Did you know? Predicting airplane fares is a cool $750-million business!

Trying to predict the price of plane tickets has become something of a parlor game for companies looking to stand out in the online travel business. Microsoft Corp gave it a shot with Bing Travel before abandoning the feature several years ago. Kayak offers its own buying advice tool, with a warning that draws comparisons to the reliability of a weather forecast.
 
Today’s emerging contestant in airfare prognostication is Hopper. The travel-booking startup said its predictions are 95 per cent accurate. Travelers — and investors — are buying in. A new investment values the business at about $750 million,