The value-too-long error was actually relating to the search query; a silly bug we've never noticed before.
Regarding fares - we're at the mercy of the agencies and airlines whose inventory we can access, and sometimes it will be the cheapest and sometimes it won't, but ultimately we're trying to establish connections with enough agencies/suppliers that wherever the cheapest fare happens to be, you can find it via our site. It's a big job, but we're getting there.
Ensure this value has at most 100 characters (it has 103).
My email is not very long... its 8 characters + @gmail.com
EDIT: I like to fly back to see my family in Los Angeles and I was finding across the board better prices at hipmunk.