From random (to not-so-random) searches to people with prosthetic limbs being asked to prove they’re there to babies in blankets being checked before boarding, it’s never a surprise to discover what the latest thing being banned from the friendly skies might be.

Which is exactly why it’s so surprising that flights coming out of the Bay Area might be carrying passengers with approved baggies of pot.Granted, the marijuana they are traveling with is of the medical variety, but given the strict regulations on so many other substances, it’s still a cause for eyebrows to disappear beneath hairlines.

According to San Francisco police, as long as the patients carry cards that verify that the pot is for medical purposes, they are allowed to bring up to 8 ounces of dried marijuana on board with their toiletries. The police use the same policy within the city itself, and have been doing so since November of 2008.

Airport staff aren’t allowed to dictate who can fly or not with the cannabis; only the local police have that authority.

In San Jose, the law differs. While passengers are allowed to fly with their drugs, the police do write up a report and submit it to a federal judge, who then decides whether criminal activity has occurred or not.

The U.S. Justice Department in general is backing the patients, saying that prosecution of travelers with valid medical needs for the marijuana should be avoided as long as they cooperate with local laws.

But the reality is that air travel generates a considerable amount of waste. If the aluminum cans that are pitched from flights every year were recycled alone (4,250 tons of them, to be precise), there would be enough to construct 58 brand new 747s–which, you might think, would provide some incentive to recycle for the airlines. Raw materials don’t come much cheaper than that!

Paper is also a huge waste in the air travel business. Every year, 72,250 tons of paper are wasted on flights–which is enough to fill up a football-field sized hole 230 feet deep.

The good news is that some airlines are opting to get a bit greener. Delta Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines have all made some strides in recycling their waste. Southwest in particular hopes to make enough money through its recycling efforts to pay for its entire waste management process.

However, most airlines haven’t really jumped aboard the green wagon as of yet. Though the reasons why vary, experts cite little to no government regulations or incentives as the main culprit.

That said, the fact that airports that do recycle save about $100,000 annually should nudge them in the eco-friendly direction.

So what do you do if your attendant cannot recycle your stuff for you? If you truly care about it, you can keep it in your carry-on (which is likely already jam packed!) and recycle it after you get off the plane. Just be sure to write the airline once you get home and let them know that it’s very important to you.

The fee, which will be under “miscellaneous fees” (isn’t that cute?), will be applied during Thanksgiving and New Year’s travel with certain airlines.

While the additional surcharge is only ten bucks, you have to hand it to these airlines: rather than drawing in more flies with honey, they made the bug spray just a wee big stronger.

If you’re making plans to travel on November 29, January 2, or January 3, you can expect the charge if you’re using Delta Air Lines, Northwest, US Airways Group Inc, United, or American Airlines.

And in American’s case, the charge applies both ways, ensuring that if you’re broke and you must travel, you won’t even be able to grab a Cinnabon or a coke during your layover.

Whether it’s traditional or not, during times of economical hardship it seems like a slap in the face to the American people to ask for the ten bucks you’re already asking to now be spent on a terrible  in-flight meal.

If airlines continue to hike up costs–especially for silly reasons like “busy days”–to cover for lack of passengers, they’re likely only going to be met with a greater lack of passengers.

Experts say that travelers should book while the booking is good. “You’re going to have less availability to choose from. Any of these lower fares or special fares that you see offered are capacity controlled,” warns Janet Stevens of AAA Travel Services.It all comes down to the numbers: there are simply fewer passengers flying these days. In fact, this year’s fourth quarter low is expected to be nearly as low as the record set following the September 11 attack in 2001.

Fewer passengers translates to fewer flights offered. And when the holidays sneak up on travelers as they always seem to do, without as many flights available, there won’t be as many choices left.

So how early do we need to buy? Experts say that anytime between now and the end of October is ideal. “Bottom line is that holiday air travel procrastinators do so at their own peril this year and practical travelers should be shopping now,” says Farecompare.com’s Rick Seaney.

According to Stevens, Thanksgiving morning departures can often help people save money, as well as flying outside normal peak periods. This entails flying a few days earlier–such the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving rather than the day before.

Fewer passengers flying does have its advantages. Processing times should be shorter, and lines should be as well. Flights may not be as crowded, and may be more likely to arrive on time.

But in times like these, people are trying to save every penny possible. How can a family of four plan a trip to go see grandma across the country on a budget of, say, only a couple hundred dollars? Can it even be done?

The answer is a resounding yes. With plenty of advance planning and a little saving, it’s definitely possible to make a cross-country trip without spending your entire budget on the airfare itself. Here’s how to do it.

Book Well in Advance

Plan your trip a month ahead. Not only will you have the headache of planning at the last minute prevented, you’ll also save hundreds of dollars. You could even end up spending less than $100 per ticket if you do this in conjunction with the following tips.

Play with Your Dates

Before you plan out your entire trip while you’ll be away, play with the dates you use to find tickets. Sometimes just changing your departure (or return) date by one day will save you a few hundred dollars.

Skip Holiday Charges

Airfare tends to rise over the holidays, so see if you can have Christmas with Nana a little early instead of right on Christmas day. Then your family can have two Christmases! Who wants to travel on Christmas anyway?

Don’t Fly During the Weekend

You might have to stagger your vacation dates–say, Wednesday through Tuesday rather than Monday through Friday–but you’ll save a few hundred dollars doing so.

Specifically Search for Cheap Flights

Search for “Flights Under $100″ and you’ll find round-trip fares all across the country for around $70 each. Southwest Air is particularly famous for such prices. Once you add in fees they’re a little higher, but still often under $100 per ticket.

British company Design Q is working on a concept for staggered, sideways seating in order to help airlines cut costs–and max out on passenger capacity.

Images of the revolutionary idea can be seen here. Each row is made up of inward-facing seats on both sides of the plane. There is also another row, composed of back-to-back seats, down the center of the plane.

And some airlines are already considering the concept. Irish airline Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, says he’s willing to consider new seating arrangements on his company’s planes. He’s also in favor of a vertical, or standing, design during short flights.

While some travelers like to have a conversation with their seat mates, many prefer to remain quiet during their journey. Would such face-to-face seating force people to start talking to one another? And would that be such a bad thing?

As far as short flights go, would standing not increase the uncomfortable feeling of flying that many people have–thereby reducing the airline’s customer inflow? After all, trekking across an airport–particularly while toting around several pounds of luggage–can be a tiring ordeal. Add that to annoyances with security, flight delays and other inconveniences, and most people would probably rather sit as they fly rather than stand.

Another thing to consider are the flight crew. Will it be possible for them to move down such aisles? How will larger passengers be able to fly without the possibility of paying for two seats? And would a larger capacity mean a larger risk during a fire, turbulence or other emergencies?

Would you fly in this fashion?

While it’s true that there are often more cost-effective ways to travel, depending on your destination, there are still many good reasons to book that flight. Here are five of them.

10.  Safety. You know you’re more likely to die in a car accident than in a plane crash. While the chance of being in an airplane accident is about 1 in 11 million, the chance of being in a car accident is 1 in 5,000.

5. Speed. Rather than spending a day or two traveling, you will only need to spend a few hours in transit before you get to where you want to be.

4. Camaraderie. Even if you don’t make small talk with those around you, at least you aren’t traveling alone, which can be scary.

3. Rest. Instead of spending your time driving, you could sleep–something that most people could do more often! You also won’t risk the chance of falling asleep at the wheel.

2. Comfort. Rather than being cramped in a car for who knows how many hours, you can stretch out in a plane since they aren’t as filled to capacity these days. You could even get a full row to stretch out in. In fact, when planes are highly vacant, you may even be offered a free upgrade.

1. Necessity. Sometimes it’s simply more feasible to fly. If you’re on a business trip you have to cram in between taking care of children, running to business meetings or attending classes, flying is a much better option than risking missing your important event.

Here are some tips for traveling on the cheap.

Buy tickets in advance. Some fares will be lower if you buy them three weeks in advance.

Buy tickets during the week. Skip making purchases between Friday and Monday morning, as air fare tends to increase on Thursday evenings as well as over the weekend. Usually prices roll back by Monday afternoon.

Don’t use airports far from home. Save some gas or cab fare and stay close to home.

Shop around. Don’t settle for the first price you see; visit multiple sites and find out what the lowest fare really is. That said, book your best price quickly, as it is liable to change fast.

Buy more than one ticket. If multiple tickets equal a discount and you’re traveling with family or a colleague, buy your tickets together and save some money.

Use air passes or frequent flyer miles. Make use of any discount you’ve got!

Leave your extra stuff at home. If you can get by with a single piece of luggage, do it. Save yourself the extra fees.

Bid on ticket prices. Set a fee for your ticket at Priceline.com or a similar site that you are willing to pay and see if you can get one that way.

Embrace the layover. If you don’t mind having one, you could save some money.

While kids are never 100% predictable, there are ways you can prepare for your trip that can help tame the tantrums, tempers and trouble before they have a chance to spill over in the skies. Here are some of them.Don’t underestimate the power of novelty. New toys or books, no matter how cheap, could be a lifesaver during your flight. Your child will be so absorbed with his new treasures that he will barely notice how uncomfortable he is. Maybe. Another tip: take out one toy at a time to maximize their effectiveness!

The same goes for electronic toys or movies; you may limit these items in general use at home, but they can provide a very good distraction during travel.

Pack snacks. This is especially relevant now that they’re not always offered, but they are also important during takeoff. If you’ve ever gnawed on some gum to help calm your nerves or to help keep your ears from painfully popping, you know the value of chewing while flying. If your child is old enough, use earplugs; if he or she is an infant, let him or her nurse during takeoff.

Give yourself extra time. This will help you from having to rush everywhere and give you a little bit of room for delays like potty emergencies.

Consider using a child tether. Even though these may look ludicrous to you for daily use, they might just save you from losing your child at the airport.

Make sure you’ve got spare clothing in your carry-on. If your child gets sick during the flight, you don’t want to have him or her sitting in soiled clothing until you pick up your luggage.

The good news is that there are some things you can do to make your travel a bit more eco-friendly. Here are a few tips:

Bring your own stuff. Instead of using the disposable items on a flight that will simply contribute to waste, pack your own travel gear–including reusable water bottles, utensils and other necessities.

Fly direct. This lessons your environmental impact with less fuel burn-off.

Buy carbon offsets for the miles you travel. For a donation of about $67, a carbon offset counters the two tons of carbon generated per air traveler by investing in environmental projects such as wind farms or reforestation. You can do this through organizations such as Clean Air-Cool Planet. Booking agencies such as Travelocity and Expedia also have carbon offset options.

Use a new plane. If you can, opt for an airline using newer plane models. They are likely to be more fuel efficient than older models.

Fly jetBlue if you can. They have a number of green programs they use to create a gentler impact on the planet.

Developments for more eco-friendly traveling are also in the works. U.S. flights have been testing algae fuel, Pipistrel is working on electric-powered aircrafts, and laminar flow control is being developed to create more efficient fuel use.