How do I get the best seat in the house?
This is no secret: some seats are much much better than others. Some have tons of legroom, others have more privacy, while really bad ones do exist too, for example, those right next to the lavatories, or the very last ones which do not recline. First, check out www.seatguru.com this site has the
seat layouts of most planes on the market, listed by the air companies. Just identify your air carrier and the aircraft type and the site will help you locate the best seats on a given plane and the worst ones. Then, as you make your reservations, reserve the best seat according to the particular plane’s layout
which you carefully studied. If you are an elite mileage program member, some of the companies reserve the best seats in economy for you. Don’t be shy, ask for specific seats which you located on the charts on www.Seatguru.com.
With most companies, the top seats in economy class are blocked for any reservation and only open up on the same day of travel to all passengers. If you arrive early and ask for a specific elite seat, you have a really good chance of getting that seat. Some travelers make a point of boarding last, absolutely last on the plane. Why? Because then they can more easily change their seats without the risk of having the fellow passenger who was designated to take that seat, to ask them to give it up. That way, such savvy travelers choose to sit next to a more attractive traveler and strike up a fun conversation, rather than sit next to the overweight person with a crying baby who happens to be sitting next to their own designated seat.

How to avoid paying for overweight luggage
Baggage allowances vary. The new companies in Europe such as Easyjet or Ryanair do not allow more than 15kg per person in checked luggage and they will charge additionally at a hefty rate. This is a significant part of their income and there is no way you can avoid it in their case. The more established companies may be more flexible. El-Al, the Israeli company as
well as Lufthansa are very lax when it comes to overweight but British Airways or Air France are extremely strict. The worst of air companies is Air France: they will charge 12 euros (15$) per additional kg. after the first 30kg per suitcase. Here is what you could try to do in case you have overweight luggage or an extra bag. The agent will begin by calculating your charge by the number of kilos you have overweight above an allowance which they determine: the normal allowance is 20kg per person. Usually, the companies will not charge for the next 10 kg so in reality, the first 30kg will be free, but then most companies will start charging per kilo. Their initial quote will sound absurd to you, it may be more expensive than what you paid for your ticket. The agents in most companies do not really expect you to actually pay that high sum, but they do want to charge something. If you know you have an overweight bag make up some excuses, never lose your patience and ask the agent to be considerate. In most cases she will oblige, and quote a new figure, the one she initially and realistically wanted you to end up paying. But you can then push further by telling her you do not have your credit card with you and pull out of your wallet a small number of 20$ bills saying these are your last bank notes. If the agent is busy she might just accept your contribution. She may call a supervisor and ask for an authorization. For her, the alternative is to argue with you on end, hint that you leave her no alternative to a denial of boarding etc. She would want to avoid all of that. I’ve seen travelers save hundreds of dollars this way and it may work for you too, but you have to be prepared for that little drama at the counter. Bare in mind though that some companies will try to squeeze your last penny, and with these companies, such as Air France, no arguing will do and you will have to give in. As of January 2006 all companies began to charge for overweight on their transatlantic flights: The first 24 kilos per suitcase are free, then the next 8 kilos will cost you 15$, then beginning with the 33rd kilo on a given suitcase, they charge 10$ a kilo. Be advised: no exceptions!

11. How to avoid getting my luggage lost
One of the reasons why bags you check do not get to their destination is improper tagging, that is, the agent who checks your bag in at the counter attaches to it the previous passenger’s tag. To avoid that, double check the tag yourself after it has been attached and make sure the correct three letter airport code appears clearly on it. Also, cut off old destination tags before you get to the airport or at the counter.
It is advised to clearly place your name, address, email and all phone numbers where you can be reached both on the bag as well as inside. By placing a piece of paper with you address and phone number on it on top of your clothes makes it easy for the baggage agent to ship it to your destination. It is not advisable to lock your bag as security may need to force
it open, but do use some marker such as a staple just so that you know if anyone eventually opened your bag. Theft from bags has become extremely rare in the US and Europe but is more common in other areas. Put an instant identification mark on your bag to set it apart as many bags look alike these
days. Get to the baggage claim area as soon as possible after landing; this will minimize the possibility of having your bag simply taken by someone else. If you make a list of the contents of your bag it will be easier for you to claim the contents of a lost bag.

12. How to get on board with a second and even third
carry-ons
Most companies allow only one carry on. In many cases agents will overlook a second bag but sometimes companies try to impose stricter procedures at the check-in counters. (These are become the norm) The agents will then ask to see the carry on bag and will mark it with the company’s sticky band. Worse, sometimes (in the case of a handful of air companies) the tag is enforced by the airport agents who review the boarding pass just before passport control – no tag, no passage. Here is what you can try to do: if you do have a second carry-on bag such as a back-pack or a hand bag you will need to leave it with the person who gave you a ride to the airport while you check in. If you came by yourself, do not trust a stranger to do so, and that fellow traveler in turn, is not allowed, for obvious security reasons to keep a bag for you, not even for a moment. Both of you can get into very serious trouble if you do this, you can only do this trick with a trusted friend who will then hand you the second carry-on, once your are done checking in. If at the gate the attendant
looks for the missing band on the second bag, you just apologize and say you never got one at the check-in counter. The agent at the gate in most cases will let you go with the two bags for the simple reason that it is much more of a hassle for him/her to have you check another bag at the last minute.
As for a third bag this one needs to be small. What you do is you carry it in a plastic bag from a duty free shop. Airport personnel are used to these bags and will not hassle you if you carry them along with your other bags. This way you fly with 3 carry-ons.