Summer fares come tumbling down....

It seems to happen every spring. The airlines jack up fares for peak (as in late June to late August) summer travel dates; consumers say no thanks (they stay home, they drive, they wait), and then fares come down.

When we checked several weeks ago, it was hard to find any coast-to-coast airfares, or even "medium haul" fares, for peak July travel under $500 round-trip including tax. Many fares, even for less desirable connecting flights, were closer to $600. It's now the Memorial Day weekend and guess what? Fares have come down. They may not be as low as you'd like, but in many cases they're not much higher than for non-peak travel dates. Just goes to show you that you can't listen to airfare prognosticators who scare you into buying now or paying more later.

Here's what we found in a spot check, using Cheaptickets.com and Southwest.com flexible date searches (full disclosure: Airfarewatchdog.com is an Expedia.com company; Cheaptickets.com is a competitor of Expedia.com; neither Cheaptickets nor Southwest has a monetary relationship with  Airfarewatchdog). And please note these fares are subject to prior sale and change:

Washington Dulles-San Diego $350 round-trip including tax via JetBlue, depart July 11 returning July 19 and other July dates (some dates over $500)

Phoenix-Ft. Lauderdale $299 round-trip including tax nonstop via US Air depart July 21 return July 27 and many other July dates

Los Angeles-Boston $349 round-trip including tax, depart July 4 return July 12 via US Airways

San Francisco-Ft. Lauderdale $370 rt including tax via AirTran, depart July 11 return July 19 on connecting flights (nonstop flights higher)

Seattle-Las Vegas $273 round-trip including tax via Alaska Air, depart July 19 return July 28, nonstop flights

Atlanta-Denver $319 round-trip including tax via Frontier and AirTran nonstop, almost any dates in July

Colorado Springs-Newark $369 round-trip including tax on Delta, depart July 12 return July 20

Newark-Las Vegas $279 round-trip including tax via Southwest Airlines, depart July 6 return July 13

Will international fares also come down? They really need to, because they're sky high. Sign up for alerts on your favorite routes or follow us on Twitter @airfarewatchdog and we'll let you know.

These fares were researched at 10:40 a.m. Eastern on May 28, 2011 and are subject to change and prior sale.

Another one from Turkish Airlines? Yep. This time it's Los Angeles to Istanbul for $749 round-trip, including all taxes. This fare is available on select dates in fall/winter, from September and onward. Tickets require a Saturday night stay.

For booking info, see our Fare Details.

Fares to Hawaii continue to drop! We're talking $400-$500+ including taxes, from even the East Coast, for fall and winter travel. For a round-up of our latest finds, see our fare pages for Honolulu and, yes, even Maui is included in on this, as are Hilo on the Big Island (see fares), Kauai (see fares), Kona (see fares). These fares were previously in the $700-$900 range. Please note that fares will be higher for peak holiday travel periods and no low fare is ever available for every possible travel date, and fares are subject to prior sale. Airfarewatchdog.com does not sell airfares; we will show you links to where you can find seats however.

Who knows how long these will stick around, so move fast! Most of these fares are on United/Continental; a few are on Delta and American.

Anyhoo, all this excitement brings us to our Fare of the Day: Philly to Honolulu for $449 round-trip, including all taxes.

Save on travel to/from Kansas City with the current sale from Frontier Airlines. Tickets require a 10-day advance purchase. No minimum stay required.

Seats are limited at these fares and certain flights and/or days of travel may be unavailable, especially during busy travel periods. For most routes, you'll have an easier time snagging lower fares for travel from late summer and onward.

Fares include:

Austin to Kansas City $118 round-trip

Denver to Kansas City $118 round-trip

Los Angeles to Kansas City $178 round-trip

Milwaukee to Kansas City $118 round-trip

Minneapolis to Kansas City $98 round-trip

New Orleans to Kansas City $118 round-trip

Shopping around for a UK trip, but off by the current state of summer fares? Hold out for September, when crowds thin out and fares are low. We've found Tampa to London for $685 round-trip, including all taxes, on Delta Airlines. Available on select dates in September.

For booking info, see our Fare Details page.

Maybe you weren't going to Europe anyway, what with those high airfares, but if you did buy a ticket you might not be going anyway, what with that volcano thing. Here are some things to consider:

1. Travel insurance will cover some of your expenses, but only as long as the hazard, in this case the volcano, wasn't a known hazard when you bought your insurance.  No travel insurance covers all expenses, but can help a bit.

2. U.S.-based airlines are not responsible by law for expenses you might incur, however in Europe during the last big volcanic eruption the airlines did put people in hotels for various time periods, but not for ever. It was on a case by case basis. After all, an eruption is an "act of God" and not within the airline's control.

3. Many airlines refunded fares with no problem. If your flight is cancelled, you're entitled to a full refund. But you must wait until the flight is cancelled. You can't cancel your flight yourself in anticipation of not being able to fly and expect a refund.

4. The best fare to buy is a fully refundable one when flying during a known hazard. These are more expensive, but you get your money back even if you cancel.

5. You can also buy "cancel for any reason" insurance, which is more expensive, and the cancellation must be made 48 hours or more before your trip, but in most cases that's doable with a situation like this.

This is major! United/Continental has put Hawaii on sale from almost every Mainland city with fares around $500 round-trip on average including tax. THIS SALE WAS ACCURATE AS OF MAY 24, BUT WILL NOT LAST SO IF TODAY IS MAY 25 WHEN YOU READ THIS YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS TOO LATE!  These fares also operate from Hawaii at the same fare.

Fares to Honolulu http://bit.ly/9CW0xp

Kona http://bit.ly/lFXlrq

Maui http://bit.ly/9A3kcO

and Kauai

Again, this sale will not last and the fares are hundreds less than they normally are!

Fly from Newark to Honolulu for $500 round-trip, nonstop, including all taxes, on Continental. This fare is valid for travel Mondays through Thursdays, from September through early March. Fares require a 7-day advance purchase. Peak holiday dates are blacked out.

For booking info, see our Fare Details.

Fly from New York to Helsinki, Finland for $721 round-trip, including all taxes, on Delta/KLM. This fare is available for travel on select dates through June. Not bad for a last minute late spring getaway to Finland.

Tickets require a Saturday night stay. For booking info, see our Fare Details.

The latest web specials from Alaska Airlines start at $79 one-way. Rules and restrictions/travel dates vary by route. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or all days. Some markets may not operate daily service. All fares require immediate purchase.

Visit AlaskaAir.com for more info. Fares include:

Pullman to Seattle $178 round-trip

Los Angeles to Manzanillo $426 round-trip, incl. all taxes

Bellingham to Honolulu $397 round-trip, incl. all taxes

Anchorage to Honolulu $516 round-trip, incl. all taxes