Tuesday Travel Ticker: Airlines want to deal directly

Carriers are offering more deals to passengers who book flights directly on their websites, the Associated Press reports. It’s an effort to steer people away from online travel agencies such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, which charge the carriers commissions of roughly $10 to $25 a ticket. Frontier Airlines, FlyFrontier.com, is the latest carrier to jump into the fight, announcing last week that it will penalize passengers who don’t book directly with the airline. Those fliers won’t be able to get seat assignments until check-in. And they’ll pay more in fees while earning half as many frequent-flier miles . . . . The leaf-peeping site California Fall Color reports that some of the state’s most spectacular leaf shows will appear at elevations above 9,000 feet later this week. Color-spotter Jared Smith of the Parcher’s Resort at South Lake (east of Bishop) says aspens in the Eastern Sierra have begun to turn. Peaking at that elevation in the eastern Sierra usually occurs in late September . . . . It’s apple season at Rileys at Los Rios Rancho, east of Redlands, where you can pick apples, berries and ride in horse-drawn carriages through Thanksgiving weekend. Info: www.losriosrancho.com . . . . . A 23-mile-long pavement project began Monday on Highway 1 from Cambria to the Monterey county line. Up to 20-minute delays can be expected through Thursday . . . . The 9^th annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Fesitval turns up the burners Nov. 14-18. Info: www.sandiegowineclassic.com/ . . . . Esperanza Spalding, Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell are among the performers of the 55^th annual Monterey Jazz Festival Sept. 21-23. For tickets to the event, click here: www.montereyjazzfestival.org/2012/tickets . . . . Once again, nightly concerts from the jazz fest’s Bill Berry Stage will be available through a free live Web stream, through StreamGuys, www.streamguys.com/ . . . . Santa Barbara is urging Angelenos to put the car aside and take the train to the coastal city during “Carmageddon II,” Sept. 29-30. Discounted room rates and museum admissions are among the incentives. Info: www.SantaBarbaraCarFree.org . . . . Among the many fall offerings in Santa Cruz is the 15^th Annual Thunderbirds on the Wharf Sept. 29, a collection of classic (1955-57) and vintage (1958-66) Ford Thunderbirds. Free. Info: www.montereytbirds.com. . . . Based on real history such as Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd, London Dungeons will scare up some real Halloween memories for visitors to Britain’s capital, beginning Sept. 29 and running through Nov. 4. Info: www.thedungeons.com/ . . . . The Palm Springs International Film Festival is scheduled for Jan. 3–14. Info: (760) 322-2930 or visit the website at www.psfilmfest.org . . . . Travel quote of the day: “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf’s a flower.” (Albert Camus)