Word: farecast
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Dates: during 2006-2006
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...Farecast.com uses fearsome computer power to predict the direction of plane fares. That helps travelers figure out the optimum time to buy a ticket. It was founded by Oren Etzioni, who created the Web's first meta-search site (it scans multiple search engines) and first shopping-comparison tool. Farecast uses an algorithm to crunch 100 billion prices in its database, then evaluates 200 attributes that affect plane fares. From those trillions of combinations, it figures out whether you should buy a ticket now or wait for prices to drop...
...Will Farecast soon land in the lap of Expedia or Travelocity? Etzioni and CEO Hugh Crean insist that they are building an independent company that can earn profits on ads (for hotel rooms, for instance) and by taking a cut of tickets bought through links on the site. But Etzioni admits the chances Farecast will end up in the hands of a Web giant within five years or so are about 50-50. CNBC pundit Jim Cramer scoffs at start-ups like Farecast as sizzle without substance. "It's like, so what? I could do that company," he says. Among...
Just down the street from Farecast's Seattle offices, Zillow.com has generated growing buzz since it debuted last February. It offers free, instant valuations of 67 million U.S. homes. The site says most of its "Zestimates" are within 10% of the eventual selling price. Of the site's 3 million-- plus monthly visitors, more than half are repeat customers, and 54% plan to buy or sell a home within two years...
...FARE MARKET Farecast This brand-new "airfare predication engine" calculates whether the lowest price on plane tickets - currently, only for trips out of Seattle or Boston - will rise or fall over the next week, to help you decide the right time to buy. (All major U.S. markets will be covered by the end of the year, according to a site spokesperson.) Choose from 120 destinations, and you'll get a fare history chart, price prediction and bottom-line tip (e.g., "Wait"). The site aggregates piles of airfare data to track price fluctuations and deliver its advice; it also reveals differences...
...just a few mouse clicks away. Etzioni's site Farecast.com original name was, of course, Hamlet--provides the lowest fare on a route, a 90-day price history and, using a novel predictive algorithm, a tip to "buy now" or "wait," along with a figure indicating how confident Farecast is in its advice. (Flyers buy directly from the airlines.) Boston and Seattle are currently the only searchable points of origin at Farecast, which launched just last month, but CEO Hugh Crean says the site will soon add New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, before going nationwide...