Acela train cafes will take credit cards

Amtrak's Acela cafe cars are joining Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts as dining venues where you can use any major credit card for purchases as small as a cup of coffee or a soda. Amtrak is installing wireless terminals to process credit card transactions in all its Boston-New York-Washington high-speed Acela trains this month and plans to add them in conventional Northeast Corridor Regional trains by October .

Eat 25 times at certain Hub restaurants by the end of this year, and spend at least $25 every time, and you can get 25,000 extra Delta SkyMiles. That's the newest promotional deal for the airline's frequent-flier program, which also allows free travel on Continental, Northwest, and several international carriers. Some of the restaurants where the deal is available: L'Aroma Cafe on Newbury Street; Damoah Grill, Harry's Bar and Grill and Soho in Brighton (at left); and Erawan of Siam in Waltham . SkyMiles card holders have to register online -- and study several fine-print exclusions -- at its RewardsNetwork site by July 25.

One more new frequent-flier bonus, with a twist: You can get a free round-trip flight between two Hawaii destinations leaving on the day of your birthday next year if you take a trip on Aloha Airlines' 60th birthday, July 26. Aloha flies among eight Hawaiian destinations and six in California and Nevada, including Las Vegas, which has the most connecting service to and from New England .

PETER J. HOWE