Top 10 ways to avoid new airline fees

6. BYOH: Bring your own headset
A handful of airlines (United, JetBlue, and US Airways among them) are now charging anywhere from $1 to $5 for headsets that allow travelers to tune into the in-flight video entertainment. Simply bring your own iPod earbuds or headphones aboard for superior quality, and save on dishing out for their cheapie versions which you'll most likely end up trashing.

7. Fight in-flight food fees
Who would've ever thought that we would one day actually miss airline food? As hard as it is to believe, that day is here, with Continental the only remaining carrier to still provide complimentary meals, and more than half of domestic airlines now charging even for light snacks. Fight back against those pricey in-flight food fees by packing a brown bag meal ahead of time to carry on. Some airlines are extending this fee frenzy to non-alcoholic beverages, as well — in fact, you’ll pay as much as $3 for bottled water if you’re flying with Spirit! Since TSA regulations bar travelers from bringing their own water through security checkpoints, try bringing an empty bottle and filling it up at the airport water fountain and adding an iced tea or sport drink mix, many of which are now served in single sizes. It may be a little more work but it’s better than shelling out $3 for water.

8. Squeaky wheel gets the grease
If an airline attendant tells you that a can of soda costs $2, as US Airways is now charging, a little whining goes a long way. As an “unwritten rule,” US Airways flight attendants decided they would not charge customers who complain over the new cost for soft drinks. Just remember — there’s a fine line between a little complaining and making a scene that requires a TSA escort off the aircraft! If you’re not up for a public uproar, do write and e-mail the airline directly to complain about their new fee policies. United recently backed off from plans to charge for meals on transatlantic flights, attributing their decision to their customers’ “direct, candid feedback.”

9. Let your hotel foot the bill
Some very smart hotel chains have figured out a way to attract guests by offering to alleviate their newfound checked baggage expenses. Show your first checked bag receipt when checking in at a Loews Hotels for up to $30 in dining credit at the property under their "Baggage Buy Back" campaign. Kor Hotel’s Los Angeles-area hotels will reimburse guests with up to $75 in hotel credit through their "Money Bags" promotion, while Kimpton Hotels' "We Got Your Bag" campaign (which was just extended through the year’s end) gives guests who bunk down at one of the chain’s 43 boutique hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada a room credit of up to $25 issued on the spot. Just don’t forget to hang onto those checked baggage receipts as proof.

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10. Fly Southwest for freedom from fees
Southwest has been reveling of late in its fee-free structure, which it owes largely to the fuel "hedges" that the company put into place back in 1998 — basically a type of insurance policy against rising fuel prices that locks in their fuel rates at well below what other airlines have had to dish out since barrel prices spiked. It was a smart business move that has paid off tremendously for the airline — and their customers. Visit their Web site and they proudly advertise slogans like “Freedom from Fees” and “No Hidden Fees.” And they aren’t kidding — customers' first two checked bags are indeed freebies, and it's only $25 to lug along a third (or overweight) bag. You won’t pay a dime to book fares on the phone or in person, while most other airlines tack on fees of $10 to $30 dollars for the 'privilege’ of dealing with a real, live person. Snacks and (non-alcoholic drinks) remain lip-smackingly free. They’ll even let you change your flight plans and pay absolutely nada (versus domestic change fees of up to $150 on other carriers) — instead, you’ll get a flight credit that is good for one year.

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