Ten Secrets of the Savvy Traveler

When traveling, it's easy to focus only on where you're going and forget about how you get there.

But seasoned travelers have picked up some clever ways to make air travel more than just an unpleasant subway ride in the sky.

Here are their top 10 secrets:

Nab the Best Seat

There's a big difference between a middle seat way in the back of the plane, or a nice exit-row aisle seat closer to the front. So be sure to pick your seats in advance.

That isn't usually possible on Southwest(LUV Quote), which has its own seating method, but airlines such as Delta(DAL Quote), American(AMR Quote) and Continental(CAL Quote) almost always allow you to reserve seats, unless the flight is packed or you've been selected for a security check.

The seat-choice options are sometimes hard to find on Internet reservation sites, and a lot of ticketing agents don't ask you automatically, so you probably have to do the asking.

If you know what kind of plane you'll have, this can go even a step further. You can often look up the plane's seat layout online -- make sure the layout is for your airline, because they differ by carrier -- and you might find out that certain seats don't recline or are near the lavatory, for instance.

Check out SeatGuru for layouts, such as that of a Northwest Airlines'(NWA Quote) Airbus A320, or a Boeing(BA Quote) 717 layout on Midwest Air Group(MEH Quote).

Make Sure You Qualify for an Upgrade

If you plan to upgrade, make sure the fare is eligible for the upgrade. Some cheap fares can't be upgraded.

If you're debating whether to use miles or just pay for the ticket, see how expensive the ticket is. If you can get a cheap fare, it might be worthwhile to save those miles for another situation where the seats are relatively more expensive.

Take Advantage of an Airline's Airport Perks

Especially if you're traveling in an elite class, figure out what the airlines offer. They might allow access to their airport lounges, for example, so you can have a glass of wine and go on the Internet during those last minutes before the flight, instead of cramming into the seats near the gate with all those other travelers.

Coming back from Bangkok or Singapore in United's(UAL Quote) business class, I could stop at the Red Carpet Club at Tokyo's Narita airport and take a shower before getting on the flight back to the U.S. That shower made such a difference in how I felt getting on the next plane, it was amazing.

Discover Airport Amenities

Some airports have showering places even the coach-class folk can use -- for a price, of course. Airports have shopping, massage outlets and sometimes even art exhibits. Taking a look at the airport's Web site in advance may offer clues as to whether you'll be rewarded by wandering around a bit before your flight or during a layover.

Airport sites have become increasingly useful in the past few years -- nowadays, they even offer tips on parking, dining and security wait times. Check out the sites of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, Chicago's O'Hare and London's Heathrow for a taste of what you can find out.