Tips for Holiday Travel

Traveling over the holidays can be notoriously busy, expensive and stressful, but the news isn't all bad. There are still deals to be found, provided you shop carefully and plan ahead.

• Gas up the night before you travel; no one leaves enough time for buying gas on the way to the airport.
• Investigate your frequent flier options to get better (and better guaranteed) seats.
• Bring diversions. Take along work, books, magazines, a CD player, some healthy snacks -- whatever you need to get through delays. This goes double when traveling with kids.
• Keep your cool. Airline employees have considerable power over your well-being. Unfortunately many enjoy wielding it against you, and few respond well to anger.
• Have phone numbers for everything: your hotel, your car rental agency, your airline, friends at your destination. Directory assistance is expensive, whether from your cell, from a phone booth or from home.
• Check flight status repeatedly. Know your airline's 800 number as well as your flight numbers and exact times.
• When traveling on an E-ticket, carry a printout of your itinerary from your airline or booking site.
• Choose nonstop flights. The worst, most brutal delays occur in connecting airports, where you have no home, friends or family to retreat to.
• With airlines continuing to cut back on service, it's more important than ever to confirm your flight several days before you leave -- that way you'll have a little leeway to make alternate plans if necessary.
• If you know you'll need long-term airport parking while you're away, be sure to reserve yourself a spot ahead of time at an off-airport lot so you're guaranteed a space.
• Don't overpack even checked luggage; overstuffed bags that must be opened for a security check are much harder to repack.
• Do not wrap gifts, especially if you intend to carry them on the plane. Even in checked baggage, there is a strong chance they will be unwrapped for inspection by security personnel. Consider gift bags instead of wrapping paper this holiday season -- you can easily remove the items from their bags if required and you don't have to do a last-minute wrapping job at your destination.
• Give your cell phone a full charge, and write down or program the phone number of your airline so you can call easily as your flight time approaches.
• If you're leaving pets at home and you haven't made kennel reservations, do so right away.