Farecast launches price-protection service

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

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Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

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Airfare prediction site Farecast.com has launched a new price-guarantee service that allows travelers to “protect the lowest airfare for their trip” without having to buy a ticket. Or, to put it more plainly, to “reserve” a price you like while you continue your search, never having to worry about the price going up.

Farecast works by predicting a given route’s price trajectory, e.g. if a price is going to go up, down, or stay the same. The new service, called Fare Guard, take it a step further by essentially guaranteeing the accuracy of the price prediction.

There is, of course, a catch. In order to “protect” your price, you need to fork over some money. The introductory cost is $3 to protect a price for up to a week. Beginning February 1, the cost to protect your price goes up to $9.95. If the price of the flight goes up while you’re still protected by Fare Guard, you’ll receive a check in the mail for the difference.

My evaluation: good idea, but I’m not completely sold just yet. Maybe I’m the gambling type, but I prefer to take my chances and book as soon as I find a price I like. Paying extra to protect that price while I keep shopping around? Not for me.

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