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Like it or not, customer service representatives don't exist to act as your personal grievance sounding board—they're there to resolve problems customers encounter. Speak their language and make action-based requests to get better service.Photo by Seattle Municipal Archive.

If you like to travel light but have a well stocked toiletries bag upon arriving at your destination, Suite Arrival makes it easy to ship your bathroom favorites ahead.

When planning a flight most people focus on flying out of major airports, hopping from one metropolitan area to another. Plotting a course that starts in a regional airport can lead to significant savings and less hassle.Photo by kossy.
Over at the frugality blog Wisebread they've put together a list of ways you can save money on airfare and travel expenses. Among them:

Netbooks and ultra-portable laptops may be convenient, but they don't always have the horsepower to get done what you need. Mobile-obsessed blogger James Kendrick suggests using LogMeIn (or maybe a free equivalent) to do the battery-draining stuff remotely.

Many hotels have coffee makers right in the room, but dumping some grounds in and flipping the switch rarely makes a good cup of Joe. The Atlantic's Jerry Baldwin offers useful tips for improving the brew you make in your hotel room.Photo by lepiaf.geo.

Searching for the best price for a plane ticket is a never-ending struggle, but reader jeff.niblett writes in with a potentially money-saving tip that even frequent fliers may not be aware of: Book longer trips with layovers in your actual destination city.Photo by Andrei Dimofte.

If you're looking to do some traveling, Budget Your Trip can help you not only plan your travel expenses but track them while you're traveling.

When it's time to book a plane ticket, you've got an overwhelming number of online destinations to check—which really complicates things. NYT writer Matt Gross details his simple booking workflow, which combines his favorite travel sites for great deals.Photo by lrargerich.

Avoid the hassle of lugging your bags to the airport, getting slapped with over-limit fees, and fighting with the airlines to be reimbursed in the case of loss or theft by shipping your bags ahead.Photo by cliff1066.

If you've decided at the last minute that you want to take a vacation but you're concerned you won't score a good deal so close to your departure, check out Packlate—a site dedicated to last minute accommodation deals.