Thousands of New Jersey residents will soon fly around the country to celebrate Thanksgiving. Consumer experts say that are ways to save money and your sanity while flying.

Many airlines have fees for everything from extra luggage to extra legroom.

"They're selling you a fare to fly. Everything else became a la carte. That's how they make their money now," says Consumer Report's Mandy Walker.

But Walker says it is possible to lessen some of the hassles of flying.

Walker says that websites like SeatGuru.com can help travelers find the best seats available on a plane. She says to also check the airline website about 72 hours before departure.

"If economy is overbooked, and there's space open up front, they will automatically book the more elite travelers," Walker says. "So that's the time to go in and see if you can get one of the seats that they've abandoned that might be a better seat than your own."

Walker says to also consider getting an airline credit card, because it may get travelers free checked bags or priority boarding.

One of the biggest complaints travelers have at airports is long lines at security. Walker advises travelers to sign up for TSA Pre-check to avoid long waits.

"It's $85 for five years and it gets you through the line a lot quicker," she says.

Walker says that according to the TSA, the average wait time for Pre-check passengers was just five minutes. Lines were hours long for everyone else.