Fair food.

Now that many flights have scrapped serving meals, what is the etiquette for carrying food on the plane?

Airline passengers are already familiar with the awkward moments of armrest territoriality, where neither passenger is certain if they are taking up too much space and both end up tucking in their arms in fear of disturbing fellow fliers. Now we have to worry about what foods are appropriate to bring on the plane. Pamela Holland, an etiquette expert at Brody Communications, says that while bringing outside food onto the plane is acceptable, what kinds of foods to bring should be considered carefully. "Passengers should be mindful of not just filling their stomachs. They should remember they are going to be shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers" she says. The most important thing to remember about airborne dining is not to bring foods with offensive odors. What smells great in a kitchen isn't always as pleasant in close quarters, Holland says. Also, it's best to avoid meals that require elaborate preparation that could disturb others. Some acceptable options are foods like sandwiches or pretzels. When traveling overseas, be aware that many countries place restrictions on the transport of fruits and vegetables.

Do high fuel costs affect the cost of my airplane ticket?

"Yes, but only to a limited extent," says Edward Hasbrouck, a world traveler and author of The Practical Nomad. Airlines tend to use fuel price increases as an excuse to raise prices and often resist lowering prices even when fuel costs come down. So while consumers should expect an increase in airfare, Hasbrouck says that the actual cost of airline tickets should, theoretically, not be a major factor. "The price of airline tickets is determined more by supply and demand," he says. One way airlines cut costs is by "tankering." Alan Bender, an associate professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, explains: "To mitigate the loss, they try to purchase fuel in places where it's less expensive than in other places. Like gas for your car, it's cheaper at some airports than at others." Taxes are what's really pushing prices up. There has been a significant increase in the number of taxes consumers have to pay in the past five years, including a Sept. 11 security surcharge, taxes for the specific airport, and sometimes a fuel surcharge, which is the most misleading since airlines try to imply that it's a government fee. When consumers purchase international airline tickets they should compare prices with taxes included, which are often not calculated in advance on international flights. As a rule of thumb, for international flights, add on US$100.