A NW agent told me that these "holds" (24 hr.) do not reserve the price...only the seat. Delta on the other hand, lets you reserve a seat and price for 24 hours before paying. Anyway, back to the original topic: These minute-by-minute price flucuations are interesting. Just after I wrote the original message (which said that the price went up to over $2000), it again went back down and is now staying there--at $800 from Wash. DC to Bangkok RT, returning before dec. 25...at least for one pair of days that i've been looking at.