Earn bonus miles by using PayPal for Northwest tickets

Northwest Airlines is now offering PayPal as a way to pay for tickets on its Web site, www.nwa.com.

With PayPal, Northwest customers now have a new way to pay for tickets using debit cards, bank accounts, stored balances or credit cards through their individual PayPal accounts. Additionally, WorldPerks members will earn 500 bonus miles for purchasing tickets at www.nwa.com/features/paypal using a PayPal account through Sept. 30. WorldPerks enrollment is required and available at www.nwa.com.

Additional terms and conditions apply. For complete details, visit the link above.

Delta Air Lines ups award-ticket fees

Effective immediately, Delta Air Lines has increased its award-travel fee for tickets booked 20 days or less prior to travel, from $50 to $75. Tickets redeemed more than 21 days prior to travel are still free.

Other fee increases include: redepositng miles into your account for an award ticket has also gone up to $75 from $50; the fee for same-day travel changes to an award ticket has gone from $25 to $50; and phone reservations and ticket office purchases will now cost travelers an additional $20 instead of $10.

All the fees (except for phone reservations) are waived for Platinum Medallion members. More information is available at www.delta.com/skymiles/use_miles/ways_redeem_miles/award_travel_fees/index.jsp.

Road & Travel adds women's sections

Road & Travel Magazine is launching its newest sections, What Women Want: Auto and What Women Want: Travel, to its lineup of automotive and travel guides for consumers.

Designed to address the age-old question "what do women really want?" these resources supply readers with the latest tips and advice on all things automotive- and travel-related as they pertain to their specific needs and interests, from crash rating updates to all-women adventure tours.

Founded in 1989, RTM's mission has been and still is to emphasize the differences between men and women when it comes to purchasing cars or addressing safety issues on the road. Updated with each issue, readers will find specific articles, guides and stories dedicated to what women want.

In the automotive category, departments include automobiles, auto advice, car care, dealerships, safety and security. The travel category covers all things travel, such as adventure treks, airlines, luxury travel, travel products, safety and security and vacation ideas.

More information about the magazine is available at www.roadandtravel.com.

See King Tut with hotel package

On Sept. 30, King Tut will leave the U.S. to enjoy British hospitality while on display in London. Tut enthusiasts who wish to catch a glimpse of him before he departs can take advantage of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel's King Tut Package through Sept. 30.

The one-night package starts at $199 for two people and includes accommodations and VIP tickets to the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute.

The 581-room (including 55 concierge club rooms and 14 suites) hotel is a short stroll from the Franklin Institute in the Market Street East neighborhood and has a 15,000-square-foot spa and fitness center.

For reservations or more information, check www.loewshotels.com or call (800) 235-6397.

Mix Celtic culture and fall color

Alexander Graham Bell once declared he had "seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes and the Alps and the highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty Cape Breton out-rivals them all."

So what better place to experience fall foliage (and take in some Celtic culture along the way) than the Cabot Trail on the north shore of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island?

Maxxim Vacations is offering a freewheeling, seven-night, self-drive vacation in the region from $1,489 per person, double occupancy. Nova Scotia (which translates to "New Scotland") has a strong Scottish heritage (about 45 percent of its population is of British ancestry, principally Gaelic), with its own tartan, brand of Celtic music and dance and even Highland Games that pit brawny athletes in competitions of strength.

Travelers will experience Scottish heritage as they follow the Cabot Trail and visit the Gaelic College of Celtic Folk Arts at St. Anns (complete with a welcome from a bagpiper) and can take courses in weaving or step dancing, trace the history of Scottish clans and shop for tartans.

Then head for the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck where a museum chronicles the life and work of the famous inventor. Uncover the roots of Canada's technical and industrial age in the Sydney area with a visit to the Marconi National Historic Site at Glace Bay, where in 1902 Guglielmo Marconi ushered in a new age of global communication.

The package price includes round-trip airfare from Chicago, seven nights' accommodations, a mid-size car rental with unlimited mileage and admission to Pier 21 National Historic Site, Fortress Louisbourg and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. There are daily departures through Oct. 31.

For reservations and additional information, visit www.maxximvacations.com or call (800) 567-6666 or your travel agent.

Figuring gas costs for your next car trip

A handy Web site to check out is www.fuelcostcalculator.com.

Drivers can enter their start and destination cities as well as vehicle make, model and year, and the fuel calculator then estimates the cost of fuel based on averages in the regions traveled.

Reach George Hobica at hobica@gmail.com, Kim Liang Tan at KimLianTan@aol.com or visit www.airfarewatchdog.com.