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A volatile economy, reduced airline capacity and stressed consumers are making this holiday travel season one of the most challenging in recent years. Before you start that sleigh ride for the holidays, here are some tips that can help save you money, time and headaches.

Reserve airport parking. During peak travel times, traffic delays and increased demand for parking can make nabbing a space at the airport a nightmare at best and a trip-ender at worst. Before you leave, check out AboutAirportParking.com, which guides you to the best places to park at more than 100 airports, often at significant discounts.

You can find detailed specs on each lot, along with prices, Google maps, online reservations, user reviews and information about such services as valet parking, luggage assistance and even oil changes.

AboutAirportParking.com also provides stats on general airport time delays and average security wait at individual airports.

You can sort your parking lot choices by distance, rate or name by using a drop-down menu. There are even star ratings and user reviews on many of the facilities. At LAX, for example, the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Valet gets five stars and has 30 user reviews, which range from tepid (one or two) to laudatory. It's true; people get starry-eyed about parking.

Before you pack, check baggage restrictions. American, Continental, Northwest, United, Delta, US Airways, Frontier, AirTran and Spirit now charge $15 for a first checked bag each way for travel within the U.S. Virgin America allows the first bag to be checked for free, and Southwest still does not charge for the first or second bag.

Also be sure to check weight restrictions. Weight, the enemy of fuel efficiency, has come under increasing scrutiny of late, and airlines more often will charge you for bags that exceed the carriers' limits. (Fifty pounds is common, but check the websites.)

And don't forget about carry-ons. If you have one that's too large, you may end up checking it and that will cost you some bucks. You can save room in your carry-on by wearing such bulky pieces as coats and boots on the plane, then stowing them.

You also can avoid security hassles by bringing a Transportation Security Administration-compliant toiletry kit like My SmartPac (www.mysmartpac.com). You can also find small sizes of many of your favorite products (to avoid problems with TSA's 3-ounce rule) at www.minimus.biz. It even carries such hard-to-find-in-small items as shaving cream, deodorant and hair spray.

For resources and ingenious tips on how to pack light, check out Onebag.com or SmartPacking.com, or Google "packing light."

Make sure you have the right carry-on. Does your carry-on exceed airline restrictions? For most airlines, this means 45 linear inches or less. (To calculate add the height, width and depth of the bag, which must not exceed 45.)

Functional, stylish bags that fit the bill are available through numerous stores and online outlets. At 44 linear inches, the Helium Rolling Carry-On and Rick Steves' Convertible Carry On are compact, sturdy and surprisingly roomy options and are available through such retailers as Travel Smith, Buy.com and Luggage.com.

Pack snacks. To cut costs, many airlines have stopped serving food, soda and even bottled water. Take your own snacks and an empty bottle to fill at a water fountain once you've passed security. (If you prefer a flavored water, many brands now offer powders you can add to any bottled water to give you the same taste.) Energy bars are filling and take up little precious packing space. For kids try cheese sticks, flavored rice cakes and grapes.

Drive wisely. If you're planning to be on the road, use AAA's gas calculator for an estimate on fuel expenses ( www.fuelcostcalculator.com).

To avoid peak traffic, hit the road early in the morning or travel on Christmas Day. You can save money -- and the environment -- by checking tires before you leave. An under-inflated tire will decrease your fuel economy by up to 2%.

Last December, Californians were forking over $3.32 a gallon for gas; this year, they're paying $1.77 or less. Now that the harsh reality of costly gas has taught us to conserve, we can continue to keep our fuel costs down by employing all we know.

travel@latimes.com

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