Power pundit Michael Arrington said Yapta, a Seattle travel-deal service launching next month, "will be awesome for heavy travelers":

"I don't know what it is about Seattle and travel startups, but newcomer Yapta now joins Farecast and TripHub, two other startups we've been tracking from that cold, rainy place."

Expedia's the most obvious influence, but Seattle's been spawning innovative travel companies for a while now.

Yapta's passel of founders include Chairman Brett Allsop, who started sports retailer Fogdog in the late 1990s, former Microsoft program manager Amy Terrell, and Chief Executive Tom Romary, who has been a marketing executive at Fogdog, RealNetworks and Alaska Airlines. They're working out of Pioneer Square and Bellingham, with $750,000 in seed capital.

Arrington said it will offer a bookmarking tool for compiling and comparing flights and travel options. Buyers that purchase via Yapta may also be notified if the price falls, with a suggestion that they seek a refund or a coupon.

Glad to have TechCrunch reminding his California pals how terrible the weather is up here in the freezing northern territories.