Powered by Kayak , the travel meta-search engine that assembles information on flights, hotels, and car rentals from several other travel sites, Yapta, like Kayak, allows the user to search hundreds of flights from different companies and compare the airfares. Yapta goes one further than Kayak though, and will monitor the ever-changing prices of a flight or hotel accommodation that is "bookmarked" by a user, and will then notify them through email if and when the price drops.
Registering an account is free and easy, and the site has been field tested by Your's Truly. One of the flights I had bookmarked for London in the beginning of September on United Airlines had fallen as low as $670.30, round trip with taxes and fees included! However, just like Southwest, when you see a fare that fits your budget, it may be worth booking right then. Yapta will notify you once a fare decreases but it won't send a notification if a fare is about to increase.
A quick search today suggests that airfares are sitting on the higher side right now, but who knows what tomorrow will bring for the highly volatile fares?
Some other things to keep in mind:
- The earlier you start searching and booking the better. Many suggest 90-60 days ahead of time, but since Yapta will watch your fare prices for you, is doesn't hurt to start searching earlier than that.
- Departing during the middle of the week can sometimes make a significant difference in your fare, but other times the savings are negligible. Search a few different dates or take a look at the fare chart to search for the best rate.
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