On Jan. 23, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will take effect, requiring Americans to travel with a passport to many international destinations where one was previously not required and many U.S. travellers who don't have the official document are preparing to get one. According to a new Kayak.com survey of more than 1,000 respondents, 32 percent plan to apply for a passport now that it will be mandatory for U.S. citizens returning by air from Canada, Mexico and parts of the Caribbean. Though fewer than one-in-20 have started the application process, nearly one-in-five of those polled say their travel plans this year will change because of the new legislation.

"We know from the Travel Industry Association that only 27 percent of Americans have passports," said Steve Hafner, Kayak.com co-founder and CEO. "In our poll, only a small percentage of those who plan to get one say they have sent in their applications. The State Department reports that applications were already starting to spike last month, so we think it could create a major backlog when they start processing all of those new applications."

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Will Members of Congress Get Preferential Treatment in Issuing New Passports?
It has been well reported that most members of Congress do not have a passport. If there is a backlog, will government leaders receive preferential treatment and jump to the front of the passport line? About half (51 percent) of Americans surveyed expect that any member of Congress without a passport can get one in a day, while 48 percent believe it would take three or more months for an average citizen to get one.

How Do Americans Fare on a Geography IQ Test?
Kayak.com quizzed survey respondents on a list of 16 islands, including six international islands and 10 domestic ones. Respondents know their stuff when it comes to foreign destinations like Crete and Bora Bora - but fare less well in identifying U.S. isles.

Following is a snapshot of the respondents who answered incorrectly about whether each of the following requires a passport for entry by an American citizen*

The survey of 1,000 respondents was conducted online Jan.5-8, 2007, using Survey Monkey technology.

Tasmania (Australia)	5%
Crete (Greece)	5%
Bora Bora (French Polynesia)	6%
Hokkaido (Japan)	6%
The Maldives (Republic of)	7%
Eleuthera (The Bahamas)	7%
Maui (Hawaii)	26%
Puerto Rico (U.S. Territory)	42%
South Padre Island (Texas)	50%
Catalina (California)	52%
Mackinac Island (Michigan)	60%
Guam (U.S. Territory)	62%
Marco Island (Florida)	72%
St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands)	76%
Dauphine Island (Alabama)	77%
Islamorada (Florida Keys)	83%

* State or country where each island is located was not disclosed in the survey.

Can't Get Your Passport In Time? Let Kayak.com Help You Plan a Winter Getaway
"To help passport-less travelers who are planning winter getaways now, we've come up with a list of 13 great island destinations for which you don't need a passport to visit including Daufuskie, Islamorada and Marco Islands," Hafner said. Information on visiting the 13 islands can be found on Kayak.com http://corp.kayak.com/passport.html. "Of course, for the time being Americans will still be able to take a cruise vacation without a passport, and we launched Kayak Cruises just in time to plan a winter cruise getaway."

"Bottom line, though, if you don't have a passport in hand now, there are plenty of great places to visit where one is not required," he said. "It's a great winter to vacation in the U.S."

About Kayak.com
Kayak.com, the world's largest travel site, displays results from 404 travel sites, providing prices and itineraries for hundreds of airlines, more than 155,000 hotels, all leading rental car companies and 17 cruise lines. Kayak.com has been named "Best of the Web" by BusinessWeek, "Best of the Web" by Forbes.com, "50 Coolest Websites" by TIME Magazine, "Best Travel Search Engine" by the Associated Press, "Best Search Aid" by Travel + Leisure Magazine and "Best of the Web" by US News & World Report. Launched in 2005 by co-founders of Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia, Kayak.com's investors include General Catalyst Partners, Sequoia Capital, America Online, Inc. and London-based Accel Partners. Kayak.co.uk launched December 2006 with the industry's most powerful flight search, Kayak Forums and Kayak Buzz. For more information, please visit www.kayak.com.