ON COURSE

Delta ups checked bag fees The cost of checking bags on Delta Air Lines flights just jumped. The airline has discontinued its $2 or $3 discount for paying the domestic checked baggage fee online instead of at the airport. Now travelers will pay $25 for the first checked bag on domestic flights and $35 for the second regardless of how or where the fee is paid. Travelers who use their Delta-branded American Express card to purchase tickets still get one free checked bag.

The fee for a second bag to Canada or Europe has risen from $50 to $60 if paid online or $75 if paid at the airport. Delta is also adding a $30 fee for a second checked bag for flights between the United States and most of Latin America, including Mexico and the Caribbean. In the the case of Canada, Europe and Latin America, the first bag is still free.

KERRI WESTENBERG

Q I want to fly to Denver this summer to stay with friends. When is the best time to schedule my vacation to maximize savings?

A Sorry to say that'd be September. I know that doesn't count as summer, but you could find airfare price breaks around then that just won't materialize this summer. The Air Transport Association predicts that a total of 206.2 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines from June through August, about 3 million more passengers than during the same period last year. That increase of 1.5 percent could keep prices steady or on the rise through the busy summer months. Airfares often go down for fall travel.

Answers to travel questions appear weekly in Travel and at startribune.com/escapeartists; send your question by e-mail to travel@startribune.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

'Beef commercial' explainedOn May 29, Travel ran a story on good eats around the state that included mention of a Mankato specialty called the "beef commercial," a hearty open-faced sandwich that involves mashed potatoes, roast beef and gravy. The author and a cook who makes the dish were both stumped by the name. Not reader Kathryn Christenson, who lives down the road in St. Peter. She sent an e-mail with this explanation: "When I was growing up, long before online shopping, America was crisscrossed by the routes of traveling salesmen, otherwise known as commercial travelers. This was also before the days of 'Ladies who Lunch.' Commercial travelers (i.e., salesmen) ate their meals on the road and were the mainstay of Main Street cafes like Mankato's Midtown Tavern. The daily specials were called 'commercials' to appeal to the traveling salesmen. Pass the word along, please!" Consider it done, Kathryn. Read the original story at www.startribune.com/a463.

KERRI WESTENBERG

Frontier flies to Kansas CityFrontier Airlines has added nonstop service from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Kansas City International. Last week, the budget airline began flying twice a day Mondays through Saturdays and once a day on Sundays to the city known for barbecue and jazz. The move could keep prices in check. Frontier is currently offering deals on the flights. Delta is the only other airline with nonstop service between MSP and Kansas City. The Frontier aircraft, which seat 99 and 76 passengers depending on which plane is used, have four rows of "stretch" seating, which offer 5 additional inches of legroom. For schedules and prices, go to www. frontierairlines.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

Boutique, out: Public, in Ian Schrager is "sick of slick." The hotelier says boutique hotels, a concept he helped pioneer, have morphed into the "Frankenstein" of hotels. His response: a new, pared-down brand of hotel. The first Public hotel will open Oct. 11 in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, in the former Ambassador East Hotel. The design will be heavy on simplicity and neutral colors. Public spaces will encourage lobby socializing. The living room and the library will have intimate seating areas, communal work tables and computer stations. The library will serve as a coffee bar by day and a lounge and bar by night. Preview rates begin at $135 a night (www.publichotels.com/chicago/home; 1-312-787-3700).

WASHINGTON POST

Find a meal deal on the goIf you scour the Web looking for travel deals, don't stop once you find a cheap flight or hotel. BiteHunter.com points you in the right direction to score mealtime discounts. This real-time search engine scours the Web, newspapers, magazines and social media outlets -- including trusted sources such as OpenTable and Restaurant.com -- to find great meal deals, events and activities. So far, there are more than 16,000 deals for happy hour, brunch, prix fixe dinners and more in Chicago, San Francisco and New York.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

Nordic fun in MoorheadThe annual Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival in Moorhead, Minn., features events and activities that celebrate the cultural history of Moorhead and Fargo. Highlights of the June 24-25 festivities include a 5K run/walk, ethnic music, dance, storytelling, a Nordic marketplace and exhibits. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days. Admission is $10; free for ages 18 and under. (1-218-299-5452; www.nordiccultureclubs.org).

COLLEEN A. COLES