Now here’s a bailout plan anyone can get behind: Vail Resorts’ Baggage Bailout, offered to skiers and snowboarders staying at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone or Heavenly this winter. Guests who book a stay of four or more days at one of these resorts by Dec. 1, 2008, will receive a $50 credit for adults or a $25 credit per child to offset the cost of airline checked baggage fees.

Since skiers and snowboarders who tote their own gear to the mountain are required to check sports equipment when they fly, they are sitting ducks for extra airline fees - and the fees can really add up if you’re traveling with several companions.

There are a few extra ifs, ands or buts - including a requirement that you book directly through Vail Resorts Reservations (866-949-2573) and purchase four days of lift tickets along with your lodging. But the upside is that the deal is available regardless of the number of bags you bring or the airline you fly - if you get to the mountain without paying airline fees, you still get the credit.

If you’re mystified by the way different airlines price their tickets and levy fees for basic services, you’re not alone. Airline fare pricing structures are complicated and vary from airline to airline, as do the fees carriers charge for basic services and extra perks, from food to headsets.

The AP’s David Koenig breaks down the different pricing strategies and practices in use at different carriers in a story out today about American Airlines and its consideration of turning to a la carte fares in the future. While the news that one airline may shift its pricing isn’t all that riveting in and of itself, the story is worth reading for its straightforward explanation of why tickets cost wildly different amounts from airline to airline and seat to seat. It also offers a good overview of which airlines use which methods. Air Canada, for example, has already embraced the a la carte pricing model, which allows passengers to choose different fares based on the level of service and in-flight amenities they desire.

As the story points out, some passengers may feel that a la carte pricing is a nickle-and-diming strategy on the airlines’ part. While it is true that it can be annoying to have to pay fees at every turn, I’d much rather airlines break the pricing down for me into fees and transparent fare levels so I have the freedom to choose where and when I want to spend the extra cash, and when I’d rather take matters into my own hands in order to save by packing light, bringing my own food, etc.

About every three minutes, I come across another story purporting to offer definitive travel advice. More often than, these missives really just boil down to a lessons in filling water bottles in airport bathrooms (which I admit, can sometimes be tricky with those pesky motion-sensitive sinks) and packing blankets in your carry-on.  And while that kind of travel advice can be helpful for some, it’s all too often used as drivel to fill up space – and it’s also the kind of advice most savvy travelers are already well aware of. So today, folks, I’m not going to offer Kayak.com blog readers pseudo advice, like how to pack a sandwich to avoid purchasing one on your next flight (get ziplock bag, insert sandwich, go to airport).

Instead, I’m offering up four real ways any traveler can save money on airline fees and air travel. Each tip requires just a little legwork before or after your flight. Two are airline-specific, but even if you don’t fly these airlines regularly, I hope they’ll remind you to check your preferred carrier for similar deals and promotions the next time you fly. New promos and programs pop up all the time. So without further ado…

1.    Pre-purchase food online. Air Canada (PDF link) offers travelers a discount for pre-purchasing food and beverage vouchers online. Passengers can save $2 on a food and drink combo when they buy a voucher through the airline’s web site in advance. Not a huge savings for one person, but a family of four will appreciate it.

2.    Pay checked bag fees in advance when possible. Very few airlines offer pre-payment options like this (more should!), but it’s worth being aware of the ones that do. Spirit Airlines cuts the cost for checking the first bag from $25 to $10 when you pay in advance online, and British Airways offers passengers a 20 percent discount on excess baggage fees when travelers pay in advance online.

3.    Take advantage of off-airport parking discounts. Instead of making a beeline for the nearest off-airport parking lot on the day of travel, research lots near your airport in advance. Many entice new customers with printable discount coupons on their web sites, while others offer discounts for booking reservations in advance.

Find them by doing a Google search for parking near your airport. For example, AviStar near Chicago O’Hare offer 10 percent off coupons via the web, while ParkSFO near San Francisco International Airport offers a free one-day coupon that you can print from the web site and Airpark offers a free day of parking at its lots near New York JFK and LaGuardia Airports when you book in advance online.

4.    Book at hotels offering checked bag promotions. With the rise of airline fees (not to mention fares), some hotel groups have seized the opportunity to make good with harried travelers through baggage-themed promotions. Earlier this year, Kimpton Hotels started the trend with its We Got Your Bag promotion. Now Loews Hotels is offering a Baggage Buy Back offer that credits guests with up to $30 when they present their receipt for a first checked bag, while some Kor Hotels will reimburse travelers for the cost of checking their bags this fall through the Money Bags promotion. So save those receipts!

You know what I’m about to do? Launch into a rousing rendition of O Canada. Today Air Canada became the first major carrier in North America to go against the grain and eliminate a fee, instead of adding another one. According to the airline, decreasing fuel prices prompted it to roll back the $25 2nd checked bag fee implemented earlier this year. Come Tuesday, and Air Canada passengers will no longer have to fork over the extra loonies to stow more than one piece of luggage in the cargo hold.

Of course, there’s a wee bit of a catch. Air Canada has rolled back the baggage fee, but at the same time plans to start incorporating fuel surcharges into the advertised base fares of its North American flights - so expect to see a slight increase in those in the coming weeks.

Still, I’d much rather airlines advertise higher fares that are real, i.e. account for actual operating costs, instead of advertising lower fares and then slapping me with surcharges after I’ve already found the itinerary I want to buy.

For more fun with baggage fees, you can always visit Kayak.com’s regularly updated Airline Fee page.

More proof that major carriers are far from finished with new airline fees. Today, United Airlines announced that it will double the fee to check a 2nd bag from $25 to $50, starting Nov. 10 for tickets purchased on or after Sept. 16.

For more details, including the exemptions (the airline estimates the fee will only apply to one in seven travelers), check out United Airlines U.S./Canada Checked Baggage or, as always, you can spy the latest airline fees associated with economy class travel on the airlines Kayakians use most with our regularly updated Airline Fees page.

I found Frontier’s new baggage fees to be pretty intriguing (as airline fees go). What other airline have you encountered that has increased the cost of checking one bag, only to make it cheaper to check three? Sounds a little odd, right? But that’s the case with Frontier, which recently announced that it will begin charging passengers $15 to check their first bag beginning Nov. 1, 2008. At the same time, the airline is halving the fee for a 3rd checked bag from $50 to $25. When the new rules take effect, passengers will actually end up paying $10 less to stow three bags in the cargo compartment than they’re paying now. Not earth-shattering news, but interesting nonetheless…

To see the most common airline fees associated with economy class travel on the airlines Kayakers use most, visit the regularly-updated Kayak.com Airline Fee page.

These days, I almost always grab something edible during the post-security, pre-boarding stage at the airport - even if the flight is just an hour or two and I’m not really hungry and there’s nothing really exciting on the grab-and-go shelves. I’m the kind of traveler airports must love - because I always leave a little cash in my wake. The reason? I’m never quite sure what sustenance I can expect to find on board - and who knows how long I’ll really end up on the plane when it’s all said and done. As many travelers know all too well, these days, boarding the aircraft does not necessarily lead directly to one’s ascent into the friendly skies.

But as the NY Times‘ Michelle Higgins points out in the paper’s Practical Traveler column today, being late for a connecting flight often rules out time for water and snack purchases. And that means relying on the airlines for sustenance. The column concludes by rounding up the drink, snack and meal options on a handful of major U.S. carriers. You can find similar information for a variety of airlines on the Kayak.com Airline Fees page.

If you do plan to dine during your next flight, a few things to keep in mind:

- When searching for and purchasing flights, pay attention to the flight schedule’s layover time. Choosing a slightly longer layover will not only give you enough time to buy bottled water or a snack in the airport, but it gives the airline adequate time to transfer your luggage to the next plane.

- Whenever possible, bring both cash and a credit card to pay for in-flight food and beverage purchases. Some carriers, like Alaska Airlines, no longer accept cash in the cabin. But for just as many other airlines, cash is the only option you’ll have - and paying with exact change often expedites the purchase process.

- International flights will usually offer a free meal to passengers, but the type of meal depends on when and where you’re flying. If you have special dietary needs or preferences, it’s always important to check with the airline before you travel.

- Even water may cost you these days. Though airlines traditionally offered soda and water free of charge, US Airways’ decision to charge $2 is setting a new precedent for the industry.

…besides our own fabulous Kayak.com Airline Fees page, of course, here are some of our favorite airline fee charts:

• The Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees (Seat Guru, Airfarewatchdog, SmarterTravel)
• FareCompare U.S. Domestic Airline Fee Chart
• Airfarewatchdog’s Airline Frequent Flyer Fee Chart

Want to rest easy on JetBlue? No problem, it’ll just cost you $7. The low-cost carrier announced today that it will begin offering $7 for a pillow and blanket kit that includes a $5 Bed Bath & Beyond coupon. Made from fabric that is supposed to repel “micro-toxins,” the 10″ x 12″ pillow and 39″ x 51″ fleece blanket come in a carrying case for future use.

You could, of course, just start traveling with your own pillow-and-blanket combo, but I expect this kit will come in handy on those occasions when travelers find themselves unexpectedly shivering away during a long flight. Sure, some critics complain that this “a la carte” pricing is just another example of an airline charging passengers for things they used to get for free, but, in this case, I think the charge comes along with added perks. After all, most airlines stopped offering blankets and pillows altogether in recent years. This way, now that money’s involved, you can at least bet on the airline having enough to go around. And then there’s the peace of mind that comes with knowing your blankie and pillow weren’t cuddling with some unpalatable traveler on the previous flight.

For up-to-date information on basic airline fees for the U.S. and international airlines Kayak travelers use most, visit the Kayak Airline Fees page.

Alongside today’s implementation of fees for traditionally free beverages like coffee and water on US Airways flights comes this incendiary little tidbit from the New York Times.

Apparently, the flight attendants union is publicly admitting that crotchety travelers who protest the newly imposed fees will likely end up with their beverages free of charge:

“We’re trained to keep order on an airplane and defuse confrontation,” Mike Flores, president of US Airways’ A.F.A. chapter, said in an interview Thursday. “If it takes giving a free beverage to somebody to do that, so be it. I expect there will be flight attendants who just give everything away.”

Hmmm. On the one hand, it’s a nice little loophole that I’m sure many travelers will be happy to take advantage of. On the other, it promotes contentious behavior in the economy class cabin, something there is often already too much of as it is. It’s frustrating to think that confrontation - and the obnoxious attitude that often accompanies it - may actually be rewarded in this scenario.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see a social experiment where savvy, polite travelers were rewarded for their behavior? Excuse me, sir, you’ve done such a good job of stowing your carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment, turning off electronic devices during take-off and keeping your seat belt fastened during flight that we’d like to offer you a free coffee. Ah, well, it’s Friday. I’m allowed to daydream a little….

For up-to-date information on the latest airline fees associated with economy class travel on the airlines Kayakers use most, visit the fantabulous Kayak Airline Fee page.