Holiday travel: How to keep it a merry time of year

Pack with care: If you're flying, skip the fancy wrapped presents. Whether you pack gifts in your carry-on or checked luggage, the Transportation Safety Administration says they should be unwrapped. Many kinds of food, including cheese, wine and sauces, should be put in your checked baggage or shipped ahead. For a complete list of food items you can't bring on the plane and other notes for holiday travel, go to www.tsa.gov/travelers/holiday_travel.shtm.

Enjoy holiday cheer: Shop for deals amid live piano music at the mall at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, where shops and restaurants on every concourse are offering coupon deals through Dec. 31. Pick up a coupon book at information booths and kiosks, or download it at www.shopsatmsp.com. One coupon is good for 15 percent off a book at the Red Balloon Bookshop, a St. Paul children's bookstore with a location at Concourse C. The store is hosting children storytimes between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (on the hour and half-hour) Dec. 21-23.

Know what's coming: Various websites offer online flight-tracking services, many updated every few minutes. In most cases, you'll need to know the flight number. Sites such as www.flightaware.com, www.flytecomm.com and www.flightview.com let you search real-time arrivals and departures at airlines across the country. Busiest travel days are expected to be Dec. 27-29.