If you're not in a cave somewhere, you're probably already fully aware that today is election day in the U.S., and we encourage all of you registered voters to go out and perform your civic duty. As part of our election coverage, we're continuing the conversation we started yesterday with our readers, and presenting the rest of contributing editor Christoper Elliott's "Dear Mr. President..." essay from our November/December issue of Traveler. In the essay, Elliott outlined a series of travel-related items that are likely to be on the new president's agenda, and we're taking this opportunity to let our readers discuss how they'd like to see them sorted out.
STRUGGLING AIRLINES
The post-9/11 recovery made by the
domestic airline industry was short-lived. High energy prices have
pushed a poorly managed industry to the brink of yet another wave of
bankruptcies. Passengers now feel the IRS offers better customer
service; routes are being slashed; additional fees are now being tacked
on for everything from bags to pillows. Some people are talking
re-regulation. Should the airlines be held accountable for their
customer service shortcomings with the passing of a passengers' bill of
rights? Or should the next President focus on the health of the airline
industry, ensuring that government policies allow air carriers an
unobstructed path to profitability? And what about the nation's
antiquated air-traffic control system? Should making the necessary
upgrades be a top priority?
SECURITY HASSLES
Since the 2004 election, the government has
imposed a series of new requirements for air travelers, including a ban
on liquids and gels, plus new passport and ID rules - causing many
passengers to opt to stay home. The travel industry is pushing the
government to reduce the hassle factor at borders and checkpoints, and
the Travel Industry Association of America has launched an ad campaign
to persuade candidates to address these problems. Some changes are on
the horizon, including more efficient airport screening and the
loosening of visa requirements for some visitors. What is the
appropriate balance between security and unimpeded travel? Should
visitors to the United States be fingerprinted and eye-scanned? Do
liquid-and-gel bans at airports work, or are they nothing more than
"window-dressing," meant to make passengers feel safer? Do "no-fly" and
watch lists protect travelers-or needlessly detain thousands of
innocent people?
We know it's late in the day, but we wanted to let you know that as of tomorrow morning, the Intelligent Travel blog will begin, um, traveling... 
We're excited to announce that over the next few weeks, there are going to be some changes here at IT. We're spiffing up our digs a bit, and are going to be moving to a new URL - one that's part of our shhhh... new website! So keep your eyes peeled for some changes, and we're sorry if we slow things down a bit as we make the transition. We'll let you know when our new RSS feed and email subscriptions are ready to go, and will help you move with us to the new site. And while we're at it - we're looking for your feedback: What would you like to see more (or less) of here? What are some things that we could be doing better? Let us know in the comments below. 
Allow us a moment of self-promotion if you will: National Geographic Society has been chosen
by TripAdvisor as one of five travel-related initiatives around the
world with a chance to win up to $1 million. The opportunity is part of
TripAdvisor’s cause marketing program, “More Than Footprints.” For
each vote cast on TripAdvisor’s Web site from now until November 9, the
company will make a donation to NGS. 
