What happens when you return a rental car seven months late?

There has got to a better way to move people through airport security, according to the U.S. Travel Association, a travel and tourism advocacy organization. In light of the Transportation Security Administration's proposed "trusted traveler" program that would offer expedited screening at major U.S. airports for those willing to undergo a background check and pay an annual enrollment fee of between $100 and $150. if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('496c9d92-9146-460b-8e28-06fc9e9a2598');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)In a recent survey of more than 1,000 adults commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association, 45 percent of all travelers were either very or somewhat likely to enroll. But, 61 percent of frequent leisure travelers were either very or somewhat likely to enroll, and 75 percent of frequent business travelers were either very or somewhat likely to enroll. Travelers would take two to three more trips per year if the hassle involved in flying could be reduced without compromising security, according to a TSA study. "Travelers deserve a trusted traveler program that provides predictable wait times at airports and a screening process that recognizes their low-risk nature," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which has been advocating that the TSA go forward with the trusted traveler program. "We now know that frequent travelers are willing to pay for a better security experience." The TSA officially recognized the need for change in a report released in March, which acknowledged that "each day in the United States, roughly two million air travelers are advised to arrive upwards of two hours before a flight in order to be processed through a one-size-fits-all security screening system." The TSA noted that while there have been no successful terrorist attacks on an American aircraft since Sept. 11, 2001, the current security screening system is not the most cost effective or efficient system the U.S. is capable of carrying out. "The country that put a man on the moon, invented the Internet and creates daily innovations in manufacturing can and must do better," the TSA stated. What about you? Would you pay to be able to zip through security? Would you take more flights if you could? Let us know by voting in our poll or by commenting below. More from Budget Travel: 7 Surprising Items That Set Off Airport Security Horror stories from airport security abroad 7 Surprising Items That Set Off Airport Security

Hobart Fowlkes, our "Budget Travel Convert," is a high–end jetsetter by trade, budget globetrotter by choice. He reports regularly on the best (and most affordable) experiences and hotels around the world. Today he updates us on a recent trip to Athens and Mykonos where he spent time admiring the Parthenon in Athens and watching the sun set, cocktail in hand, in Mykonos. See photos from my trip to Greece FIRST STOP, ATHENS... I arrived in Athens mid–morning on a nonstop flight from JFK. I had slept the whole way, but nevertheless when I got to my insanely cheap hotel on Euripidou St. in Plaka (the old part of town at the bottom of the Acropolis), I was ready to hit the hay for a few hours. If you haven't been to Athens before, beware—official Athenian taxis will only charge you a flat fare of EUR35 ($50) to the center of town, so do NOT fall for any sneaky tricksters who might try to take you for anything more. I was in Athens for just 24 hours before I headed out to Mykonos. On my one full day in the city, I meandered through the vast park that leads to the giant stone plateau which was once the site of the holiest temples in the Greek world (for the life of me I can't remember the name of the park). From up there you can enjoy amazing panoramic views of Athens all the way to the port of Pireaus and the Aegean Sea. Descending back into the narrow streets of Plaka I made frequent stops for iced cappucino frappés and my favorite Greek invention of yogurt with walnuts and honey! Oh those Greeks can work wonders with honey! Where I stayed: I checked into Hotel Euripides, which is a very bare bones property with 62 rooms—I had air conditioning, a TV, and a little balcony overlooking a restaurant called O Telis that serves only pork chops (more on this in a bit). 79 Euripidou Street, 011/30-210-3212301-2, evripideshotel.gr How much I paid: My double room cost $83 per night. Why I recommend it: The hotel is simple, but the neighborhood it's in is very charming and quaint (filled with cute shops and restaurants). Unfortunately, Euripidou Street, where the hotel is located, is like one big, seedy strip that bisects Plaka. But on a positive note it's covered with the most amazing graffiti I have ever seen! My favorite part of the hotel is the roof terrace, where complimentary breakfast is served daily from 7 to 10AM. The meal consists of the usual continental spread, but all I really needed was a cup of strong coffee and the corner table that has the best view of the Parthenon in town. But back to the restaurant across the street that serves only pork chops. That was definitely a highlight for me. Since they serve only pork chops and have been in business for more than 30 years they have had plenty of time to perfect the preparation of said chops. So awesome are their pork chops that Neil Armstrong (YES, the astronaut) ate there once in 1997 and sat in exactly the chair where I sat! How do I know that?? Well, first of all my waiter told me so upon discovering my nationality and seating me at that table. Thinking me to be incredulous, he dug out a folder filled with yellowed newspaper clippings from Athenian dailies in the late 1990's to prove the point. Knowing that the very tush that once wiggled out of the Apollo 11 onto the face of the moon, had actually once warmed the very plastic chair into which was nestled my very own tush was enough to make those already delicious pork chops sublime. O Telis, 86 Evripidou, Koumoundourou Square, Athens, 011/30-210-324-2775, dinner from $15 (including a greek salad, pork chop, and a bottle of water) THEN, ON TO MYKONOS... Next up was Mykonos. With my budget in mind, I opted to travel via ferry boat even though there are regular flights to Mykonos. Just steps from the Hotel Euripides there is a subway that takes you directly to Piraeus where the ferries depart. There are high speed ferries ($172 one way) and there are regular ferries ($100 one way). I chose the high speed ferry on the Aegean Pelagos line. The total trip took about four hours. Ferries.gr Upon arriving in the town of Chora in Mykonos, I was met by a man from the hotel that I had chosen for myself: The Hotel Petasos. That was a good thing too because it's very easy to get lost in Chora (apparently it was deliberately designed as a labyrinth in an effort to confuse and perplex pirates who might invade). Where I stayed: The 18 room Petasos Town hotel in Chora. How much I paid: My room was $139 per night. 011/30-22890-22608, petasos.gr Why I recommend it: Not only is the hotel very clean and charming, it is in a perfect location, just steps from the center of the port of Chora. Petasos Beach, which is the sister property, is located on a beach about a 20 minutes drive in a shuttle bus. It's a bit tonier than the town one, but the good news is that as a guest of the Town hotel you are free to use all of the facilities at the beach property. I could have spent all of my time at the Petasos Beachproperty, but I found myself a lot more comfortable renting a car (EUR30/day) from a nice man about 100 meters up the street from Petasos Town Hotel, just opposite another awesome property called the Rochari Hotel. With a car you are free to explore the island and discover all of the various beaches,each of which has its own unique personality. There is Agrari Beach which is somewhat secluded in a little cove with deep blue water—it's the polar opposite to the very gay and very vibrant Paradise and Super Paradise beaches which you will know you are approaching before you get there by the THMP THMP THMP of the House Music that blasts from the Beach's DJ platform all day long and into the night. My personal favorite is known as Elia Beach. It is a long, sandy beach with beds that you can rent and plenty of space to pitch your towel wherever you want. There is a charming restaurant on one end of the beach for lunch, and generally a veryfriendly mixed crowd of beach goers. There is also a lot of good "beautiful people" watching of which I am particularly fond. Before you go I also recommend that you go for a cocktail at the Hotel Elysium, which is high up on a hill overlooking the port. Hotel Elysium is not at all in the Budget Travel category of hotel, but it is worth it to make the hike up there and pay a fortune for a measly little cocktail just for the opportunity to watch the sun go down over the town. So after a week of sun and relaxation in Mykonos, I sadly boarded my ferry back to Athens to spend one last night in Hotel Euripides. Thankfully, there was time the following morning to enjoy a coffee while gazing at the acropolis before setting off back to the airport, but, sadly, no time for pork chops. Next stop: Florence and Lucca on the way to spend a week in the sun in Torre del Lago, the little known next door neighbor to beach destination, Viareggio, on Tuscany's coast. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL The Budget Travel Convert: Reporting from...Panama Secret Hotels of Greece's Ionian Islands 10 Islands to See Before You Die

Finally, all Americans can now travel to Cuba, so long as they go with a licensed tour operator performing "people-to-people" trips. Although the Treasury Department still requires travel to Cuba to be "purposeful," you no longer have to be pursuing a degree program or be a journalist to go there, thanks to policy changes made by the Obama administration earlier this year. The trips are, however, meant to be educational, so you'll follow busy itineraries with meaningful interaction with the locals. In other words, you're not just hanging on the beach in Havana for a week. So far, the Treasury Department has only issued eight companies with people-to-people licenses. One such operator is Insight Cuba, which is offering several trips, including a long weekend in Havana, with 4-star accommodation, all meals, full-day guided activities, and in-country transportation, from $1,695. Each trip is limited to 16 travelers. Other outfitters are also planning people-to-people trips to Cuba, including the Harvard University's Alumni Association, Learning in Retirement, and Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art and Design. According to the The New York Times, there are currently 35 tour operators whose applications are still pending, including the National Geographic Society, the National trust for Historic Preservation, and Collette Vacations. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Should the government ease all restrictions on Cuba travel? Cuba prepares for an end to the travel ban Travel to Cuba: Highlights

It seems a bit unfair that some of the most alluring beach destinations throughout the Caribbean and Mexico are tormented by the annual threat of hurricane season. But it's a fact of life for the destinations and the bathing suit-clad travelers heading there, so better to be prepared than to be caught, literally, in the eye of the storm. According to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane season runs from June through November. In fact, "the first named storm of the season hit Mexico's East Coast this morning," noted Travel Weekly's Caribbean Editor Gay Myers. Tropical Storm Arlene hit near Veracruz, which is not a tourist area, "but it doesn't bode well," said Myers. "It's predicted to be an active season." So if you've booked, or plan on booking, a vacation to hurricane-prone destinations, there are some precautions you should take that could salvage your trip in the event of a storm. First, double-check the cancellation and refund policies of the airlines, hotels and car rental companies you are booking for your trip. "If you're traveling to a hurricane zone during storm season, you'll want to make sure your travel insurance policy covers you for delayed flights, trip interruptions due to severe weather and trip cancellations due to a hurricane threatening or destroying your destination," advised Brenda O'Neale of Homstead, Pa.-based Global Travel International, who specializes in the Caribbean and Mexico. If the hurricane happens before your trip, you'll want to make sure that your travel insurance plan includes trip cancellation for hurricanes and natural disasters and that it will refund you any pre-paid non-refundable trip expenses if you have to cancel before your scheduled departure due to a hurricane, explained O'Neale. Read the fine print. The policy has to be purchased pre-hurricane in order to cover for the hurricane. "My advice for travelers in hurricane season is to purchase cancel for any reason insurance," said Ellen Paderson of Boston-based Smiles and Miles Travel. "This way if they see on the weather that there may be a hurricane at the time they are traveling, they may want to cancel or postpone their travels for another time." As for whether and what to pack in an emergency kit, the advice varies. O'Neale said that if you feel obliged to pack a kit, it should include cash, a radio and batteries, a flashlight (with more batteries), non-perishable food and water for three days, rain gear, insect repellant and sunscreen, and your prescription medications. Myers however feels that packing flashlights, batteries and ponchos "doesn't make a lot of sense and takes up space in carry-ons." More from Budget Travel: Five Questions to Ask Before You Go New boarding procedures lead to chaos in the cabin Why cruise ships almost never stay in port overnight