Here are some tips for traveling on the cheap.

Buy tickets in advance. Some fares will be lower if you buy them three weeks in advance.

Buy tickets during the week. Skip making purchases between Friday and Monday morning, as air fare tends to increase on Thursday evenings as well as over the weekend. Usually prices roll back by Monday afternoon.

Don’t use airports far from home. Save some gas or cab fare and stay close to home.

Shop around. Don’t settle for the first price you see; visit multiple sites and find out what the lowest fare really is. That said, book your best price quickly, as it is liable to change fast.

Buy more than one ticket. If multiple tickets equal a discount and you’re traveling with family or a colleague, buy your tickets together and save some money.

Use air passes or frequent flyer miles. Make use of any discount you’ve got!

Leave your extra stuff at home. If you can get by with a single piece of luggage, do it. Save yourself the extra fees.

Bid on ticket prices. Set a fee for your ticket at Priceline.com or a similar site that you are willing to pay and see if you can get one that way.

Embrace the layover. If you don’t mind having one, you could save some money.

While the team of experts had some sage advice to follow, one has to wonder why the study was on making flights “less annoying” and not, say, “more pleasant” or “more enjoyable.” Perhaps the premise is that flights cannot be pleasant or enjoyable in the first place!

Nonetheless, many of the tips are worth heeding. Commercial pilot and author Patrick Smith says that the removal of redundant and ineffective airport security would ease the stress level of many travelers. Flights should also be consolidated in general, says Smith, to account for less flight delays.

Flight attendant and author of two books on air travel, Elliott Hester, points out that the average coach seat is only two inches wider than the average woman’s waistline today, making for incredibly tight seating arrangements. Hester says the key to a better flight is getting more leg room and wider seats when flying coach.

Aviation journalist Benét J. Wilson says that she doubts “there’s really much the airlines can do to make air travel less miserable.” Much of this, she says, can be attributed to the “survival mode” that airlines have had to adopt following the economic crisis in America. Comfort has taken a backseat to simply surviving and making any profit. That said, she says that by using her own ingenuity–such as bringing along snacks and entertainment and using airlines that cover basic requirements and don’t require baggage fees–she can personally improve the quality of her own flights.

How do you choose a flight? What tips and tricks do you use in securing the best air travel possible?