The fees associated with checked luggage have been all over the news recently. First we heard about airlines charging $25 for the second checked bag, and the uproar continued when American announced it would charge $15 for the first checked bag. I find it amazing that these luggage fees are having such coverage, yet other more expensive fees have not made headlines.

The change fees on nonrefundable tickets have risen to as much as $150 on domestic flights and no one has said a word. The fees for kids flying solo have risen to as much as $200 round trip on domestic flights. Fees for bringing pets on board have risen to as much as $100 one-way, and in cargo it's as much as $299 one-way. The legacy carriers have raised fares this year by $340 on noncompetitive coast-to-coast flights.

Legacy airlines have a hub-and-spoke system and the high cost of fuel is hitting them hard. Low-cost carriers are also feeling some pain, but their point-to-point flights are more fuel-efficient in comparison. When fuel was cheaper, this difference in systems didn't matter, but now it does. In addition to raising fares and fees, the legacy carriers are cutting back 10 percent to 12 percent of flights to further reduce operating costs.

Low-cost carriers are becoming more appealing since their fees and fares are generally lower than those charged by the legacy carriers. For instance, Southwest doesn't charge for changing your ticket, it doesn't charge for kids flying solo and it currently allows two free checked bags, so you can avoid many of these add-on fees. (Southwest doesn't accept pets on flights, so you'll have to fly someone else if you are traveling with Fido.)

I've never been a strong believer in travel insurance, except for big packages, but because these airline processing fees are getting so outrageous, travelers should consider it. If you think there is even the slightest chance that you won't make your trip, you can save considerable money when you are looking at a $150 fee for changing your ticket.

When considering any policy, read the fine print so you'll know what is covered. Better coverage generally costs more money, so you may want to pay a little more. If you are traveling with your family, you'll want to make sure everyone can cancel if one person becomes ill.

Tom Parsons is publisher of Bestfares.com.