Complaints from air travellers may be soaring since strengthened EU rules on compensation last year. But savvy travellers should have less to grumble about if they make use of two new guides on cutting down on the hidden costs of flying.

For those of you who prefer to drive to the airport, Travelsupermarket.com has a useful guide to finding the best deals on airport parking with a survey of the best aggregator sites and a handy table of how much each could save you around the country.

And as airlines introduce more and more charges for "added benefits" such as in-flight food and drink, Cheapflights.co.uk has brought out a very handy survey exposing the hidden costs of flying on an airline-by-airline basis. It seems some airlines are even beginning to charge up to £2.50 for use of an entertainment headset.

The results reveal that sporting holidaymakers should definitely shop around before scoring a plane ticket: some airlines charge as much as €65 for carrying golf clubs on a flight (Alitalia) while others will take them for free as long as they come within your overall baggage weight limit (Iberia, Lufthansa, BA and KLM).

But while you may not have to pay Ryanair more than £15.50 for your skis if you check them in online - or £20.50 at the airport - you had better hope you don't break a leg before your return flight. The airline insists that passengers with legs in full plaster purchase three whole seats for themselves!

Passengers with restricted mobility are also prevented from using Ryanair's online check-in facility which presumably means they have to pay £5 for every item of checked luggage rather than the £2.50 offered online. And just make sure you don't need to change the name on your booking - that will cost you £45.

Looking ahead, next week sees the launch of TNT Magazine's online auctions site, the first of its kind to be aimed at the backpacker market. The title, (also owned by Guardian Media Group) says its new product will "blur the boundaries between independent and package holiday travel" by introducing Thomson holidays to the Antipodean backpacker market. Lonely Planet will be auctioning its guides at a discount and bargain-hunters will be able to bid for 100 deals from Monday. The content will be shared with Guardian Unlimited's Travel Auctions site launched earlier this year, broadening the markets for each site.