Did your airfare drop since purchase? Get a refund for the difference

January 14, 10:34 AMNY Budget Travel ExaminerSusan Finch

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Today, MSN.com posted the best of 2008 travel websites and I was surprised to see one on the list I didn't know about. Yapta.com will monitor a fare you booked directly through an airline website. If the price drops, you'll be alerted and instructed on how to get a refund or credit from the airline for the difference.

This is a huge discovery, as it makes scrambling to cross-compare sites like Orbitz and Expedia completely unnecessary. Not to mention many airlines post low fares that can't be found anywhere else. But how much can it really save? Yapta claims its average member savings is $227.00. Of course, this is probably the savings across the board in terms of tracking flights, knowing when to buy, and refunds.

Regardless, that's more than a few bucks for a coffee. That's real money for another plane ticket, two nights in an inexpensive hotel, or a few days worth of eating out on vacation. And right now , it may be enough for an all-inclusive vacation to Mexico. Recently, bookings have dropped to as little as $69 per person, per night.

I'm going to try Yapta on my next trip and see just how well it works. But it's going to be difficult to hold myself back from scouring the Internet for the lowest rates. I'm use to being the one fighting for my right to cheap airfare.

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