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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Facebook Article in Time Magazine – A Must-Read

May 27, 2010 | Posted in: Educate Yourself, Facebook, Twitter | 2 comments

facebook time must read

I am sitting here on a plane without Wi-Fi (how gauche) reading an actual paper version of Time I picked up at the airport newsstand. The cover story is about Facebook, ostensibly about privacy issues if you are to believe the cover’s tag-line, but oh so much more – a must-read.

The cover caught my eye when I was picking up my normal 3 hour flight reading material at the newsstand, the Wall St. Journal and Financial Times.

The cover art appears to have 1,295 icons of Facebook (FB) profile pictures. These folks evidently were part of an “I Want to Be in TIME” FB group contest – not sure why exactly 1,295 icons (looks like they have room for more) but it appears that some have gotten their 3 nanoseconds of fame (one reason to update that profile pic. ;-)

I must admit I am a Twitter aficionado (having just attended the Chirp Developer conference recently) and have been dragging my feet on getting into Facebook whole hog (as well as LinkedIn) which I hope to correct over the next few months.

One reason for my FB reticence has been feeling bad about not accepting “friend” requests from random people – it makes me feel like I am dissing them (which isn’t the case).

Check out the rest of Facebook Article in Time Magazine – A Must-Read…

Facebook Article in Time Magazine – A Must-Read

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  ;-)

Southwest Hiring Freeze Remains but Airline Jobs Exist

April 15, 2010 | Posted in: Airlines, Educate Yourself, Southwest | 0 comments

southwest airline jobs

Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines says their hiring freeze will continue through 2010; they are trying to reduce employment through attrition, in an effort to “improve efficiency.”

The plan seems to be working very nicely, since Southwest was the only major airline to make a profit last year.

However, I notice that the newsletter for the Air Transport Association (ATA) always seems to have a fairly good listing of jobs in the airline industry – in every field from maintenance to law and financial planning – even “humanitarian response”. And these jobs are all over.

Just thought I’d pass that along.

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.

U.S. State Dept. Issues “Travel Warning” for Mexico

March 15, 2010 | Posted in: Educate Yourself, News, Politics, Travel Safety | 21 comments

u.s. state dept travel warning mexico

The U.S. government rightly points out that millions of U.S. citizens visit Mexico every year with absolutely no problems.

However – violence in the country has increased.

Over the weekend, 13 people were killed in and around the resort area of Acapulco – including five police officers – and as the Los Angeles Times reports, three people connected with the U.S. embassy in Ciudad Juarez were “killed in broad daylight near the city’s border with El Paso.”

The State Department has now issued a travel warning due to “security concerns” in Mexico:

“Some recent confrontations between Mexican authorities and drug cartel members have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades.  Large firefights have taken place in towns and cities across Mexico, but occur mostly in northern Mexico, including Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Nogales, Matamoros, Reynosa and Monterrey.” - U.S. State Dept. website, 3-14-10

Read more about this here – and for the kids I suggest the State’s Dept.’s publication, “Spring Break in Mexico – Know Before You Go”. For travel alerts on other countries and more, go to travel.state.gov.

Men and Women Travelers get Different Illnesses – How to Cope

February 26, 2010 | Posted in: Educate Yourself, Passengers, Tips and Tricks, doctors | 0 comments

travelers illnesses

I don’t usually peruse the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal (I was tipped off to this by the Daily News) – but I’m glad I read the latest issue as it has some interesting research – with the bottom line being:

Male and female travelers get sick in different ways.

Okay, maybe not earth-shattering news – but – it could help you prepare for a big trip by bringing along some preventative medications.

Here’s what you might need, according to the study:

Women: More likely to suffer stomach problems, colds and urinary tract infections 

  • Pack: Anti-diarrhea medications, cold and flu symptom relievers

Men: More likely to suffer from infections and diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks 

  • Pack: Insect repellent

Oh, and you guys out there? Dress warmly – you are much more likely to get frostbite.

See the complete study for more information.

Tips for Tired Travelers: Sleeping on Planes, in Hotels and More

February 25, 2010 | Posted in: Educate Yourself, Tips and Tricks, doctors | 4 comments

tips tired travelers sleep planes hotels

Did you know March 7 – 13 is National Sleep Awareness Week?

No, I didn’t either. But I do know traveling can be tiring – the hassles of security, the jet lag, and more.

So I’ve got some tips that may help – I haven’t tried them all, though; some are courtesy of the experts at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center and WebMD

Tips: Preventing Jet Lag

- Before traveling, try to move your sleep times and meals closer to your destination time zone

- On planes, noise-canceling headphones make sleeping easier

- If it’ll be morning when you arrive at your destination, try to sleep on the plane; if night, try to stay awake

- Once you arrive, if you must sleep, limit yourself to two hours

- Avoid social isolation – be around people

- Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol

Keep reading for tips on adjusting to new surroundings – plus a New York City hotel that wants you to get a very good rest…

Tips for Tired Travelers: Sleeping on Planes, in Hotels and More

Traveling to US? Comply with ESTA Security or be Denied Entry

February 19, 2010 | Posted in: Customer Service, ESTA, Educate Yourself, News, Passengers, Passport | 6 comments

travel US ESTA security

UPDATE: Information changes quickly, so before doing any traveling to the U.S., please see the “Crossing U.S. Borders” section on the Dept. of Homeland Security’s website – it has info for U.S. citizens and visitors alike.

Some tourism officials are worried that a lot of people could be denied travel to the U.S. because they haven’t signed on with ESTA – the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

Who it’s for: travelers visiting the U.S. from nations that don’t require a visa for entry to America.

What it does: screens travelers to eliminate potential security risks.

How it works: register online before departure providing name, address, passport information, etc. Approved applications valid for two years, then must be updated.

The problem: the ESTA program is now two years, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not start “enforcing” it until Jan. 20 – and then a grace period of 2 months was instituted, but that is about to expire. According to the Orlando Sentinel, an estimated 6% of visitors who should be registered with ESTA, are not.

The U.S. Travel Association says, that could mean a loss of one million visitors (and an estimated loss of $3.2 billion in business).

Don’t get denied entry – we’d miss you! Register with ESTA today. It’s free.

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