raising prices over the holidays. There seems to be a boost for Thanksgiving, then Christmas/New Years, and then again over Presidents Day. Ditto for the rental cars.

It sounds like a great trip. I hope it works out for you.

Last year we decided just about a month before to go to London for Christmas. We had planned to go on Dec. 26. While some flights were sky high -- we found that by flying over on Dec. 24 and back on Jan. 2, there were fantastic bargains, lower than when I had checked on the possibility a couple months earlier. On December 26 flights over zoomed way up. If you could consider flying on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, I'm sure you'd save a whole lot of money.
By the way, we were considering an open jaw into London and home from Paris, and found that those flights were just as cheap -- but again on those "holidays". We decided to stick with just London though.