Many thanks to Laurie McAndish King and her Travel Writers’ News for this information about Yapta, a website for tracking airline and hotel prices. Their spiel is:
Yapta is intended to help you get a handle on fluctuating travel prices so that you know when to “buy low.” Yapta conducts daily price checks on the specific flights and hotels that you choose, and alerts you when prices drop or when they fall within your budget. Yapta also alerts you when you can use your frequent flier miles to book award seats on the flights of your choice.
Already booked an airline ticket? Yapta can still help you save. Most U.S. airlines have “guaranteed airfare” policies that enable you to claim a travel credit if the price of your flight drops after booking it. Not many people know that the policy even exists — nor do they bother to check the price of their flight after purchasing it. Yapta will track the price of the flights you’ve already booked and — if the price drops below what you paid — it will alert you when you’re eligible for a refund or travel credit from the airline.