About Rick Seaney, CEO FareCompare

Rick Seaney

Rick Seaney, co-founder of FareCompare.com - is a world-class air travel expert.

FareCompare.com presides over a kingdom of sophisticated software that searches out fares and destinations at a billion combinations per query - while keeping track of 500 airlines serving more than 270,000 markets around the globe.

And all of Rick's data is updated continuously - in real-time.

No wonder he's the media's go-to guy for all things air travel. He's got the answers. And he loves to share his knowledge.

That's why Rick and the team created FareCompare.com - to help everyone become an air travel expert, and get the best deals first -- every time they fly.

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Gulf Oil Spill: Cheaper Airfare in Region – My Interview with Fox New’s Shepard Smith

May 28, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, News, Pricing Activity, TV News, Video | 2 comments

gulf oil spill cheaper airfare

Shepard Smith of Fox News introduced me as the CEO of FareCompare – he then helpfully explained that FareCompare.com is the ” place where we go to sort of look at what everything’s costing”.

Everything airfare, that is.

And as I told Shep in our live interview yesterday, we are definitely seeing airfare prices trending downward to the New Orleans area – recently, airline ticket prices were down about 20%, whereas they are up about 20% everywhere else (compared to last year’s historic lows).

Shepard Smith says he’s hearing from people in Destin and Panama Beach who depend on tourism, saying “We’re hurting”. I believe it, and depending on the fluid situation with that gulf oil spill, we could see more discounting on the way.

 Look here for the interview  or just click on the picture above (it’s not very long).

Change in My Personal Blog’s Focus

May 27, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, Did You Know, Educate Yourself, Geek Data | 4 comments

personal blog focus

I am not sure exactly sure how air travel got into my DNA, but certainly it is a strand that is hard to shake (presuming one wants to shake it, which is not the case for me).

I started this blog in July 2007 on a lark after reading a book on the joys and pitfalls of blogging in the corporate environment that everyone should take a gander at, called “Naked Conversations”.

After years of doing just about everything one can do in what some call information technology, from designing data centers to writing firmware for hardware devices along with reams of code in several languages for hundreds of projects (if that is not a run-on sentence, I don’t know what is)

I have found in the past few years a passion for writing (regardless of my terrible grammar and spelling), especially about the intricacies of air travel and airline ticket pricing, in which I have invested almost a decade now in study and research.

Now that I am writing more (my choice), it is time to get a bit of organization.

I have recently been placing my consumer focused analysis, tips and newsy musings on the FareCompare site where they belong – a place where those that want to save a buck on air travel can read and ruminate on the ever more complex process of scoring a cheap flight (I learn something from someone online every day).

I also will have a variety of syndicated content like my weekly ABCNews.com column.

For now, however, I am going to focus my personal blog (the one you’re now reading) on what some might call air travel geek stuff – a lab, if you will, which I have been wanting to do for a long time.

I intend to change the editorial direction on this blog, to muse about:

  • Algorithms and tools we are working on at FareCompare (feedback is most welcome)
  • Wonky in-depth research related to our huge historical database of worldwide airfare pricing information (with a goal of productizing the ideas on our site)
  • My analysis of Hitwise sentiment and competitive intelligence information
  • Evangelizing Social Media and how it is going to change the way we shop for travel in the future  (and how it could collapse under the weight of privacy issues)
  • Opening up the curtains on FareCompare.com and why we are so different in a world of commodity airline price quotes

I hope you will continue to follow both tracks of musings (over at FareCompare (my author page) and here) and provide me the invaluable feedback needed to have a more lively and active two-way conversation.

Let’s get started  ;-)

Cheap Flights 101: The More You Know, the Better the Deals

May 17, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, Deals, Forecast, Pricing Activity | 3 comments

cheap flights deals

I can hear you now…

“Why do I need to ‘understand’ airfare, Rick? Why don’t you just tell me when to buy?” But it’s not that simple (nothing about airfare is simple).

Believe me when I say, I would if I could – but like you, I have no crystal ball that determines exactly when to buy airfare to get the best deal. Unlike you, though, I have spent years studying airfare (it’s more interesting than you’d think), so there are things I can tell you.

Like the “hurdles” the airlines set up for you – and how to make all those leaps successfully.

Please check out my “Understanding Airline Ticket Prices: Why Your Seatmate’s Airfare Cost More (or Less) than Yours” – it’s full of news you really can use.

For Cheapest Vacation Flights, Don’t Fly on Weekends

April 15, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, Cheap Airfare Sales, Educate Yourself, Tips and Tricks | 0 comments

cheap vacation flights weekends

This is becoming a standard restriction for new airfare sales – the cheap flights advertised are available only during certain weekdays or on Saturdays. And this is true just about any time you purchase airfare.

The cheapest days to fly are usually Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and sometimes Thursday.

And here are some examples of current sales that bear this out: 

The reason? Airlines know that everyone wants to stretch out their vacation time by flying weekend to weekend – and they make you pay for that convenience.

Generally, the worst days to fly are Friday and/or Sunday (as my editor found out to her sorrow). Here’s a tip: if you must fly one of those days, try to make the other date a Tuesday or Wednesday, and you’ll at least net some savings.

Airline Agent Charged with Fraud – Allegedly Sold Fake Tickets

April 1, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, Airport, Continental, Customer Service, News | 2 comments

airline agent fraud tickets

A woman who worked in Continental’s Newark hub has been charged with stealing vouchers that the airline gives to passengers who’ve been bumped from overbooked flights, for example.

Prosecutors say she then sold them to unsuspecting people for $500 to $600 each as plane tickets “good for anywhere in the world”. If convicted, she could face 20 years.

Here’s what I don’t get: according to Consumerist, Continental twigged to this alleged scheme last fall – so presumably the crime in question occurred in the fall and perhaps summer. But – flights were pretty darn cheap back then – would you have paid $600 for a ticket then – and from a “private party” no less?

Loved the comment from the FBI agent on the case – tell me if this doesn’t sound like Joe Friday from the old “Dragnet” TV show: “Would-be swindlers keep devising new ways to attempt to defraud. But they all make the same age-old mistake: they don’t think we’ll catch them.”

Top 5 Tips to Get the Cheapest Airfare this Spring and Summer

March 24, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, Airline Fees, Bags, Deals, List, Tips and Tricks | 3 comments

top five tips cheapest airfare spring summer

The coming vacation season is not like last year. So, I’ve been thinking about how you can get the cheapest possible airfare for any trips you’ll be taking this spring or summer.

Of course, you’ll want to start at FareCompare.com. But there are other things to keep in mind, too – including when to shop, and when to travel. So take a look at these tips – and have a wonderful (and cheap) trip.

Top 5 Tips to Get the Cheapest Airfare this Spring and Summer

1.  Don’t procrastinate: Last year, procrastinators were rewarded with last minute discounts; not this year. Begin shopping a few months before you plan to travel, and make your purchase no later than a month before you go.

2. Shop for airfare on Tuesdays through Thursdays: The airline sales are short-lived – they typically last 3-days or less – and tend to debut on Tuesdays (or sometimes late Monday).

3. Travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays: These are typically the cheapest days to travel, and some airfare sales specify travel on these days; if you can only put half your trip on one of these days, do so and you’ll at least get half the benefit.

4. Opt for connecting flights: Sure, non-stops are more convenient, but sometimes connecting flights are half the cost.

5. Pack light: Use a carryon to avoid bag fees that can be as much as 30% of your total ticket price; it’s an easy way to save.

Spirit Airlines Resumes Haiti Flights, in Spirit of “Liberation”

March 4, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, Airport, American, Delta, News, Spirit | 0 comments

spirit airlines haiti

Good news for the people of Haiti: Spirit Airlines has resumed flights to Port-au-Prince – and as CEO Ben Baldanza put it, the carrier is ”thrilled to once again liberate Haiti from high fares.”

Somehow, I’m not sure that cheap flights are at the top of most Haitians’ “to-do” lists just now, but whatever.

In fairness to Spirit, they did dedicate staff and aircraft to relief efforts in the wake of the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. And, they want everyone to know their cheap flights between Ft. Lauderdale and the Haitian capital have resumed.

Of course, American Airlines got the jump on them – the legacy carrier resumed its flights two weeks ago. And, I’ve just heard from a Delta Air Lines spokesman about their plans for resuming flights, who said, “We hope to be able to announce a date shortly.”

Will Closure of JFK Runway Mean Higher Ticket Prices?

March 2, 2010 | Posted in: Airfares, Airport, New York, Pricing Activity | 0 comments

jfk runway ticket prices

The AP seemed unequivocal on this point – that the 4-month long shutdown of JFK’s main runway for improvements (it closed yesterday), is going to cost you:

“Passengers using JFK also face another headache — higher ticket prices.” – AP, March 1, 2010

Is it true? Not necessarily.

Look, competition in the New York area is heavy, which is always good for keeping ticket prices in check, although we are seeing ticket prices in general firming up after hitting bottom last summer.

But what this shutdown really means is fewer take-offs and landings will be able to take place, and accordingly airlines have pared their schedules by about 10%. Okay, so there are fewer seats, and we all know what that means.

So, yes, I could see ticket prices going higher on JetBlue, Delta and to some degree American – at peak travel times.

What to do? Avoid flights during prime departure and landing times. You tend to get cheaper flights when people typically don’t want to fly, such as:

  • Dawn or first flight out
  • Lunch and dinner time flights
  • Overnights (redeyes)

Keep those flight times in mind no matter where you fly in and out of, and chances are, you’ll save.

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