Before you snuggle up with an airplane blanket or tie a red ribbon on your suitcase, read these tips from frequent fliers Planning Know the difference between "direct" and "nonstop" flights, and always opt for the latter.

Unlike nonstops, direct flights can touch down at other airports on the way to their ultimate destinations, explains Macon Dunnagan, a baggage handler with US Airways. And while stops are built in to the total travel time, the potential delays they can cause aren’t. "Whenever possible, fly nonstop," he says.

Make sure you purchase your ticket under the exact name that appears on your ID.

It might seem obvious to you that Betsy is a nickname for Elizabeth, but it may not to a skycap, a desk agent, or a security officer — any one of whom could ask you to show identification with that name before boarding, says Delta Air Lines public-relations representative Katie Connell.

Select your seats ASAP.

"If you have a disability and need a premium seat in the bulkhead, tell the agent when you make your reservation rather than at the airport," says David Martin, a Delta passenger-service specialist who creates the airline’s policies for customers with disabilities. Other passengers might be able to nab those seats 24 hours before the flight, when they’re made available to everyone through the airline’s website.

Get to your gateway city as early as you can.

"Since delays stack up as the day progresses, it’s smart to book the first flight you can into a hub (if you have a connecting flight)," says Dunnagan. "Spending a few extra hours at the airport is better than missing your connection because your first flight was late."

Double-check foreign document requirements.

Some countries — like Chile, Kenya, and India — require a visa for entry; others, like South Africa, won’t allow entrance unless a traveler’s passport contains at least two blank, unstamped pages. You need to be aware of those requirements before you make your flight reservations or you could get stuck Stateside, according to a source at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. For a complete list of entrance regulations, visit www.travel.state.gov/travel.