Fares

Researchers have some reassuring news for the legions of coffee drinkers who can't get through the day without a latte, cappuccino, iced mocha, double-shot of espresso or a plain old cuppa joe: That coffee habit may help you live longer. A new study that tracked the health and coffee consumption of more than 400,000 older adults for nearly 14 years found that java drinkers were less likely to die during the study than their counterparts who eschewed the brew. In fact, men and women who averaged four or five cups of coffee per day had the lowest risk of death, according to a report in Thursday's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Do you remember those plexiglass dollhouses that museum shops sold for a while -- brightly colored things that looked like the "Brady Bunch" house as re-imagined by a unicorn? The new Venice restaurant Sunny Spot is a little like that, a bit of Midcentury Modern on an institutional strip of Washington Boulevard in Venice with a flat roof, acres of windows and glowing, color-washed dining rooms that can't quite decide whether they're outside or in. As Beechwood, this space felt slightly generic, a loungy "Playboy After Dark" kind of place centered on its fire pit. As Sunny Spot, it booms with reggae and supports both a serious cocktail crowd and a multitude of lobster-red beer guys fresh from an afternoon on Venice Beach.

UAL Corp.'s United Airlines raised domestic fares by as much as $20 round trip to help cover fuel costs. Flights of 751 miles or more had the biggest round-trip increases, a spokeswoman said. Fares went up $10 round trip on flights of 400 miles or less and on routes that compete with discount carriers.

Researchers have some reassuring news for the legions of coffee drinkers who can't get through the day without a latte, cappuccino, iced mocha, double-shot of espresso or a plain old cuppa joe: That coffee habit may help you live longer. A new study that tracked the health and coffee consumption of more than 400,000 older adults for nearly 14 years found that java drinkers were less likely to die during the study than their counterparts who eschewed the brew. In fact, men and women who averaged four or five cups of coffee per day had the lowest risk of death, according to a report in Thursday's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

American Airlines, United Airlines, Northwest Airlines and other major U.S. carriers matched a $10 round-trip boost in ticket prices started last week by Delta Air Lines, according to a fare-tracking website. Discount carriers JetBlue Airways and AirTran Airways also raised fares by $10 on certain routes, FareCompare.com said. U.S. Airways raised fares the same day as Delta.

Airlines are responding to oil's latest surge by pushing up ticket prices. Roundtrip domestic fares began rising $10 to $20 as crude futures crossed the once-unthinkable $100-a-barrel mark. The widespread increases follow nearly two dozen attempted systemwide fare hikes in 2007, or about double the number during the previous year, according to data from FareCompare.com, which tracks airfare changes. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, the second-largest U.S. carrier, led with the biggest round of increases Thursday night.

One-way fares for the LAX FlyAway bus will increase today by $1 or $2 for travelers boarding in Westwood, Van Nuys and at Union Station, and will double for senior citizens and people with disabilities. The fare to Los Angeles International Airport will be raised from $4 to $6 one way for those boarding in Van Nuys and at Union Station downtown. The rate for people traveling from Westwood will increase from $4 to $5. Discounted fares for the disabled and those 65 years and older will jump from $2 to $4. Children under age 2 will continue to ride free.

California Shuttle Bus, which runs express buses between the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, began offering fares as low as $5 each way Monday. Previously, one-way tickets cost $45. The move came a day after competitor Megabus, which touted fares as low as $1, shut its Los Angeles hub because of low ridership. Only a few seats on each vehicle that California Shuttle Bus operates on the route will sell for $5; the highest price for a ticket will be $49.

Spirit Airlines is at it again with a crazy offer of $9 each-way fares from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. It's an introductory rate as the airline touts new daily nonstop service between the two cities. By the time you add on fees and tax, the airfare comes to $39 round-trip. Still, at a time when most airlines are responding to soaring oil price by raising rates and cutting flights, maybe a little craziness is a good thing. The deal: The $9 each way applies to travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only between May 10 and June 15. When: There's no deadline on the offer, but seats at this rate likely will go fast.

Looking for a good deal on an air fare? Try an air fare "factory outlet"--a discounter or consolidator. Airlines often sell large blocks of tickets at bargain prices to discounters (also called consolidators), which pass those savings on to passengers. The savings are more apparent on international tickets, but if you need to travel at a day's notice, the savings can also be big on a domestic flight. Of course, such deals come with restrictions.

The Metrolink commuter rail service plans to increase fares as early as July to help reduce a $13-million budget deficit largely caused by rising fuel and labor costs, railroad officials said Thursday. If approved, the proposed increase of 5% to 9% will cover only part of the shortfall, making it necessary for Metrolink to seek additional subsidies from the five county transportation agencies that help fund the railroad. "The current economic climate, including soaring fuel prices, requires tough decisions by transportation leaders to fund operations at a level that will continue to meet the region's transportation needs," said John Fenton, Metrolink's chief executive officer.

The owners of the Battle of the Dance dinner show had hoped to catch the wave of tourists from nearby Disneyland with family-friendly entertainment boasting European dancers and a gourmet meal of smoked salmon salad, filet mignon and a "decadent" dessert. But when the paying customers failed to materialize in the numbers foreseen, they cut the number of dinner shows, amped up the volume and turned to a different crowd. There was a "topless DJ," go-go dancers and an appearance by an adult film performer to entertain late-night partygoers in Anaheim's manicured resort district.

Year-round schooling. Baby boomers date-nighting. Insatiable appetites DVRing, VODemanding, online streaming. March madness game changing ("Hunger Games," not basketball, $358 million and counting). A short way to say popcorn is not just for summer anymore. Moviegoers - young (the summer staple) and old (increasingly coming back to the five-and-dime, Jimmy Dean…) - want a constant flow. The idea that audiences are more intrigued, or less pressed in the summertime, or that there are movie mood swings tied to weather patterns anymore is just downright silly.

Summer brings no shortage of popcorn movies but some films this season are more like a fully satisfying meal. Consider these offerings - with casts young and old, settings foreign and home-grown, stories contemporary and period - which will linger in your memory long after the lights come up. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Lovers of "Downton Abbey"will be thrilled to see Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton together again, playing for...

CAIRO - When filmmaker and Egyptian democracy activist Amr Salama watched Hosni Mubarak's regime collapse in 2011, he couldn't have been more heartened. Salama had been making films for years and had found himself hamstrung by the government's censorship board. This was finally the opportunity he'd been waiting for. So shortly after the regime fell, Salama resubmitted a script that had been rejected under Mubarak - one whose story centered on tension between Cairo's majority Muslim population and its Coptic Christian minority.

THE BEST WAY TO NEW YORK From LAX , Delta, American, JetBlue, United and Virgin America offer nonstop service to New York, and US Airways, Delta, American and United offer connecting service. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $348. WHERE TO STAY Hotel Wolcott, 4 W. 31st St.; (212) 268-2900, http://www.wolcott.com . It's not glamorous, and for three days the eighth-floor hallway smelled faintly of cleaning products, but the location is good and, for Manhattan, the price is great.

Norwegian Cruise Line is offering to waive fares for children who sail with their parents on selected fall and winter cruises to Alaska, the Bahamas, New England, the Caribbean, Hawaii and other destinations. And aboard the Jewel and the Epic, you can sail with SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer too. (Well, actually, their characters and themed events.) The deal: Two children age 17 or under can sail free when they share a cabin with two paying adults. It's that simple.

Here's an idea for a leisurely autumn trip that's scenic and saves money: Amtrak is taking 25% off tickets on a stretch of the Coast Starlight route between Los Angeles and Davis, Calif. The sale applies to destinations such as Oakland, San Jose, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara and others. -- The deal: The Coast Starlight runs between Los Angeles and Seattle, but the Book Early and Save 25% offer covers only the southern leg of the line. The discount also applies to up to two children, ages 2 to 15, who travel for half fare with the purchase of an adult ticket.  -- When: The offer is good for travel Oct. 13 through Nov. 17. But you must buy tickets by Sunday.

This post has been updated. See details below. The art museum is free, and the Indians have given us reason to be optimistic, their opening day debacle and Ubaldo Jimenez's five-game suspension notwithstanding. You'll be hard-pressed to beat a round-trip fare of $269, including taxes and fees. United is offering that price (availability is limited) out of John Wayne's Santa Ana (SNA) till Nov. 2. [For the record, April 9, 2:29 p.m.: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the fare was from LAX. ]

Airfares keep heading up. In the latest rate hike for 2012, the nation's largest air carriers have increased fares $4 to $10 per round trip, citing higher fuel costs. The bump up in prices — the third increase this year — was initiated Monday morning by Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest carrier of domestic passengers. American, Delta, US Airways, United, Frontier and Virgin America had all matched the Southwest hike by noon, according to FareCompare, a travel website that keeps track of such increases.