New eatery on Gull Lake

A burger made with house-smoked brisket, apple-smoked prime rib or Asiago popcorn-breaded walleye — with a lake view. Find them all at the new restaurant at Quarterdeck Resort, Dock 77. The Brainerd Lakes area restaurant is led by chef Shawn Lowman, a three-time winner of the Taste of the Lakes People's Choice Award. His menu focuses on fresh fish and meats smoked on-site. The Nisswa, Minn., spot is open daily, and represents a partnership between Quarterdeck Resort and 3 Cheers Hospitality, known for restaurants such as Prairie Bay, Sherwood Forest and the Iron Range Eatery. See QuarterdeckResort.com.

Kerri Westenberg

Oahu law challenges rentals

A new law on the Hawaiian island of Oahu could affect vacationers looking to rent properties. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell recently signed a bill that restricts advertising unlicensed properties to would-be renters. The law, which goes into effect Aug. 1, has implications for nearly 8,000 potential rental homes and bed-and-breakfast properties. According to the Honolulu City Council, only 1,715 rentals out of 8,000 to 10,000 properties in Oahu are eligible to be advertised. The rest are unlicensed; many are in residential neighborhoods. "Residents generally voice strong concerns about 'unhosted' transient vacation units, particularly when a significant number of transient vacation units are located in the same neighborhood," council members wrote in the bill. Rentals in resort areas such as Waikiki will be exempt. The City Council plans to operate "digital stings," combing online ads, including Airbnb, for illegal properties. Fines for homeowners (not travelers) start at $1,000.

travel pulse

Aer Lingus lands at MSP

Aer Lingus flew its first nonstop flight between MSP and Dublin July 1. The service gives Minnesotans a new international airline and a new nonstop European destination. The airline aims to set its fares at or below the U.S. mainline carriers, such as United and American Airlines. The strategy is already putting downward pressure on airfare to get across the pond. Tickets to Dublin are about $300 below average for July. The flight from MSP to Dublin takes seven hours and 30 minutes; the return will be about an hour longer. The inbound flight arrives at 4:50 p.m. and the departing flight leaves at 6:45 p.m. The year-round route will be flown six days a week for the first month before bumping up to daily for the remainder of the summer and fall months. It will fly four times a week through winter. The route is being flown on a 177-seat Boeing 757. Aer Lingus has plans to replace the 757 in its fleet by 2020; after that, the route will likely be flown on an Airbus A330.

Kristen Leigh Painter

The first direct Aer Lingus flight from Dublin landed at MSP on July 1.

Baggage fees hit record

Airline baggage fees hit a record $1.3 billion in the first three months of the year, according to federal statistics. A dozen years ago, airlines collected a modest $464,284 from passengers who wanted to check a bag. Last year it was close to $4.8 billion. The airline industry argues that the fees allow it to keep ticket prices down and that travelers who don't check any bags shouldn't be charged an all-in-one ticket price that assumes bags will be checked.

Washington Post