On Friday, Jaunted referred to Midwest’s current struggle to avoid bankruptcy as a “death spiral,” and, today, Budget Travel’s blog This Just In wondered whether Midwest might soon be disappearing under the larger umbrella of Delta and Northwest. The latest rumblings in the blogosphere come after the airline had admitted bankruptcy as a possibility in its future, if capacity cuts and employee layoffs don’t ameliorate the situation.  The airline has even gone so far as to ask the officials at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell Airport, one of its hubs, to lower its gate fees. Things certainly don’t look good for the small U.S. carrier best known for leather seats and chocolate chip cookies.

Shall we queue up that all-too-familiar Queen track again? Time will tell.

You may have heard tell of Kayak’s new approach to airline fees in glowing little bits of press like the Boston Globe’s Flustering Fares piece from last week. We’re excited about being able to offer travelers the option to include airline fees in the total ticket price when they search for airfare on Kayak.com. Lookout for that new offering in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we’ve added a rockin’ new feature that you can use right now:

Kayak Airline Fee Chart

We’ve been checking fees, adding airlines and rechecking fees for the last several weeks to bring you this spiffy chart delving into the intricacies of airline fees associated with economy class travel. Be forewarned that we are concentrating on North America/U.S. and Canada routes right now. In most cases, the fees listed apply only to routes in those regions. Also, we’re updating the entire chart once a week, sooner when major fee changes occur, so make sure to check with the airline directly if the presence or absence of a certain fee is crucial to your trip.

You’ll see a link to this page when you search flights, and we’ll be mentioning it frequently on the Kayak blog.

Have questions, comments or corrections for us? Feel free to get in touch with your feedback and suggestions for improving this new feature on Kayak.com!

We’ve got golf on the brain today, thanks to our interview with Golf Odyssey publisher and editor-in-chief David Baum, and, as such, have been thinking about luggage shipping services. Avid golfers and sports enthusiasts routinely ship their luggage to avoid airport hassles and the excess and overweight fees they know they’ll have to pay for checking clubs, boards, fishing equipment, etc.

Earlier this month, Marriott announced that members of its Marriott Rewards program (which, incidentally, seems to have an unusually loyal following that, from my observations, is especially intense about earning and using points), can now redeem points to pay for baggage shipping via The Luggage Club.

Luggage shipping can be expensive, even when you choose the cheapest option available, so being able to use points you’ve already accrued to pay for this luxury service is an attractive way to make travel easier without doubling the cost of your vacation.

While most discussions of green travel these days are of the earth-saving variety, we know there are plenty of travelers out there hankering for a different kind of green travel this summer - you know, the kind that involves a little white ball and a scorecard.

Who better to answer our questions than David Baum, publisher and editor-in-chief of in-the-know subscription newsletters for golf enthusiasts Golf Odyssey and Golf Vacation Insider?

Read on for David’s destination suggestions for families, tips for avoiding pesky overweight baggage fees and where he’d play if he had to choose one course for the rest of his life.

For a family with young children, can you suggest a golf destination that offers parents fun on course, but plenty of diversions for kids, too?

One great choice is Colonial Williamsburg, as not only do you have some fantastic golf options, but a visit to Colonial Williamsburg is a great way to get your kids interested in American history. The vast Colonial Village is filled with in-character colonists and revolutionaries who bring the past to life and go about their day as if they really were in colonial times. That means they make things using late 18th century technology, and they speak as people did back then. The historical interpreters actively engage visitors as they go about their chores or business. The Colonial Village stays active day and night. Evening events include lantern tours, trial reenactments, and music, magic, and gambols (games) at Chowning’s Tavern.

For a kid-friendly escape of a different type, head to Busch Gardens, a theme park full of its own historical fantasy (Old World Europe) as well as thrilling rides, including state-of-the-art roller coasters.

For golf, Colonial Williamsburg’s Golden Horseshoe Golf Club offers the classic Gold Course by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., the Green Course by Rees Jones, and the 9-hole executive-style Spotswood Course. The Spotswood is still good golf, but the 1,865-yard par-31 layout, with it two par fours and a par five, is great for a family outing. Just show up—there are no tee times here. Kids under 17 accompanied by a paying adult play for free.

Pete Dye’s illustrious River Course heads the course roster at Kingsmill Resort & Spa. More player friendly are the Woods and Plantation Courses. Bray Links is a scenic 9-hole pitch ‘n putt right on the James River. It’s for resort guests only, and on Saturday evenings in summer it is the scene of night golf with glow sticks.

By sheer coincidence, Williamsburg is one of three feature stories in this month’s issue of Golf Odyssey, The Insider’s Guide to Sophisticated Golf Travel. One can get the entire inside perspective on Williamsburg (and access to all of our intelligence reports since 2000) as part of our free trial offer.

What’s your favorite golf course located in a major metropolitan area within the U.S.?

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Following on the heels of my earlier post today about an airline fee that I applauded, here’s one I won’t be putting my hands together for: Delta’s SkyMiles award ticket fuel surcharge, which goes into effect August 15.

In what it says it hopes is a temporary move to offset the cost of fuel, Delta will charge travelers $25 for award travel within the U.S. and Canada and $50 for travel to other destinations. The fee will only be charged once for round trip bookings.

I wish more airlines would find ways to make money by offering travelers new things they want (i.e. more flexibility) instead of charging for services that have long been free.

Here’s a new airline fee-related service I applaud: Continental’s new Same-Day Change Policy, announced yesterday. Under the new policy, travelers with restricted fare tickets - meaning non-refundable fares that incur a penalty for schedule changes - will be able to rebook on alternate flights with available seats starting 24 hours before their originally scheduled departure time for $50 ($25 if you’re a Continental OnePass Platinum or Gold Elite Member). You can choose any flight with seats that departs within 12 hours of the time you make the schedule change.

Why this is good:

- This policy adds a ton of flexibility for travelers who’ve purchased the cheapest fares. Usually, if you’re traveling on a restricted ticket, the cost for changing your travel plans at the last minute - leaving a few hours earlier than you planned or extending your trip one more night - will cost you dearly. It’s not uncommon for airlines to basically charge as much as it would cost to purchase a new ticket just to change an itinerary booked using restricted fares by a few hours.

- Continental’s policy is cheaper than others and offers more flexibility than other airlines. Other airlines offer same day change policies, but they aren’t as good for travelers. United’s same day change policy, for example, costs $75 and only allows travelers to book alternate flights within three hours of their request. US Airways offers same-day changes for less - just $25 - but only on flights that depart before your originally scheduled one - and you have to make the changes in person at the airport - so it’s quite a gamble for travelers.

I don’t normally post about individual route changes (or I’d be here all day, all night and then some), but an announcement from Southwest Airlines that it would be eliminating 31 existing round trip flights this fall in order to replace them with another 40 flights seemed significant enough to warrant a post. It’s good news for travelers frequenting Denver and Ft. Lauderdale - each city will see a boost in nonstop flights from the carrier.

You can see all the changes in the PDF chart linked below:

Southwest Airlines Flight Changes

5. Instead of Dallas… Austin
If you want to visit a Texas city, but would like to not sweat out your breakfast, Austin is the place to be - the weather is much more tepid than Dallas or Houston. It’s also considered the live music capital of the world and hosts many music festivals (and even more nightclubs and bars). The culture is hip and fun, and if you need proof, visit the Museum of Popular Culture in South Austin.

4. Instead of Phoenix… Albuquerque
See the Southwest at its most authentic as this New Mexico city. The Old Town offers colonial-style buildings, with Native American markets, museums, and more restaurants than you can shake a cactus at. Try everything from hot air ballooning, golfing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Another little known fact - famous Route 66 rights right through the town!

3. Instead of Vegas… Reno
Sure, Sin City has the flash and notoriety, but if you break it down to basics Reno has everything you will need at a fraction of the cost. Famous acts like Larry the Cable Guy, Billy Idol, D.L. Hughley, Tom Jones, and Chicago. There’s of course, bowling (it’s the bowling capital of the world - don’t’ ask). Kayaking, skiing in winter at Tahoe, camping, golf, and of course gambling at any of the dozen or so resorts.

2. Instead of Boston… Providence
It’s only an hour or so drive down the road, but the New England feel is in full force. The downtown has been revived and offers an amazing open market, great shopping, and beautiful places for strolls, biking, or jogs. Nearby are Cape Cod, Newport, and quaint small towns with the rich history of our forefathers. Don’t miss the WaterFire, where 80 fires alight up the waterways while music plays in the background!

1. Instead of Washington, DC… Philadelphia
If you like history, The City of Brotherly Love has it. Ben Franklin practically built this place, and it gave birth to the American Revolution (not to mention it was the nation’s first capital). Some places to see is Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was first signed, the famous Liberty Bell, as well as many art museums that surround downtown. Compared to Washington, lodging and dining are very cheap. Remember to try a famous Philly Cheesesteak at either Gino’s or Pat’s - they are rival restaurants that both claim to be the first to offer the sandwich.

• Beautiful beaches. White sands, warm blue water and volleyball courts line the beautiful beaches of world-famous Siesta Key, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key – among other beaches in the area.

• A day at the circus. Home to the 66-acre John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (pictured) and its 21 galleries, restored waterfront mansion, rose garden and museums, this multi-faceted destination can easily entertain your family for the day. Don’t miss the Howard Bros. Circus model, the 3,800-square-foot replica of the original Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus permanently installed at the Tibbals Learning Center. The Van Wezel Performing Arts Center and the Ringling School of Art and Design showcase a plethora of local art and musical theater pieces from local and national artists.

• Cool museums. When the summer heats up, Sarasota museums are great places to escape the heat. Head to the South Florida Museum for 12,000 years of Florida history, check out old school rides at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum or pass the day with hands-on fun at the G.Wiz Science Museum.

• A must-do downtown. Head to Main Street and start exploring the city’s galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. Stop by on Saturday morning for the outdoor farmer’s market, where exotic spices and fresh flowers are main draws.

• Water, water everywhere. Whether you’d rather raise a mast or cast a reel, brave a kiteboard or crank up the speed on a jet ski, you can do it through one of Sarasota’s many rental facilities and outfitters.

Summer festivals are a great way to enjoy a quick, last-minute getaway or day trip close to home - and many charge cheap admission (or none at all). Here are some of the many notable festivals happening around the country this weekend:

Culture

San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade & Celebration, San Francisco, California

African American Festival, Dover, Delaware (FREE ADMISSION)

6th Annual Keep Austin Weird Festival & 5K, Austin, Texas

Fishers Freedom Festival, Fishers, Indiana (FREE ADMISSION)

Gettysburg Festival, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Butterfly Festival, Dunwoody, Georgia

Music

Monterey Bay Blues Festival, Monterey, California

Grand Rapids Water Festival, Grand Rapids, Michigan

2008 Summertime Blues Festival, Havre de Grace, Maryland

Hampton Jazz Festival, Hampton, Virginia

Omaha Summer Arts Festival, Omaha, Nebraska (FREE ADMISSION)

Food & Drink

Cleveland Wine Festival, Cleveland, Ohio

Tilghman Island Seafood Festival, Tilghman Island, Maryland

North American Organic Brewers Festival, Portland, Oregon

Taste of Chicago Festival, Chicago, Illinois (FREE ADMISSION)

Lake Country Beer & Music Festival, Hartland, Wisconsin