Yes, you can often find lower prices for Fall after the season. Mid October is a great inexpensive time to go. Nice price!
You are right! I should have said "taxes and FEES" - for instance, here is a ticket from LAX to AMS:
$683 + $517 taxes & fees = $1,200 USD per person
The "taxes and fees" are nearly the price of the ticket.
Here's a breakdown of the Government taxes and fees from Orbitz' website:
Flight Cost Summary: On the Flight Cost Summary page, and all subsequent pages leading to a booking, all taxes, charges (including fuel surcharges), service fees, and government and airport authority fees are either included in the fare or itemized separately to provide a total trip cost.
Government and other authority taxes and fees:
September 11 Security Fee: A September 11 Security Fee of $2.50 USD applies per flight segment (maximum charge per trip--$5.00 USD one-way, $10.00 USD round-trip). A flight segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing.
Passenger Facility Charges: Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) of up to $18.00 USD may apply, depending upon the itinerary chosen.
Federal Excise Tax: A 7.5% domestic tax is applied to the airline base fare. The tax may be pro-rated for flights to/from the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Alaska and Hawaii, and some international destinations. A Travel Facilities Tax of $8.20 USD per direction also applies to flights to/from Alaska and Hawaii and the 48 contiguous U.S. states or between Alaska and Hawaii.
Federal Domestic Flight Segment Fee: A federal domestic flight segment fee of $3.70 USD applies per flight segment. A flight segment is defined as one takeoff and one landing.
U.S. or International Departure and Arrival Charges: U.S. or international departure and arrival charges of up to $250.00 USD may apply, depending upon the itinerary chosen.