With all the changes, holiday travel could shape up to be more confusing and time-consuming than ever for consumers who haven't flown in a while. Following are tips to make your trip as smooth -- and cheap -- as possible.Avoiding fees and saving money-- Pack as light as possible and try to avoid checking bags in the first place.-- Consider flying Southwest Airlines, which doesn't assess many of the baggage fees and other charges its competitors have instituted in recent years.-- Check out individual airline Web sites for any one-time reductions when it comes to the new fees. United Airlines, for instance, is now offering a 20 percent discount off the $15 fee for a first checked bag for travelers who pay for it via the carrier's Web site between Nov. 10 and Jan. 31.Moving through ticketing and security-- Print your boarding pass at home, particularly if you don't plan to check bags, which will allow you to avoid the longest lines at the ticket counters.-- Be prepared to shell out more money at the ticket counter. Fumbling for a credit card to pay for your checked bags not only delays the process for you but for everyone else in line as well.-- If you're traveling with children, or if you simply need more time to go through security, use one of the new "family" lanes the Transportation Security Administration has rolled out at airports nationwide.-- If you don't want to hassle with long security lines, sign up for the Registered Traveler program, which allows members to use a separate lane at participating airports.Perks-- Be wary of voluntarily giving up your seat on overbooked flights for cash or a voucher. Often you'll have to fly standby on the next flight out of town, which means you could get bumped again. Ask the airline when it can give you a guaranteed seat assignment.-- If you haven't bought a ticket yet, keep checking to see if you can use frequent flier miles for holiday travel. Many airlines will release more reward seats as the departure date nears for flights that aren't full.(Contact the Rocky Mountain News at XX(at)xxx.com.)
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