When you bring your bag onboard, you save time - avoid lines at the check-in counter and waiting at baggage claim - so you can ease in and out of the airport. However, at 15 plus dollars for a checked first bag, limited on board storage space due to cut backs in flights and newly imposed international restrictions on liquids and carry-on bags, navigating the boarding and pre-boarding process can be frustrating. This article will hopefully clear up some confusion and help you ease through the security and airline boarding process with ease.

It is always a good idea to check the airport processing times before departing for the airport to ensure that you allow enough time for additional processing when required. Remember that domestic bags need to be checked in 45 minutes prior to departure and 60 minutes for international. On that note, any airport in a major metropolitan area or frequently traveled tourist airport or connecting hub airports will have longer delays. Airports like Laguardia, JFK, Newark, Boston, Houston, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and any Florida airport from December through April and Denver during ski season expect delays. Most international airports expect delays due to large passenger volume and individually mandated strict policies regarding liquids and carry on items.

To make sure your you and your bag go easily through security and is not subject to being gate checked you may find the following advice helpful.

Most airlines board from the back forward and first class boards before anyone else. If you cannot travel first class then getting a seat closer to the back of the plane(which boards first) and arriving on time will both help insure your bag will have space in an overhead bin.
Follow airline guidelines for bag size, making sure your bag can fit into an overhead bin.
When possible use a pack or small carry-on that can fit safely under the seat in front of you. This will allow for a late board or seat closer to the front of the plane and will avoid having to gate check a bag when there is no more available space.
Be polite and courteous to the flight attendants when there is an issue regarding limited bag space. A flight attendant will be more likely to make an extra effort to help find a spot for your bag if you ask nicely and don't blame the airline or flight attendant or gate agent for the problem.
Finally pack smart; layer your packing, shoes on the bottom, a layer of clothes and then your electronics. Add another layer of clothes over top the electronics and finally pack your 3-oz liquids in outside or top inside pocket for easy retrieval in case they need to be pulled out which often happens in Europe especially the U.K. especially London and Belfast.
During the Holidays When traveling with gifts here is a general airline policy concerning wrapped packages, Due to higher security levels at airports worldwide, gifts and packages are subject to the same inspection as your carry-on baggage. To reduce delays at the airport security checkpoint I recommend that you travel with your packages unwrapped. This will allow for easy inspection, if necessary.

In addition to the one carry-on item, most airlines will let you may bring free-of-charge the below items:

One small personal article such as a briefcase, purse, day planner, small laptop computer, camera case, compact disk player or similar sized personal entertainment item.
personal aid devices such as wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches, prosthetic devices and walking sticks, provided passenger is dependent on them.
One infant article such as a small collapsible stroller, a diaper bag or a government approved child seat (larger strollers can be checked in the jetway prior to boarding the aircraft)
full-size video game consoles (for example Playstation®, X-box®, or Nintendo®), full-size DVD players, and video cameras that use video cassettes (must be removed from carrying cases and submitted separately for x-ray screening)
CPAP breathing machines (must be removed from carrying case and submitted separately for x-ray screening)
FYI; I travel to the UK a lot and The United Kingdom recently revised its policy on carry-on bag restrictions for several airports, including Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Gatwick, London Heathrow and Manchester. These airports no longer restrict customers to one carry-on item per person.

For flights departing from India in this example Delhi, the following items may be carried on in addition to the one carry-on item:

Purse, coat, rug or blanket, camera or binoculars, reading material (reasonable amount), umbrella or walking stick, infant food and bag, collapsible wheelchair or assisted devices and Duty Free items.

By adhering to the guidelines above regarding carry on baggage your boarding experience and necessity to have to gate check your bag will be greatly reduced and while the information in this article is correct as of this writing in October of 2008 it is always a good idea to check TSA website for information regarding a specific airport and travel guidelines as they are often updated to meet a current travel trend. Happy travels!

From my website http://www.do-it-yourself-wedding-make-up.com/diy/Travel_/Travel_.html where my travel experience as a working flight attendant for a major airline helps me help you make sense of the sometimes hectic yet wondrous world of travel. Before working as a flight attendant I also worked as high profile make-up artist and hold a BFA degree from both Hunter College and New York University with my major in Film and Television production a minor in International affairs with an emphasis on Latin American Language and Culture.