To Buy Or Not To Buy?

By Coco Masters

That is the question that vexes travelers seeking air tickets--buy, or wait in hope of a price drop? Thanks to computer scientist Oren Etzioni, an answer may be 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 by 2007.