Yapta adds international carriers - could you be saving money on an overseas flight?

Just in time for summer, Yapta has added nine international carriers to the list of airlines it tracks for travelers. That brings the total to 35 airlines (domestic and international) that Yapta will track for you.  The free service lets users know if the price of a flight is dropping and if you are eligible for a rebate or credit. What’s exciting about adding more international flights is that those are the flights that usually cost the most so, hopefully, your chances of getting money back have increased as well.

“Most U.S.-based airlines that offer international service will give you a travel credit if the price of your flight drops in excess of their rebooking fee — which is typically $250 on international flights,” said Yapta.com Chief Executive Tom Romary. “The rebooking fee may seem like a big hurdle to clear, but it does happen — and we’ve helped travelers capture that savings in the form of a travel credit that’s good toward a future flight.”

Does it work? Yes. One recent traveler used Yapta to get two $278 vouchers from US Airways on tickets she had bought for travel to Spain.

Two ways to save: If you are flying on a domestic airline (even if flying overseas) Yapta will not only let you know if the price has dropped, but also whether you are eligible for a credit after you booked your ticket. This is a free service, but you will have to call the airline yourself to get the rebate. If you’d like Yapta to help you obtain the credit, there is a fee of $15. Note that most international flights have a $250 rebooking fee.

For the international carriers, the best way to take advantage is to track the flights with Yapta before you buy your ticket. Plan in advance and use them to let you know if the prices are going down. The international carriers do not offer credits after you’ve bought your ticket.

Here is the full list of international airlines that Yapta tracks:
Aeromexico
Air Canada
Air France
Air India
Air Jamaica
Air New Zealand
All Nippon Airways
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
China Airlines
El Al Airlines
Emirates
Japan Airlines
KLM
Korean Air
Lufthansa
Qantas Airways
SAS
Singapore Airlines
Virgin Atlantic

Have you saved money on Yapta? Tell us about it.

– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 11:14 am by Jen Leo and is filed under Airline travel, Deals, Global, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.