A well-crafted itinerary is the cure for untold travel troubles. The right amount of pre-trip planning can save money, keep you safe, and—this one's crucial—help you have the best time possible whether you're going on a three-week cross-continent sojourn or spending a long weekend at the beach. A solid itinerary is the root of a stress-free trip, to put it simply. Want to be a master planner? Here are 10 itinerary mistakes you probably make—and how to avoid them.

Don't Bother…

In the travel world, few topics incite more contention and indignation than seatback etiquette—as we learned a while back when we published Six Shocking Stories of Travelers Gone Wild, which stirred up a wild debate among our readers.

In the piece, an editor from Family Vacation Critic (our sister site) and I…

Last week, Vilma Soltesz died after she was denied her seat on a flight because of her weight. Soltesz was planning to fly home to receive treatment for diabetes and renal disease, but she passed away in Hungary before she could get home. Her husband has filed a lawsuit, but the two airlines named in the suit (Delta and KLM) are…

This year, United dropped its practice of allowing families to board planes before other travelers. The legacy carrier joined the ranks of American and US Airways, which don't officially offer pre-boarding or early boarding of any kind for families. But a handful of other airlines still do, including Delta (the…