Start building miles up on a single airline if you can. Forget WN, they offer diddly squat but if you must fly them join their program. The other airlines have good programs too. I am loyal to USAirways because they offer intl' and domestic f with a pretty good program. But AA, UA and Delta have good programs as well.

Start using Hotwire or something similar to book your rooms, you may not get hotel points this way, but you can often end up in VERY nice hotels for a song.

Join every car rental program you can.

Drugs: benzodiazepines (Ativan, Valium, Xanax) for sleeping with jet lag and for shortening flights..and I find they reduce the agitation at the kettles and crowds. Dipenhydramine (gravol, dramamine) or Scopalamine for motion sickness...trust us on this. Immodium for the inevitable diarrhea that comes with eating in restraunts all the time and the unfamilar water supply. Nothing worse than a case of the trots on a plane.

Bring your own sick bag. They are never there when you need it and always there when you dont.

A GPS app for your smartphone. Oh, and a smartphone if you don't have one!! You need it for everything..getting around, checking flights, changing flights.

During problems, avoid the counter and call the Cust. Serve at the airline.

Low volume time flights. Evening, Tues thru Thurs.