I initially wrote this up for the LMA list, but after rereading my email I figured it would be a good post. And it has Bellingham Washington in it, which is good.
There is a new free service that will be of interest to those who travel a lot. It is called Yapta and it tracks price changes in flights and then alerts you to price drops so you can obtain refunds or traffic coupons on the difference in price. Yapta just opened up their beta to new users. The url is http://yapta.com.
Slightly reworded cut down version of the Yapta press release to describe the service…
Yapta.com allows users to track specific flights from online itineraries offered at leading domestic airline websites (eg American Airlines, Delta…) or online travel agents (eg Orbitz, Expedia…), and have pricing continually monitored thereafter. Yapta thus assures that users get alerted to the lowest possible price for airline tickets. Bringing to light pro-consumer “guaranteed airfare rules” offered by many airlines, the service helps air travelers obtain travel vouchers — and in some cases, cash refunds — when the price decreases on tickets that have already been purchased.
In December 2006, Yapta initiated a private-beta test of the service, allowing select consumers to tag flights, receive alerts on airfare price drops, and capture refunds and travel vouchers. In just three months, Yapta alerted its 275 test users to approximately $30,000 in eligible savings and refunds, for an average net benefit of $109 per traveler.
If you or some in your firm travel a lot (eg bizdev or lawyers :), it is a good service to check out. You use it by either entering in your flight plans or tagging flights on Orbitz, Expedia or other services. (just like using del.icio.us or Google Bookmarks).
Yapta is not another airline search service, it is really best used to track decreases in prices of tickets you have already bought (or to track price changes in flights you are considering taking if the price falls). Again, the beta is now open and the url is http://yapta.com
Here are some additional resources:
- Yapta.com
- Yapta Press Release
- TechCrunch Review
- Wall Street Journal Article
I am sure the Yapta service will lead to a lot of cost savings by making the airline pricing more transparent.
Peace,
Tim