Things to Bring on a Plane So You Don't Get Ripped Off

We've been doing a little traveling this week (you didn't even notice we were gone, did you?) and thought we had seen the last word in airline thrift when domestic flights stopped serving food right around the time they started charging for even one checked bag.  But 'lo and behold friends, it gets stingier: on our recent sojourn with Penny-Pinch Airlines** we shivered our way through a six-hour sub-zero flight, refusing to shell out the new $8 fee for a blanket and pillow.  Now that, my friends, is thrift of the highest order.  Thus, we were left with no choice but to whip together a list of items to bring on the return flight to avoid getting pinched.

1. Layers.  Flights are notoriously frigid and with many airlines charging for blanket and pillow service, you don't want to be left out in the cold. Bring warm clothes and/or layer accordingly.  $8 savings.
2. Empty Bottle.  If you can get it through security empty, you can fill up on the other side from the drinking fountain and forego those crushing $3+ beverages in the mini-mart. $3-4 savings.
3. Food.  Bring a sandwich, a bag of trail mix or sliced fruits and veggies in containers.  Anything to avoid an $8 mystery meal of "snacks." $8 savings.
4. Soft-Sided Baggage.  Everyone's jockeying for the overhead space these days to avoid pricey checked baggage fees.  Soft bags fit in more of the compartments giving you greater odds at squeezing it in. They really will enforce that "one personal item" rule, so be smart about how you pack. $25-100 savings.
5. Headphones.  Most of us have these on us all the time, but they can sometimes be easy to forget.  Even if you don't have an PDA, iPhone or iPod, grab a loose pair from the house and throw them in your bag.  $2-5 savings.
6. Entertainment. Some airlines are still throwing in that movie for free, some aren't.  Just in case, BYO DVD's, books or games to thwart impulse buying a miniscule screen worth of Toy Story 10.  $5 savings.

**name changed to protect identity, but let's just say it is one of the biggies—not a discount carrier