Delivering gifts is a piece of fruitcake when you're flying first class in a big sleigh with plenty of legroom and no baggage fees. For air travelers going coach, getting a sackful of gifts home is more challenging. Most airlines have hefty luggage fees and are strictly enforcing size and weight limits. Checking two bags on most airlines adds an average of $100 to your ticket cost. (Carriers charge anywhere from $15 to $20 for the first bag and $25 to $30 for a second bag, each way.) You can ship stuff in advance, but that isn't cheap either. A 50-pound box (the weight limit most airlines set for bags) sent Fed-Ex Ground across the country will run about $55 and take five business days to arrive. Send the same 50-pound package by parcel post through the U.S. Postal Service and it will cost about $51 and take seven days to get to its destination. Smaller packages may be more cost-effective. (Check out the flat-rate Priority Mail boxes.) The easiest -- and least expensive -- way to get items where you want them by Christmas morning is to order them online and have them shipped directly there. It's the rare e-tailer that isn't offering free or flat-rate shipping between now and Christmas. Online retailers have designated Dec. 17 as Free Shipping Day 2009. Do your holiday shopping by 11:59 p.m. on that date and you'll get free shipping and guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. Participating merchants include Crate & Barrel, Toys 'R' Us, Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Brookstone and hundreds of others. The concept was created by FreeShipping.org, a Web site that features free shipping deals and coupon codes throughout the year. Some retailers, including Nordstrom, JCPenney and Best Buy, allow you to order online and then pick up the order at a local store in your destination city. If you must carry gifts home, shop light. Skip the bulky, hefty presents. Magazine subscriptions, gift cards and certificates take up no space at all. You're in luck if you're flying one of the two major carriers that don't charge for checked bags. Southwest allows passengers to check two bags at no cost. (Fill one with clothes, the other with gifts, but don't go over the weight limit.) JetBlue allows passengers to check one bag for free. The second will cost $30. Other airlines waive luggage fees for full fare, business class, gold-level frequent fliers, first-class ticket holders and/or active military personnel. Check airline Web sites for details. Most carriers allow each passenger a carry-on bag and a personal item, such as a purse, briefcase or backpack. Make the most of that. (As long as the bag fits in the overhead compartment and the personal item fits under the seat, you're fine.) If you carry gifts onboard, don't wrap anything. Screeners will pull you out of line and ask you to open boxes. When checking luggage, don't waste your weight allowance on a heavy suitcase. Use the lightest bag you have. A collapsible duffel that folds up and fits into your other suitcase could save a luggage fee on the return trip -- if you aren't returning home with a bagful of gifts you received. Buy a luggage scale and weigh all bags before heading to the airport. Be sure suitcases conform to size limits. If your bags are overweight or oversize, you'll be slapped with additional fees that could run as high as $300. 