Few inventions have changed how people live and experience the world as much as the invention of the airplane. During both World Wars, government subsidies and demands for new airplanes vastly improved techniques for their design and construction. Following the World War II, the first commercial airplane routes were set up in Europe. Over time, air travel has become so commonplace that it would be hard to imagine life without it. The airline industry, therefore, certainly has progressed. It has also altered the way in which people live and conduct business by shortening travel time and altering our concept of distance, making it possible for us to visit and conduct business in places once considered remote.
Although fuel prices, and numerous external risks associated with the industry, scare many individuals out of airline stocks, the astute investor can still make money in the sector. That is, if they know what to look for. In this article, we'll give you a list of seven tips and recommendations for researching and selecting the best airline stocks to own.

1. Analyze Fuel Hedging
Some airlines try to pass higher fuel costs on to their customers in the form of a fuel surcharge. But the most efficient way to mitigate fuel costs (particularly over time) is to purchase futures contracts that lock in a company's fuel supply for the coming year at a set price. (To read more about fuel prices, see Getting A Grip On The Cost Of Gas and Fueling Futures In The Energy Market.)

To be clear, all airlines do some hedging. But some companies hedge more than others. As such, they are better prepared, should oil prices skyrocket. For example, Southwest Airlines hedged as much as 85% of its annual fuel usage over the past six years. The move effectively locked in consumption at $26 per barrel of oil, which in turn saved shareholders an estimated $1.8 billion (from 1999 to