(MONEY Magazine) – Friendly skies? Fiendish skies is more like it. As 1995 takes off, the U.S. airline industry is lumbering away from what looks like its fourth straight year of monumental losses. The red ink since 1990 totals almost $13 billion, reports the Air Transport Association, a Washington, D.C. industry trade group. Over the same time, more than 120,000 employees were laid off by the airlines.

No wonder that for most travelers--whether on business trips or vacation--flying has turned into a 100-proof headache. You know the gripes: crowded cabins, aging aircraft, tasteless or nonexistent meals, abominable flight delays (especially in winter) and, now, increased safety worries, particularly about commuter aircraft. And we haven't even mentioned the frustration caused by the roller-coaster fare structures that Rube Goldberg couldn't have dreamed up.

Thankfully, though, there are pre-emptive moves you can make that will ensure smoother air travel. And if, despite your efforts, the best-laid plans still go awry, there are plenty of savvy tactics to use that let you overcome obstacles. We canvassed dozens of industry analysts, veteran fliers, consumer advocates and travel agents to find out how you can avoid problems and get the best possible airline deals. Here's what you need to know:

PLANNING AHEAD

Work with a techno-travel pro. The value of a travel agent is directly related to experience and his or her facility with computer reservations systems (CRSs). Such systems post 100,000 fare changes every day, as airlines try to balance the supply of seats against the demand for tickets by continually adjusting prices. CRS systems not only list hundreds of ever-changing fares and make your reservation but also provide access to up-to-the-minute travel-related databases. Wherever you're headed, you can ask your agent for helpful printouts on, say, theater listings, health advisories, currency exchange, tourist attractions or English-language help lines in foreign countries.

New service-oriented software programs like AccuSystem and Aero, developed by major travel companies and available only to travel agents, further streamline the process. Every time your agent books a trip, the computer will remind him of your frequent-flier membership programs as well as all your travel preferences for seats, special meals, connecting airports and more. In addition, quality-control software, available through mega-agencies such as Carlson Wagonlit, American Express, Thomas Cook, USTravel and Rosenbluth, reviews your entire reservation after it has been created to continue searching for savings on the flights you've booked.

To nail the best possible fares, your agent is bound to be your best ally. The bigger the city you're visiting and the more flexible you are about travel dates and connections, the more fare options you have. For example, from Chicago to San Francisco, there are literally hundreds of choices of carriers, times and fares, all of which have exacting rules, deadlines, restrictions-and fares that continually shift. To snare the least-limiting current fare on your own can require dozens of phone calls to several carriers (though there are alternatives; see the next section). However, your agent's CRS display screen gives you instant access to a myriad of cost and schedule comparisons.

For discount fares, check low-fare carriers first. Despite the advantages of working with a veteran agent, some consumers prefer to book flights and arrange for ticket delivery on their own. If you're among them, the first step to a low fare is to check prices at a no-frills, upstart or niche carrier, such as Southwest, Reno Air, Kiwi or ValuJet. These feisty outfits now serve most major hubs in the U.S. in at least a limited way, and they're the main reason air fares have been kept as low as they are for the past couple of years. For example, Kiwi's basic unrestricted round-trip fare from New York City to Orlando is $138, compared with a seven-day restricted fare of $306 or a $546 unrestricted fare on Delta. Once you've got the ticket price quote from an upstart, call one of the seven majors. Many carriers, such as Northwest and American, offer competitive prices that match--and even sometimes beat--the no-frills fares. Also, new low-cost services, including Continental Lite and Shuttle by United on the West Coast, will be competitive on price as well.

If you prefer to shop by computer instead of by phone, you can get access to the same information that agents see on CRS screens by going on-line. You can make all of your own arrangements, and then, by selecting an on-screen option, have the booking confirmed by a travel agent or an airline reservations clerk, who will mail the tickets to your home. To use these popular self-booking systems--Eaasy Sabre, Worldspan Travel- shopper and the Official Airline Guide Electronic Edition--you will need a personal computer with a modem and a subscription to one of the on-line services, such as America Online, Compu- Serve or Prodigy (about $10 a month for basic service, plus extra charges as applicable). The drawbacks: You won't be able to arrange for a seat assignment, nor can you print out your boarding pass, as travel agents can.

Reserve a seat you like.Travel and gate agents can call up "seat maps" on their terminals for each type of aircraft to give you the locations of engines (such the noisy, tail-mounted ones), galleys, lavatories and spacious bulkheads, often favored by parents with small children or people with long legs. Exit rows also frequently provide extra legroom. Ask to look at the diagrams, and then request a seat in a location you prefer.

...And the type of meal you want. Special meals, such as low sodium, vegetarian, kosher and the like, are offered by virtually all the airlines and must be reserved in advance. But even if you don't order anything special, be warned: Many carriers are scaling back food service to snacks for flights shorter than 90 minutes. If you're booked on a couple of connecting flights, you could end up flying as long as four hours (counting delays) with nothing but peanuts to munch. Solution: Pack your own food. "I always bring a CARE package of bottled water, fruit and bagels when I fly," says veteran traveler Jill Totenberg, a v.p. at Gemini, a management consulting firm in Morristown, N.J.

Plan an early departure. Early-morning flights offer the greatest rerouting flexibility if bad weather disrupts air traffic. Leaving before, say, 9 a.m. will also minimize your chance of falling into systemwide snarls that can compound, hour by hour throughout the day, if one or two key hubs, like Chicago or Denver, get socked in.

Consider secondary airports. Although flying to Chicago's Midway Airport instead of O'Hare, or to Orange County's John Wayne instead of LAX, won't always reduce your aggravation or travel time, these less clogged airports can be more convenient. If you must connect, try to do so through the smaller markets or hubs--Cincinnati instead of Chicago, for instance, or Charlotte rather than going through Atlanta.

CHECKING IN

Arrive early. Thinner airline staffs often mean fatter lines at check-in. If you have your seat assignment, then you can check your bag with a skycap at the curb, bypassing the check-in counter entirely, and head straight for your gate. Always arrive at least 45 minutes before takeoff, even earlier if possible, advises Jeffrey Harrow, president of Travel One, a Mount Laurel, N.J. travel management firm. "If you're there early," he notes, "and there's a problem, you may be able to catch a flight on another carrier."

If troubles arise, head for the phone. Canceled flight? A three-hour delay because of "equipment problems"? Don't hang out at the gate. Immediately head for a pay phone to get rerouted by calling your travel agent's hot line, the airline's central 800 reservation number or its number at an airport in another city (where phone lines may be blissfully free). Chances are, you'll get rebooked quicker that way. "It's usually a waste of time to wait at the gate area when it's crowded and there's a lot of commotion," says Chris Chiames at the Air Transport Association. You will usually be rebooked on your original line's next available flight. But before you accept that, ask whether it's possible to use your ticket on another airline, which may have a timelier departure--sometimes it works. Also, when a really horrific delay occurs, the full-service airlines occasionally pay for a hotel room or a missed connection, but none of them will offer. You must make the request.

Tag and secure your bags. In 1993, Department of Transportation (DOT) surveys showed 5.6 lost bags per 1,000 passengers, down almost two bags since 1990. One big reason: wider use of bar-coded tags and sophisticated luggage sorting systems that rely on laser-scan technology. Nonetheless, damaged, stolen and misrouted luggage is No. 2 on the DOT's list of complaints (flight delays top the list).

To avoid snafus, always double-check luggage stickers or tags placed on your bags by skycaps or airline personnel, and make sure that your own luggage tag, complete with name, address and phone, is secure and visible. Although no luggage is tamperproof, you can protect your bags with a built-in combination lock or a padlock attached to the zipper pull. Bear in mind that soft-sided baggage allows thieves to feel around for valuables like video cameras. In any event, never pack anything you prize in bags you check, not jewelry, cameras, electronics or medication. Carry valuables with you. And then don't forget to mark your name and address on carry-on bags, in case you leave them on the plane.

CHECKING OUT

If baggage woes hit, move fast. Roughly 98% of all bags reported lost are eventually returned to their owners, usually within 24 hours. To get a swift recovery, report lost or damaged bags to the airline's claims office immediately. If you must have special attire for, say, a social or business occasion and there's little chance your bag will arrive in time, keep insisting you need help. The full-service airlines might give you immediate compensation.

Demand satisfaction. If your problem or gripe is not satisfactorily handled by airport personnel, phone or write to the carrier's consumer affairs department. "Airlines do listen to complaints," says the Air Transport Association's Chiames. Expect to wait a while for a response--a few weeks to a month. You may also want to address your complaint to the DOT's Office of Consumer Affairs (400 Seventh St. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590; 202-366-2220). Be specific about your beef and how you expect the airline to respond. "Basically," says Norman Strickman, chief of the DOT's consumer affairs division, "if you want compensation, ask for it. If you're looking for something in particular, request that." Enclose copies of tickets and any other relevant documentation, such as store receipts of lost or stolen items.

Enlist reinforcements. If the airline's response still doesn't measure up, get your travel agent to press your case through the carrier's sales department. Alternatively, you could opt for mediation. The American Society of Travel Agents has a consumer affairs division (703-739-2782) that mediates between its travel partners (airlines, hotels and the like) and its customers. And, among other benefits, the International Airline Passengers Association (memberships: $49 a year and up; 800-821-4272) maintains a staff of mediators. Happy flying!

- Julie Moline