Good news for anyone who’s wanted to join the Registered Traveler program: more participating airports and lower fees are on the horizon. Today the TSA announced that it has decided to lift a cap on the number of airports offering programs like Clear and Preferred Traveler. Before today, that cap kept the number of airports with registered traveler programs like Clear to a meager 20 spread around the nation.

What’s more, the TSA has decided to eliminate its $28 fee for the program. Travelers will still have to pay fees levied by the private sector service providers offering the programs, but the costs will now be significantly less. With the Clear program, for example, that brings the cost of a first-year membership down to $100 from $128 per person.

The good news: there are more TSA-friendly laptop bags in the works. The semi-bad news? They aren’t going to win any style awards. But then, there are plenty of travelers who would gladly carry a plain Jane bag as long it allows them to avoid the laptop shuffle at security checkpoints.

Yesterday, Midwest Airlines revealed the new, reduced route map and slew of schedule changes it plans to implement on Sept. 8th as part of its larger restructuring effort brought on by high fuel prices and the company’s decision to ground its MD-80 planes.

What’s changing? Gone is service to leisure-friendly cities like Ft. Lauderdale and San Diego, as are direct flights from Milwaukee to West Coast cities Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. To keep its core business customers flying, the airline has retained service to and from major business centers and its hubs, Milwaukee and Kansas City.

All told, the airline will still service 32 cities.

Major carriers are launching a new money-making scheme that I approve of: ads on boarding passes. As the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, Delta has already added promotional messages, coupons and destination-based travel information like weather reports to some boarding passes and at least four other airlines (Continental, United, Northwest, US Airways) have partnered with the company producing the ads and expect to roll out the new boarding passes within the year.

Sure, some people will probably decry the presence of yet more advertising images in their everyday lives, but the airlines clearly need to find new revenue streams - and this one arguably benefits some travelers - and it certainly doesn’t take anything away.

Commercial air travel being what it is today makes this 120-pound personal jet suit by daring Swiss pilot Yves Rossy look like an attractive - though somewhat scary - alternative to conventional puddle jumping. Too bad it only carries enough fuel to stay airborne for 12 minutes, a record Rossy hopes to break when he attempts to cross the English Channel while wearing this homemade contraption later this year.

Well, it’s not like we didn’t see it coming. The days of the free first checked bag, at least on major airlines’ domestic U.S. flights, are numbered. Yesterday, Northwest Airlines announced that it will begin charging travelers $15 to check the first bag, a policy adopted earlier this summer by American Airlines and United Airlines. This morning, US Airways threw itself into the ring and announced the same $15 fee.

US Airways Baggage Policy

Northwest Airlines Baggage Policy

What’s more, the US Airways has also decided that, in addition to other recent changes like eliminating free in-flight beverages in economy class, it will beginning removing in-flight entertainment systems from its seats this fall, with no plans to replace them anytime soon. According to this AP story, the company estimates the change will save $10 million annually in fuel costs, thanks to the lighter load.

It seems that what many considered an unbelievable change in airline policies just a few months ago has quickly become the norm.

As for me, I think it’s time to drop some cash over at Minimus. Of course, isn’t that the irony? Paying more for new, tinier toiletries in order to avoid fees that will likely be less than the annual cost of my personal  products?

If you’re not already a member of Virgin America’s Elevate program, then here’s a reason to join. The airline is picking one Elevate member to join its group of VIPs for the first public viewing, scheduled for July 28, of the WhiteKnight aircraft that will launch Virgin Galactic’s commercial space ship, SpaceShipTwo, into sub-orbital space flight.

Wanna see this knight in shining, carbon composite armor? You’ll have to get creative and tell the powers that be about the first thing you’d do in a weightless environment in 50 words or less. Click the image above to get started….

In what Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is calling a world first, passengers on KLM flights departing Amsterdam will be able to check their own bags using self-service kiosks to check in and new luggage handling machines to weigh and label their bags.

The new trial system, launched on Friday, is designed to make the check-in process easier and, eventually, completely self-service. For the time being, airline employees still check passengers’ passports as they accept checked bags, but passport scanners that will do this without human assistance are planned next steps.

This new option for travelers further solidifies Amsterdam Schiphol as one of the world’s best, most innovative airports. Along with offering travelers the aforementioned check-in convenience found nowhere else, the transportation hub is also home to the first CitizenM Hotel, officially opened last week, and is the only airport I’ve run across that promotes its accessibility to cyclists, thanks to bike paths circling the airport property.

Here’s an image Pathfinder Luggage sent me today of the prototype checkpoint-friendly laptop bag they are developing after talks with the TSA. We blogged earlier this week (see post An End to the Laptop Shuffle?) about the TSA’s decision to allow travelers to leave laptops in certain approved bags while they go through airport security. Right now, the bags are in production - and this is just one of several types from several different companies that are making them. They are expected to hit the market in the fall.

It’s hard for me to blog about the arrival of in-flight Internet service - my god, I’ve waited sooo long. And the waiting has gotten tiresome. I’d almost rather just forget about it until one glorious day, when I board a plane, and - bam! - I can use the time to catch up on all those articles and emails and RSS feeds I’ve been neglecting. Yes, many among you will no doubt read a sentiment like that and say, okay, bo-rang, go read a book or something.

But for me, the notion of in-flight Internet has always been accompanied by the imaginary trills of angels from on high.

And while I said I didn’t really *want* to blog about it, because it just makes me too emotional, here I find myself doing it anyway.

So I might as well tell you that American Airlines is now saying that after testing on one plane earlier this summer, its GoGo Inflight Internet service will be available later this month on at least 15 of its planes, the 767 200s, according to MSNBC story In-flight Internet Access Takes Off. Look out for the $12.95 service ($9.95 on shorter routes) on flights between JFK, LAX, San Francisco and Miami (as shown in the above map).