Then the site's computers scan away on my behalf, informing me regularly of their findings. It's like getting a fax from your travel agent every time a low price pops up for the vacation she just knows you've been saving for. The problem with fare mail is that you rarely if ever actually wind up with the prices listed. But I've never been able to match the prices they've offered. But e-mailing exact prices would be difficult, since prices are constantly changing.
Fare mail is an excellent way to get a general feel for what prices are out there.
But if you're serious about getting a ticket, and want a good deal, live fare finders, which list the lowest fares available at the exact time you're searching, are your best bet. All the major online agents offer one of these. In addition, ITN has a unique feature that enables you to search for low prices all day with its Java low-fare ticker. After they've left the site, they can still monitor the fares as they change throughout the day. And if they see a fare they like to that destination, they can click on it and actually book it.