Sometime between 9/11 and the present, flying turned into a nightmare. Translation: a day of hassles, delays, lost luggage, rude airport employees and strip-searches, not to mention freezing cold flights with no blankets or pillows and inevitable starvation save for a possible package of peanuts. And, not only do you have to plan your outfit accordingly, and allot an additional hour for security, you have to deal with the liquid restriction. Who wants to check their bag when they’re headed to Miami for just the weekend?

Regardless, traveling via plane, for most, is an essential part of life. And, with all the major holidays on the horizon, most of us are going to need to book some flights. Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel weeks and flights fill-up quickly and can get very pricey. So, if you haven’t done so already, you better book now! Advance booking is one of the only sure ways to get a deal… but it’s not the only way to beat the system. We did the dirty work for you. The low-down on the major NY carriers for domestic flights, and how to land their best deals:

Jet Blue
Whatever happened to JetBlue? They used to have such great deals; but, recently, they’ve become so expensive. We’ve found that they have much better fares from NY to the West Coast as opposed to East Coast destinations.
If you’re headed to LA, try Burbank Airport. It’s a great no hassle airport and the check-in is easy. If Hollywood is your destination, you’re in luck: it’s a cheap cab ride away. But, remember to eat before you get to the Burbank airport, as there’s no food after check-in.
Fees and Booking:
Change fees: $45 + fare diff (phone), $35 + fare diff (online). Jet Blue will give you a credit if you change to a cheaper flight (after change fee), or if you find a lower fare posted before your flight.
True Blue points: every 100 earns you 2 free one-way “short” flights. You earn double points and save $10 when booking online.
Food: free snacks (cookies, chips, nuts, crackers)
Pets: Cabin - $50 one-way; checked: N/A
Perks: Personal Direct TV with 36 channels, XM Radio, Leather Seats, Free Wireless internet at JFK and Long Beach, CA.

Continental
If you don’t mind heading to Jersey, Continental is a good choice. If you leave from downtown Newark, which is usually closer than JFK, it’s a quick trip unless you hit the rush-hour tunnel traffic. But, make sure that you book a car service, because cabs are much more expensive than cars from Newark.
Fees and Booking: If you are a OnePass member you may get a full refund within 24 hours of the purchase of a flight. This is great if your plans are still up in the air but you don’t want to miss out on a great fare.
Changes fee: usually $100 + fare diff; $25 confirmed seat on same day flight changes, which means no need for standby.
Food: You will receive a complimentary snack for flight over 1.5 hours and a meal for flights over 3 hours, which ain’t bad.
Pets: cabin - $95 one-way; checked - fees are based on weight and distance.
Perks: With the PetSafe program you can track your pet at Cocargo.com & 24-hour live animal desk.

American Airlines
Don’t dare call; AA has the most annoying computer that is unavoidable, even after pressing zero. They have some of the highest fees and don’t even provide free snacks.
Fees and Booking:
Change fee: $100 + fare difference
$25 confirmed seat on same day flight changes
Reservations placed on hold on AA.com will be guaranteed for 24 hours or until midnight the following day, whichever gives you more time. But, if you are purchasing a fare with a 7-day advance purchase requirement and today is the last day to qualify, you must purchase your ticket by the end of today.
Food: They don’t give anything for free! You can purchase one of the following snacks for $3: Great Nut Supply Co. Nut Blend, Mega Bite Cookie, Lays Potato Chips, 3 Musketeers.
Pets: cabin - $75 one-way; checked - $100 one way
Perks: AA also has temperature restrictions for any location on your itinerary, unless you get a waiver from a vet. No hotter than 85degrees (75degrees for snub-nosed pets), no colder than 45 degrees.

Delta
Delta has a sparkling new concourse in Miami, much better than AA.
Fees and Booking:
Change fee: $75 + fare difference
$50 charge for same day changes
Food: Free Snack Basket (Chips, Granola Bars, Peanuts, Cookies, Crackers). When flying between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, or Seattle you may purchase from a nice range of menu items (salads, cheese, sandwiches) from $2-8.
Pets: Cabin - $75 one-way; Checked - $150 one-way

Check it out…
Farecast.com
This site forecasts if the fares for your destination will rise or drop in the upcoming week. It currently serves 75 Home Airports. They claim to be correct with their predictions 75% of the time, which isn't bad.

Southwest.com
They usually have pretty unbeatable fares. And, they now service LGA and Islip! They are fair about change fees, offer refundable tickets and even though the planes seem to be out-of-date they have one of the best safety records in the industry. SW doesn’t come-up on most search engines so you’ll need to go directly to their website.

Virgin America.com
NEW carrier based out of San Francisco servicing non-stop flights from SFO to JFK ($278 round-trip), LAX, Wash DC Dulles, Las Vegas. They also have non-stop flights from JFK to LAX.
They plan to service up to 30 cities in the next 5 years.
PERKS: 2-3” extra of legroom in coach, USB jacks, 110 volt plugs, 9” TV (jet blue has a 6.8” screen) 18 free channels and pay-per-view movies for $6-8, MP3s, remote Text Flirting.

Kayak.com
An excellent travel-booking site, they search discount airline such as JetBlue and AirTran, unlike most of their competitors. Kayak routes you directly to the airline that you are purchasing from, therefore avoiding additional charges and change fees. But, it's always smart to double check the airlines directly to confirm you are receiving their lowest fare. When booking directly on the airline’s home site you can earn 500 bonus miles (most airlines offers this perk, JetBlue offers double miles) and avoid any additional change fees later.

Expedia.com
They now offer an award program with no blackout dates. Get a $400 ticket with 20,000 points. You can earn points on hotel, flight, cruise and activity bookings.

FlyClear.com
Ever wish you could buy your way out of having to battle the absurdly long security lines at the airport? Well, now you can (for an entire year) for the nominal fee of $99.95. Thanks to Fly Clear - a revolutionary approach to easing the often painful experience that is traveling. Clear members are granted fast passage through airport security and access to a designated Clear security lane staffed by Clear attendants. The only real downfall: the service is currently only available at a dozen or so airports (which includes JFK, Newark, Reno, as well as San Francisco and San Jose). So, some interested parties may have to wait a bit longer before Clear hits their local airport.

~Joanna Kunze