Yep, the closer we get, the lower the fares are heading!

Colleen, I suspect it's just what airport a person needs to leave out of. Although the hypothetical tickets for our flights have come down from last week, they're still $500 higher than they were 6 months or so ago. (Although we're not leaving till (probably) May, 2013, I use the same day of the week for May, 2012 just to get an idea what the tickets might cost when we do eventually buy.) I guess the airlines know they have us trapped and can charge whatever they want!....unless we want to drive to Spokane and I don't. Others have said that once you buy, you should never look back because it can be so disappointing!

You're right, you're right, I know you're right....Seriously, I so wish I hadn't checked out the fares again. I told myself I was doing research for the next time around, but now I'm stuck with the reality that I could have saved over a thousand bucks had I waited a few days. Sigh. One never knows ~ and that's the frustration!

Did you book directly with the airlines? If so, contact them and ask for either a price reduction or a credit voucher for a future flight even if you will not be taking one.

The flip side is that it could have easily gone in the other direction, and, had you waited, you could have paid even $1000 more than you did. In fact, that would have been a more likely scenario based on past history. At any rate, don't sweat it now. We all do the best we can and try to use as much "science" or "art" as possible to get the best deal. Once you click the purchase button, however, that's it. I never, ever go back and keeping tracking fares once I've purchased. I've done this a lot, I know what I'm doing, I do my homework, I'm comfortable with the fare I purchased, so that's it. Done and done! Seriously, forget about it so it doesn't taint your great trip coming up!

Opposite direction easily - yes. We purchased rountrip Knoxville - London Gatwick in December for June travel at $750. The same seat is now over $3000.

Tim, that is a fantastic price, no matter what time of year someone is traveling, but it's especially good for June!

Actually I searched for months before that came up. Bought 16 tickets and taking a whole group.

Charlie, I didn't book directly with Edelweiss (Swiss Air), as doing so would have been far more expensive. So, no potential credit voucher there. Michael, you're right in that it can just as easily go the other direction. I've done this enough to realize that. But this little phenomenon piques my interest. Good grief! Round trip direct flights from Vancouver to CH for less than a grand ~ this during the summer season? I wish I knew others heading over so I could clue them in to the deal. Tim, hope your group has a wonderful trip! In the grand scheme of things, $1250 for such an easy flight all the way from the West Coast to Zurich is respectable. But next time I may gamble and wait a bit longer before purchasing.

I bought tickets for my wife and I last month. We won't be leaving until October. The exact same flights are now $600 more. If the tickets are a price you can live with, buy them and don't check again. I do but it sometimes makes me sick if the price goes down.

Sometimes the seats on the good itineraries get sold out, so the flight options later aren't as good. I used to wait, when I lived in Washington state, because everything involved connections anyway. Now that direct flights are an option, I try to book before the "good" itineraries are sold out.