Huge airfare change

I think chances are good it will go down again. Ticket prices on Delta (like other airlines) bounce all over the place. If I have a trip planned, I usually check every day (if not twice per day) to try to catch a random low fare.

I was hoping to pay less than the $1,348 price!

Then hold tight and don't be scared off due to a single price change - it's like the stock market, sometimes there are wild spikes (most people don't realize that most changes are less drastic, but they focus on those that drive up their blood pressure suddenly). Prices can change literally hundreds of times before your flight. I don't think I would have the patience to check every single day because that just ramps you up emotionally and probably makes it more likely to make decisions out of fear-of-missing-out (FOMO). I would step back and just have faith...and don't drive yourself crazy checking every day.

Also: Don't stick to a single airline, be flexible.

@Agnes-we want that Delta flight because it is one stop and truthfully, we are willing to pay a bit more for that luxury since one stop to Europe is a rare commodity for us folks out here in frontier land!

This early I think you have a good chance of a better fare. One thing you can do is search for your particular flights on Delta’s website. Check the seating chart to see how many seats are available. If there are plenty of seats open then there’s a good chance of a better fare. Not perfect indicator but gives you a sense of demand.

The one thing I do on all bookings whether a third party like Skyscanner, etc and all airline sites is use incognito window. I don't trust the airline sites either on reading cookies, etc.

Nobody has a crystal ball. Prices fluctuate constantly. That this trip is over 7 months away means you have time to continue looking.

A few weeks ago, I found a cheap fare on Delta Between JFK & Zurich — $590. Round-trip between JFK and Paris certainly wasn’t cheap.

Look at airfares to/from cities that are within a few hours train ride to Paris. Be flexible and have fun looking!

Thank you Continental, but we are willing to pay more for less stops or even better would be non-stop. I have been checking daily and the price for this particular flight has not changed, it is still over $1,800pp. And like Rocket suggested I checked the seating chart and it made me even more worried as it looks to be filling up fast! I guess I missed the good airfare of $1,300 and I’m not hopeful at this point that it will go down.

Are there no longer Condor flights from Anchorage directly to Germany? Or do they not start until summer?

OK, I answered my own question. They do have flights, but only twice a week. Still, if you can alter your plans by one day (leave one day later and return one day later), you can get to Frankfurt for $1169 roundtrip. Frankfurt to Paris is an easy train trip.

I have found that the most expensive part of the flight is the Anchorage-Seattle-Anchorage run. I have been booking very good fares through Seattle the last couple of years, traveling to Seattle on miles. I spend the night in Seattle prior to my overseas flight just to make sure I do not miss the flight, even though Alaska Airlines makes the Anchorage – Seattle run almost hourly from early morning until late in the evening and more during peak times. Even if I would have paid for the flight and a hotel room it has been less expensive than the alternative, plus I show up for the long flight all rested up and ready to go. Of course I do have the time to move my arrival and departure dates a few days back and forth to find the best deals.

For a few years Condor was my airline of choice for their Anchorage – Frankfurt direct flight which was a nine-ten hour flight depending on the direction flown. Unfortunately not many tourists are traveling to Alaska during the winter so Condor has been flying here on a seasonal basis. I normally leave Alaska during the third week in May and Condor usually starts service somewhere during the last ten days of May. I did double check their website and while they do show flights throughout the winter their website would freeze if I tried to check the airfare for a particular flight.

Thank you for that information Davey, I appreciate that from a local! Yes, the Condor flight doesn't work for us as we are going to Paris in April and they are seasonal. I gave up on my dream of the almost non-stop flight on Delta and yesterday I booked Icelandair from Anchorage to Seattle to Reykjavik to Paris. It was much cheaper and I ended up deciding to pay extra for an exit row that reclines, so at least we will be comfortable (somewhat). And since they are partners with Alaska, we will earn miles, where with Delta we did not.

Thanks Tom_MN, we avoid United like the plague! And the Max, no way. Plus, we already bought out tickets, but thanks!