It's Econ 101. Yesterday, I wrote about how Delta and American -- and later United -- raised fuel surcharges by $20 on many domestic routes. This means that many travelers will be paying as much as $130 in round-trip surcharges on top of base ticket charges.
At what point do people start cutting back on flying?
There's an interesting piece in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that says we'll probably see as much as $60 more in surcharges -- bringing the total to nearly $200 -- before we hit that point.
A spokesman for Delta says so far his airline hasn't been hurt by the surcharges -- in fact their bookings are running a bit ahead of last year's.
And Rick Seaney, CEO of the website FareCompare.com, said he doesn't think prices have hit a "tipping point" yet either, but it's getting thisclose. Seaney, who keeps tabs on fare increases, said he estimates "there could be two or three more $20 increases before they really begin to lose customers."
That's when the airlines will either have to stop raising -- or start cutting -- charges.
Here is Seaney's timeline of airfare and surcharge hikes this year:

Mount Olympus and Hades, Maui and Gary, mom’s and your brother-in-law’s – you have been there, done that, realized that scale can be everything. Here are two writers who take their own tacks to marry the wide angle with the myriad motives that fuel travel.

Navigating between heaven and earth, Tom Stone takes us to Greece on a roundabout itinerary that reminds the poorly educated among us why that country matters in the history of everything, including theology. Stone lived in Greece for 22 years, has written about the country and its culture and language, and lives now in another outpost of the gods, Los Angeles. “Zeus: A Journey Through Greece in the Footsteps of a God” (Bloomsbury, 336 pp., hardcover, $24.95) situates the reader with a brief chronology of Zeus’s long life and purposeful death at the hands of the newfangled Christianity, and then sets off alongside Stone and his wife en route, first, to Crete and Santorini. Those tourist destinations are where Minoan civilization began around 2500 B.C. Zeus, however, had been around for thousands of years already, worshiped in the Neolithic Age around 7000 B.C. in the Russian steppes and south of the Caucasus as a sky god, a belief system that was reflected by goddess-worshiping farmers from Mesopotamia who came to inhabit Greece and its islands and, importantly, Crete, about 6500 B.C. (Even then, everyone wanted to go to Greece!)

If for any reason to want to get to the Berkshire International Film Festival, it ought to be to sneak a glimpse, and hopefully more so, of the guest of honor...Mr. Six-Degrees-of-Separation-Himself, Mr. Kevin Bacon.

The annual festival runs from May 15-18 and examines independent features, documentary, short and family films, and offers lively panel discussions and other special events focusing on film, filmmakers, and everyone involved on both sides of the camera. Mr. Bacon, or Kev as I like to call him, will be honored on Friday at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Believe it or not, this man has been in film for over 30 years and in over 60 films, including his first big break in "Animal House." Rumor has it that Kira will be elsewhere, which leaves him all to his devoted fans. For more information call 413-528-8030 or visit here.

Unbelievable. Two of the three biggest US carriers again raised fuel surcharges on many domestic routes by $20 round-trip.
The AP is reporting that the latest hikes by Delta and American bring the tote board figure for these fees to as much as $130 round-trip on many flights. That means passengers who scored cheapo flights could be paying more in fees and taxes than for the airfare.
Delta kicked off the festivities, the second time its raised fees in just over a week. Last time, rivals quickly piled on and there's no reason to believe they won't this time too.
It puts me in mind of what Gillette sometimes used to do when they introduced a new razor: They give it to you for free because they know you've got to buy the pricey new blades. Soon flights will be free, but the taxes, surcharges, and other fees will be ginormous.

Hemmed in by surging fuel costs, Delta is cutting back on perks offered to passengers even before they step onto the plane. The airline is closing nine of its 42 members-only airport lounges, including one at Logan. The Crown Room Club located between Gates 6 and 7 in Terminal A will shut down May 15, although Delta's club between Gates 17 and 18 will remain open. Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliott declined to reveal how much its main lounge was being used by members paying between $300 and $600 a year or how much money the airline expects to save by shuttering it. However, she said the airline wants to make better use of its reciprocal lounge agreements with other airlines, including Alaska, Continental, and Northwest. Logan spokesman Matt Brelis said Continental will sublease Delta's shuttered club. By the end of the month, Delta will have also closed airport clubs in Cincinnati, Denver, Honolulu, Kansas City, Mo., London, Phoenix, and Seattle.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

Headed for Europe? I know. Given the slumping dollar and the soaring costs of airline tickets it's heard to believe that anyone is but in its first international summer travel forecast AAA is actually expecting travel by Americans to rise 2.6 percent.
OK, so if you happen to be headed over you should know that the Auto Rental Wars that are percolating here are starting to brew there.
Hertz, which has a number of offices in Western Europe, just announced that it would start renting for periods shorter than a day. The new Hertz 369 program will let you rent for three or six hours for day trips, or nine hours for overnights.
It's no mistake that Hertz is doing this a little over a month after our own Cambridge-based, car-sharing pioneer Zipcar announced it was setting its sights on Europe (it already has an office in London).
My old friend Scott Kirsner wrote a story in March about how UHaul and the big rental agencies like Hertz and Enterprise , mature industries all, having been casting jealous glances Zipcar's way and are looking to compete for the sharing/short-term rental biz aux Etats Unis.
And now it appears a new front is being opened across the pond. This is a good thing.

I know I just covered Earth Day, but that's Vermont for ya, always were green, and ever more so now. Burlington had a two week Earth Day fest already, but here comes the city's Going Green Expo this weekend, May 10 & 11. From the same coordinators who brought you Going Green in Boston, Going Green in Vermont is the state's first eco-living exposition. Go to discover the latest in sustainable clothing at the Eco-Fashion show, or learn about better environmental construction in the Green Building and Design Zone. There are dozens of workshops throughout the weekend, and plenty of things to keep the kids smiling like Story time, a musical puppet show and free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.

Going Green is held at UVM's Gutterson Athletic Center. For more information call 603-786-9278 or visit here.

I've never been. Been a lot of places, dove into a lot of dumpsters for free goods, and left yard sales with the whole lot,...but I have never been to Brimfield. Partly I think because I am intimidated...for goodness sakes, Martha goes to Brimfield. And how could you or I ever bid against Martha for that Limoge, or the rusted, iron planter that we both want to sit within our cutting gardens? So here it is and I am telling you to go, and just maybe I will not only have the guts, but the time to go this year [doubtful on both accounts]. Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show is, after all, the largest outdoor antiques show in the world, with over 6000 dealers and 130,000 visitors, including Martha. The week of May 13-18, is marked by acres of tents, and makeshift shops showcasing the found merchandise of dealers from Springfield, Mass., to Jakarta offering up the mundane and the rare, to you, me and Martha too. This is my idea of a perfect use of time.

Admission fees vary by field. You can call 413-283-6149 for more information.

Yes, it may be astronomically pricey to travel these days, as every car, boat, bus, train and plane trip are affected by these darned gas prices. So why not combat that "I'm not in Timbuktu" depression with writers who can transport you to some great beyond? My top picks for armchair travel include:

The Transportation Security Administration started physically screening 100 percent of workers and vehicles entering the airfield at Logan under a 90-day pilot program funded by Congress.
Previously, employees could access the airfield by showing their airport identification badge, which is issued after passing a criminal background check. Now they also need to get out of their vehicles and spread their arms as a TSA agent uses a metal-detector wand to check for guns or other banned items.
"If we're going to scrutinize our customers, it's only sensible that we screen our employees," said Edward Freni, Logan's director of aviation.
The main reason this "sensible" idea has yet to be fully implemented is "a matter of costs," said George Naccara, the TSA's federal security director overseeing Logan. The pilot program puts 43 extra TSA screeners at five airfield checkpoints. Naccara estimated physically screening 100 percent of employees entering the airfield and the airport terminals would require 1,300 more TSA agents, but didn’t know how much that would cost. Currently 900 TSA agents work at Logan.
The pilot program is supposed to determine how much 100 percent screening costs and how it impacts airport operations.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

If you're a golfer and planning on traveling in southwestern Ireland on May 14, here's an opportunity. County Limerick's five-star castle hotel, Adare Manor, is hosting the Irish Open May 15-18, and Irish golfer Padraig Harrington is returning to defend his title on the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed parkland course. Purchase a ticket to the event online prior to May 10, and you're automatically entered into a draw to play alongside Harrington in the Irish Open Pro-Am on Wednesday, May 14. Fine print: Men must have a certified GUI handicap of 24 or below; women 36 or below. Tickets for the event begin at 25 Euros; ages 15 and younger are free when accompanied by an adult.

If playing this course is too rich for your blood, consider the adjacent, but independent (despite its name) and far less expensive Adare Manor Golf Club, which wraps around ruins of a 13th-century castle, 15th-century Franciscan priory and church cemetery and provides views of another priory-turned-school and Adare Manor itself. Not too shabby.

I tell you what...life would be so easy, not for me, but for my husband, if he would only squeeze in the time to be a devoted reader of my blog posts. Surprised that he doesn't? Oh don't be, if you knew him you'd understand...and it doesn't bother me for a second UNTIL I want to actually do what I blog about. Case in point...

Mother's Day is Sunday and while it is not a big celebration in this house, I do expect some attention, and if it's just the morning coffee being made, life is good and Mother's Day is a win-win. BUT, occasionally I do feel the need for more pampering, and if I were my husband, and thank goodness I am not, I would take me to the Cranwell Resort for their Mother's Day Brunch & Bloom special. Cranwell offers a special overnight stay that includes their famous brunch, and also provides tickets to the Berkshire Museum to view "A Celebration of Art and Flowers" exhibit. The icing, which so far needn't be any, is a spa treatment at Cranwell.

If you're not familiar with Cranwell, just know that a heated indoor pool, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and fitness center are yours during the stay. And also know that some Godiva chocolate welcomes every guest. Call toll free: 1-800-272-6935 for more information...[psst...the package is ONLY $150 per person, double occupancy] Just book the visit today!

Good morning, travelers. While you were sleeping, oil prices went off without you and hit a record $120.93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
And JetBlue decided to call off, at least for now, plans to start flying between LA and Boston and New York because of -- let's say it all together -- the high cost of jet fuel. While it has dropped its LAX plans, JetBlue still offers service from Long Beach to JFK and Logan.
The discounter said in February it would launch service May 21 at LAX with one daily flight to Logan and three to JFK. But Bryan Baldwin at JetBlue said that the discounter decided that high fuel costs made the move too pricey.
The LA Times, which first broke the story, talked to an unnamed JetBlue official who illustrated the conundrum with this bit of math: Last year it cost $9,600 to fill up a JetBlue Airbus A320 for a transcontinental flight and now it's $15,000.
I myself just shelled out $45 to fill my Subaru on Morrissey. Life is tough. And for travelers prospects for the summer travel season are looking expensive.

I've heard he's unlike the others. The others who have African roots, but who put the old western-selling twist on their music in order to be accepted and hopefully, to sell. Habib Koité will play Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, R.I., on May 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Having adopted his own unique style, Koité has been able to infuse the traditions of his country with music both, modern and timely, as Simon would say. Proceeds of the concert benefit the Providence-based Global Alliance to Immunize against AIDS (GAIA). Tickets are $35 and $20 for children under 12. For more information contact Lupo's at 401-331-LUPO.

How refreshing to find a hotel "deal" that is actually a bargain! Shell Vacations Hospitality is offering family-friendly summer deals at some of its resorts in the US and Canada. Included are a $15 gas card (OK, that's not even half a tank these days, but at least it's something), room rates ranging from $68-$189 for guests staying four nights or more, and a gift pack of beach games for the kids. Packages are valid from June 2 until Sept. 5 and can only be booked online through Shell's website. Shell's resorts include:
Peacock Suites, Anaheim
Orange Tree Golf Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Legacy Golf Resort, Phoenix
Starr Pass Golf Suites, Tucson
Desert Rose Resort, Las Vegas
Carriage Ridge Resort, Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
Mountainside Lodge, Whistler, British Columbia
Waikiki Marina Resort, Oahu
Kauai Coast Resort, Kauai

I got a really late start (11 a.m.) for the last leg of the journey. My bed was too cozy, the espresso (from my travel pot) too yummy and the conversation too much fun to warrant an early departure. Ah well, what’s the rush?

Outside temp on Sunday: 61 degrees. Gas fill up in Waterloo, Md.: 8.89 gallons @ $3.65. I finished my book on CD somewhere in Connecticut where I also purchased the most expensive gas on the trip. (18.4 gallons @$3.79) The farther north I drove the cloudier it got until I reached the Massachusetts border and turned the windshield wipers on for the first time.

Welcome to Massachusetts? It was 43 degrees with a light drizzle. Thirty-seven degrees colder than Miami Beach and 100% less sunny. I reached home by 7:00 p.m., in time to unload the van before dark. Last leg: 458 miles. Total miles covered: 1,596. Gas: $304.74 Hotel: $44.00. Return trip scheduled: December 08.

It’s been fun. Thanks for your comments. Time to unpack!

10:00 a.m./71 degrees. I began the day in Lumberton, N.C., filling my gas tank (10.5 gallons @ $3.66.) at the Sun-do Kwik Shop. (Btw, what’s up with the word Kwik? Does it imply something faster than Quick?) They’re getting ready to vote in the Democrat primaries there, and inside the Kwik Shop Al Gore lighters were outselling Bill or Hillary Clinton lighters two to one. No sign of any Obama or McCain lighters. I didn’t ask if they were sold out or not available.

I wrote a story recently about Alabama barbecue, and not long after, a reader sent an email:

"This note is to urge you, if you are in Atlanta anytime (on your way to
Alabama?), to try Harold's Barbecue (not far from the Braves field on
the south side), Williamson Brothers Barbecue (near Rte. 41 in Marietta
on the north side), Georgia Barbecue (in Smyrna to the northwest), or
an Old Hickory House (several I think in a chain, but good). With
your chopped pork sandwich and cole slaw I would more than urge you to
have some Brunswick Stew (more of a thick soup than a stew as we might
know it here) and corn bread. Every place in the southeast serves
Brunswick Stew, the Georgia variety, not the Virginia style.

(A rack of ribs at Dreamland Bar-B-Q, in Tuscaloosa.)

"Whenever I see the name of a new barbecue place around Boston I call
and ask if they serve Brunswick Stew. So far, I have found none that
do, though a few say they do know what it is. I'm hoping I will find
one that does serve it."

The reader wrote again the next day:

What to eat on the road is always a dilemma. The first day is usually fine as I have leftovers from home — like apples and cottage cheese and chicken — to keep me happy and, along with sweet tea and pretzels — reasonably healthy. My breakfast buffet at the Days Inn in Lumberton, N.C., included such treats as packaged mini donuts attractively arranged in a plexi-glass display, white bread, or cereal. Can anybody tell me if a sugary Raisin Bran is a better choice than a chocolate donut?

If you haven't been training, then it may be a little late for this weekend's 7 Sisters Trail Race in Amherst. As the race website promises:

"Very scenic overlooks of the Pioneer Valley with views of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, Hampshire College and the Town of Amherst, as well as a beautiful view of the Connecticut River and Northampton to the west."

Only problem is, those views come while humping up and down very rocky terrain for 12 miles.

If you need a bit more time to get in shape, there're always the races at the Pineland Farms Trail Challenge, in New Gloucester, Maine.

Those races are bit longer, at 25 kilometers, 50 kilometers, and 50 miles. And as the web site warns: "The trails are wide and non-technical, but very hilly. Although there are no major climbs the rolling terrain is unrelenting."

Happy trails...