Find airfares when they hit rock-bottom

I’ve been testing Yapta.com, a new site that does more than track airfares between cities. It actually tracks fares for specific flights.

What’s hot: If you check to see whether the fare has gone down after you buy a ticket — or before you buy — this site does some of the work for you. (You download software.) I tagged an American flight from L.A. to Boston in July and got an e-mail saying the fare had dropped $35 since I bought a ticket from Travelocity.

What’s not: The airlines are limited to eight. (United is not among them.) You have to call the airline to try to get the lower fare and the difference may not be worth the extra work and the possible change fees. Refunds from third-party transactions (through Expedia, Travelocity or other such sites) may not be possible. I’m still working through Travelocity to get a refund. I’d love to know your results, so e-mail me.