Question: Flight Pricing

I wouldn't book now. The best prices for next May will most likely be, as you say, after the first of the year. In any event, you're still 9 months away from traveling. I'd look for best deals beginning around February

I agree with Nancy. I'm travelling next May to Europe as well and i've looked casually at flight prices for that month for the last 2 years. The prices now for my destination are actually pretty decent right now but i'm going to hold off for a few months unless a good fare pops in.
I noticed some fares in Feb on certain days to be around $100-150 cheaper then what they are now. Be sure to check the sites often though because I noticed occasional web fares (feb/march) that would offer significant savings, you just have to be on the ball to grab them.

My experience has been that waiting only costs me more money. FLights are available 11 months in advance... that said - seasonal specials are usually 4-6 motnhs ahead (summer specials pop up in Jan, spring specials pop up in Dec etc). Id also use a very reliable trvael agaent to help find the best deals - unless you like super budget 2-3 stop type of flights. I try to go direct - or direct as possible. But this year - I waited 6-weeks to make my decidion for a swiss flight and they went from 980-to-1200-1400+ for august flights purchased in April. In Feb they were under 1000. Flying from NY is cheaper than West coast. May is popular - right before higher summer - but nto as cheap as spring! But its a great time for Europe - north or south!

As a general rule, airlines release their discounted airfare approximately 8-10 weeks before departure. However, since you've noticed good deals right after New Years, I would look then and if it seems like a great deal, buy it! I would definitely not book now though - prices will fluctuate A LOT in the next nine months, it's silly to buy so early. I'd wait at least until after the holiday season.

Not to mention the possibility of your plans changing. If I hadn't already bought my nonrefundable ticket, I'd be very tempted to extend my Rome trip by a day or three. As it is, I'll have to let a week whet my appetite and plan to return to Italy soon.

I was in your shoes a year ago, flying from Seattle. Your best deal depends on how long your trip is, where & when you fly in/out from. DFW, is a hub for American (?) if I remember so they'll be the 1st place to look for deals. And they use LGW. Usually after the holiday season is the 1st significant price drop - and right after spring break is another time ticket prices go down.
I got my tickets for NWA using mobissimo.com for around $480/ticket. I looked for months, the only time it got cheaper was a promotional deal through Air Canada. I think you will be able to do better, since there are many more direct flights from DFW.
There's a website out of seattle that is attempting to forecast trends in airfare (www.farecast.com), they're brand new so read carefully & take with a grain of salt.
Honestly, buying airfare was my least favorite activity in preparation for our trip. It feels like a game with no rules & I was constantly paranoid I wasn't getting the best price. Drove my gf insane :)

good luck !!

whoa, in my previous post I was having a flashback to my airfare price back in 2000. After refreshing my memory, it was much closer to what you paid r/t to Paris. Sorry, didn't mean to screw with your expectations.
I think you can do better than $1000. How much better, I'll admit I don't know.
They will start to go up in price closer to the holidays, that's common practice, and so is the price drop. I thought Rick's commentary on airfare prices in his Europe through the back door book holds true. And he recommends waiting until January - at the earliest.

I think the first thing to do is set a realistic price you think the tickets should be and use that as a trigger. You've already got a plan from the past two years to work from. My last trip, to Japan was this past March; not high season. Six mounths out tickets were $1200 and up(and up). Three months out they dropped to $900. I waited a couple of days; nothing changed; so I booked. You are looking at high season in Italy. If you get a good price, book it. If not, wait for the 3 month window as a post above suggested. Oh yea, did my Japan tickets prices hold? No, I could have gotten them 10 bucks cheaper.

I'd have to agree with the poster stating that you'll be flying in high season to Italy. Is there any way you would consider finding a travel agent, letting them know your travel plans and how much you're willing to spend on tickets. They may have info you wouldn't necessarily know about. Also, if you have any flexibility on travel days- i.e. going on a weekday vs. the weekend, etc... that may help lower the proce, even if it's a little.

I agree with the majority of the posters in that you are safe in waiting. For May, you are safe buying in January or February, even as late as March if you are brave. I use the rule of thumb that 12 weeks before hand is about right, Airlines are starting to discount, Consolidators want to move tickets, and there is still good availability. If things are filling up, don't plan on deals. I also go with the advice of a poster above in setting a trigger price, whether a travel agent is watching or you. If you see it, buy and don't look back. If you are flexible, spend some time working with some of the sites that show prices over a period of time, this will show days of the week and dates where prices bump up as the season heats up. For May, there is usually a bump in Mid-May, and another about June 1. Leaving before May 15 for example, could save you a couple hundred dollars, depending on the specials running.