FareCompare, a popular airfare comparison shopping site, has partnered with ITA Software, a proven B2B technology partner for airline suppliers and travel intermediaries, to enhance its robust airfare search and to improve online airfare shopping for consumers. This partnership will enhance FareCompare’s recently re-launched website, providing improved accessibility for online shoppers. Shoppers looking for the best deals on flights can quickly and easily shop more than 500 airlines, including Southwest Airlines at FareCompare.

FareCompare will rollout several new, cutting-edge tools, and enhance existing ones, in partnership with ITA.

“We’re delighted that FareCompare selected ITA to optimize their airfare shopping experience for their online shoppers,” said Gianni Marostica, Chief Commercial Officer, ITA Software.

FareCompare processes raw airfare information directly from the airline ticket price clearinghouse ATPCO. FareCompare mines the information for deals while ITA provides the low airfare shopping needed to quickly pinpoint the dates available for those seats – saving passengers both time and money.

“The Internet user, in this high-tech, high-touch Facebook era, has high expectations for every online shopping experience,” says FareCompare CEO, Rick Seaney. “The savvy Internet bargain hunter has unwillingly become the travel agent of the extended family and shopping tools just haven’t kept up. The combination of technologies from FareCompare.com and ITA jumpstarts a new generation of airfare shopping tools that will absolutely save consumers time and money when shopping for air travel.”

About FareCompare

FareCompare is an independent airfare travel shopping site with tools to help consumers find the best deals first. Providing data and analysis on airline industry trends, fees, regulations, fuel surcharges and more, FareCompare is committed to the education of the air traveling public – so they will make the best airfare purchasing decisions, every time they choose to fly. To get year-by-year graphs, video and other holiday travel news assets, visit www.FareCompare.com/holiday08.

About ITA Software

ITA Software (www.itasoftware.com) is a leader in developing innovative solutions for the travel industry. ITA’s QPX, the industry’s most comprehensive airfare shopping system, is used by leading airlines and online travel companies worldwide including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Cleartrip, Continental Airlines, Farecast, Hotwire, Kayak, Orbitz, TAP Portugal Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and others. ITA is currently building a radically new passenger reservation system with launch partner Air Canada. In 2008, the company was ranked as an Inc. 5000 fastest growing private company. ITA was founded by computer scientists from MIT and is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.