forgotten_aria

Buy a sandwich and bring it with you to eat on the flight. Now food during the flight costs money, and the selection can be poor. It's easier just to bring your own.

Bring a water bottle & fill it up at the fountain before you get on the plane, after you get through security. (Or just buy a bottle of water after you get through security.)

I'm always sketched out by Airtran though I'm not entirely sure why. I have flown American and United, mostly.

Many airlines charge for checking bags ($25 or $50) these days. Most airlines also allow you to print out your boarding pass the day before so you don't have to deal with waiting in lines to get ticketed and all. I have used this service before and it's great. (Though not with checked bags.) It also only works on domestic flights, but that's not an issue for you since you're flying to LA.

Plymouth's comment on liquids is good to remember too. Put all your liquid things in a freezer (quart) transparent ziploc bag and that will be good. The rules say 3 oz max but they don't really fuss too badly as long as it's in a transparent bag.

When you go through security you often have to take off your shoes and let your shoes go through X-Ray. Also you need to remove your laptop from the bag and put it in it's own bin.

You cannot carry nail clippers or scissors or things like that on the plane, but you can carry knitting needles. Go figure.

If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask! I have flown a bunch over the last few years.