It used to be that free frequent flyer tickets were really free. But not anymore. Not only are airlines increasing the number of miles required, but they’re constantly adding new fees for issuing tickets, changing them, not using them, requesting them on short notice, and flying confirmed same day stand by.

As usual, the airline with the fewest fees in this regard is Southwest. Continental and Northwest are better than most, and, as the chart below shows, Delta among the worst.

In addition to the fees listed here, you can expect to pay taxes, passenger facility charges, and the September 11 security fee, along with other government imposed surcharges. And if you’re flying internationally with a child age 2 or under, even if it’s sitting in your lap, you may be hit with a charge of 10% of your fare plus even fuel surcharges, and that’s even if you’re traveling on a “free” ticket (on a business class ticket to Australia, that might make you think twice about flying “free”).

Fees listed were accurate at time of posting but can change at any moment, and probably will. Please comment if you believe that you’ve found a change or inaccuracy (or just to vent) and we’ll check it out.

Keep in mind, too, that depending on your frequent flyer membership level, some of these fees may not apply to you, or they may be lower than shown. Updated Dec. 10 2008.

Have you noticed that padding on airline seats is getting thinner? Back in the days of the Lockheed Constellation and the DC-6, seats used to be less punishing — they were more like La-Z-Boys. But don’t expect to find cushy swivel chairs on your next economy-class flight. Today, in order to save fuel and squeeze in more passengers, the padding has been minimized — and, as we all know, the rows of seats have been placed closer together. And seats may get even thinner.

Now, more than ever, upgrading can be a trip-saver. Here are eight ways to help make your next flight more comfortable:

1. Buy a seat with extra legroom. JetBlue, Delta, United and other airlines will sell you a few extra inches of legroom at the front of the economy cabin or at exit rows for a reasonable upgrade fee. We think this is money well spent. JetBlue charges as little as $10 extra for seats with 38 inches between rows, and has more leg room (34 inches between rows, rather than the 31-32 inches typical on some airlines) even if you don’t pay more.

2. Buy a cheap business class seat on a discounter. Airtran and Spirit sell roomier business class seats for far less than most other airlines. Airtran will let you upgrade to business from any fare at the airport on a first-come, first served basis for $49-$99 per flight segment (that’s one take off and one landing), or from higher economy fares in advance; Spirit calls their business class “the Big Front Seat” and fares are often less than other airlines’ economy fares, especially if you’re a member of their $9 Fare Club. Midwest Airlines’ Boeing 717’s have 40 extra-wide “Signature Seats” in a two-by-two configuration at the front of the plane, yours if you pay an extra $25-$75 each way. Well worth it, in our opinion. And often, they’ll put you in these seats for free if the flight is full and that’s all that’s left.

3. Look for Y-UP and Q-UP fares. These economy class fares, for domestic travel only, can be upgraded for free to business or first class, but they’re not dirt cheap, aren’t fully refundable and come with other restrictions. Buy them online (e.g., search for “all types” of business class fares on Travelocity), by phone from your airline, or through travel agents.

4. Choose planes with more legroom. Not all aircraft are created equal. Check out the “seat pitch” data at Seatguru.com and book on an aircraft on which seat rows are spaced further apart. Doing so can earn you as much as two inches of extra legroom.

5. Buy international business and first class from consolidators. Ticket sellers such as 1stair.net and planetamex.com sell premium cabin fares at considerable discounts.

6. Look for last minute upgrades at the airport. Next time you check in for a flight, you may be surprised to see an offer to upgrade to business or first class for surprisingly little (if you don’t, ask the check in agent). As companies restrict employees from flying up front, airlines are desperate to earn extra revenue for seats that would otherwise go empty. We’ve heard of people snagging first class for as little as $150 extra. Watch out though, we’ve heard stories of airlines refusing to assign seats and then trying to upsell passengers to their premium seating. If regular economy is sold out and you have a ticket, the airline needs to either put you in premium seating for free, or pay you “denied boarding” compensation in cash.

7. Use miles to upgrade. This is one of the highest-value ways you can spend your miles. Upgrading a $400 fare on United from New York to LA to a $2000 business class fare for 30,000 miles is a better deal than spending those miles on a $400 fare. Unfortunately, many airlines now charge miles plus cash to upgrade or will soon (United will begin charging between $50 and $500 plus miles to upgrade starting next January; see chart.

8. Be loyal. Upper-tier frequent flyer program members get free upgrades, priority access to exit row seating at no charge, and other perks on many airlines, so stick with one airline, fly frequently, and attain “premier” status.

Brought to you by http://www.travelbydavid.com your one stop shop for all your travel needs

• Did you know that traveling on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday will save you money on air travel? It’s true.
• How about that connecting flights are often cheaper than non-stops? If you are a seasoned traveler you know that airlines raise fares for travel during peak holiday periods and for last minute travel.
• Have you noticed the check other airports option on most travel search engines? Sometimes you can find better fares from airports that are a short drive from your nearest airport.

TravelByDavid.com has gathered these tips plus some additional advice that will save you money next time you’re shopping for the best airfare out there.

Try a flexible fare search

If you’re at all flexible, travel in someone else’s suitcase. Seriously, if your travel plans are flexible you can sometimes save hundreds by adjusting your travel dates. TravelByDavid will search most domestic fares and many international ones to find you the best deal available. See this article for the low down on flexible date searches with some handy step-by-step instructions.

Sign up for the airlines’ email feeds and frequent flyer programs

Yes, we know, you already get too much email, but the airlines want to develop a one-on-one relationship with you, so they’ll send you special deals, such as 50% off promo codes or two-fers, if you sign up. Airline sites sell much more than airfares these days (hotels, rental cars, credit cards and such), and they will entice you to deal direct rather than use a third party site such as Orbitz.

Check fares often

Because airfares fluctuate like the stock market, you need to check them every day, or better still several times a day, if you’re serious about saving money. Airlines can update domestic fares three times a day during the week, and once on Saturday and Sunday (international fares tend not to change as often, but can be updated up to 5 times daily). Also, even if the fare itself hasn’t changed, seat availability at the lowest fares can change, so there might be just one seat available at 10 a.m., but the airline will open up more cheap seats later in the day.

Tips For Your Hotel Stay -Brought to you by www.TravelByDavid.com

Going on a vacation, or a business trip? Then you are most likely going to stay at a Hotel or a Motel. Here are a few simple tips to make your stay more enjoyable!

• Make sure to make your reservation in advance, especially if you are travelling in peak season
• Do not depend solely on the hotel’s alarm/wake up service. Carry your own travel alarm clock to catch an early morning flight or that pre-dawn sightseeing trip.
• When you check in, ask registration for a business card with the Hotel’s name, address and telephone number. This may come in handy if you get lost or need it for reference.
• To save room and weight in your suitcase, check with the hotle prior to travel to see what ammenities they might have, not having to carry a hair dryer, iron, or coffee maker can save on luggage costs.

This useful information has been brought to you by www.TravelByDavid.com. www.TravelByDavid.com is the best source for all your travel needs. Utilizing all the major travel engines into one search allows www.TravelByDavid.com to find and located the best travel deal available. Give it a try today.

This was Tips For Your Hotel Stay.

I need to book a vacation package to Hawaii. Does anyone know of the best or cheapest websites for discount travel, except for Travelocity, Orbitz, and Expedia. Please let me know from your experience which is best, even if it is among the 3 that I just mentioned. But I’m really looking for one of those sites or companies that people rarely know about (if it exists). Thanks!

The great thing about the Travel By David Travel Website is it combines the power of most major travel sites in one place to bring you the best deal around.

I’m trying to plan a cruise vacation with my boyfriend for march 2009 and we want to try to get the best deal we can. I heard going about a travel agent is cheaper in the long run, is it true? how do they even help you? I just don’t want to have to pay a lot for one…

Has anyone ever had the chance to be an exchange student, from a 2 or 4 year college in S. California to travel to another country? How did you get picked to do this? Was it expensive? Did you get a scholarship?

Of course; just about every college has study abroad opportunities these days, including community colleges. You apply to go, and it is usually a matter of fist come, first served, if you meet the GPA requirements.

The cost of study abroad can vary, depending upon what is included and whose program you are in. Syracuse University, for example, has very expensive programs, but many believe them to be among the best in the country. Others are lower in cost, but may not include much so that it ends up costing you more in the long run. I know that some schools will tell you that the cost is no higher, other than airfare, than going to school in the U.S. The thing to keep in mind is that there is an opportunity cost, because you can't usually hold a paid job while you are abroad, as you might in the U.S.

If you do study abroad while you are enrolled in school, your normal financial aid package will apply. If you normally get a scholarship, you can use it for study abroad. There are a few scholarships available at some schools for such programs (at my last school, which was in SoCal, we had scholarships to allow Honors students study abroad), but the only school I know of with a lot of support especially for students studying abroad is the University of Denver, which got an endowment to pay the difference between normal costs and study abroad for any student who couldn't otherwise afford it.

Having said all of that, I want to encourage you to take any opportunity you can to study abroad. Don't just go to a conventional place. This is probably the only time in your life you will have to spend 4 months in another culture and to really understand what it is to live in another part of the world. It is a great thing, and I highly recommend it.

I would like to know if it is possible to get cheaper air tickets by buying from another country or are there any travel agencies on the internet that can sell cheaper air tickets from Australia to other countries around the world?

Typically travel agencies (both physical and online) do not have access to the 'special' airfares if they are outside the country of origin. That is to say: I am in Canada, I do not have access to the same kind of fares that a travel agent in Australia has. The only exception to this would be the airlines, as they can sell whatever they want, at whatever price they want, wherever they want.

You may be able to find a deal though by going through an internet site that is outside Australia if the exchange rate is very favourable. I'll be honest though…it is unlikely

What makes you "click" – Travel – Asia Pacific – China?
Dear Tai,

I got a chance to click your blog because of YA, it is nice to share what you know about and what you like to share with to people from different parts of the world. I still I would like to share different opinions with people, instead of hatred.

Let's do what we like to do here and ignore them. Cheers!
cincin,

No worry, the trolls do not know who we are once we log off YA!

And, who we are when we log on YA!?… hahahaha! Why do we care?Cheers!

I do,one reason to do so is to check on my "silent" admirers who give my answers the thumbs down !!I adore them .

I am going to the Arctic Circle on vacation next summer,and was wondering what the temperature would be there in July? I tried to find an Alaska catagory in the travel section,but there is not one.Can anyone anwer my question.Please don't say cold,I know it will be cold.Want to know how cold.Serious answers only please.
Thanks for your help.

www.weather.com

Great site.

I think there should be an Alaska in the travel category. There is a forum link in the upper right hand corner of the screen if you want to make a suggestion to the Y! Answers team.