CLEVELAND — The Transportation Security Administration is expecting to screen more than 28 million people between June 28 and July 8, according to a press release. AAA is also estimating at least five million people will travel by air and another 60 million by car.
While the holiday travel season nears full swing, some travel agents warn the weather — including hurricane season and sweltering heat in the west — could cause some to put a pause on their plans.
The U.S. State Department is warning Americans in the Caribbean to keep a close eye on the current weather situation because of Hurricane Beryl. Additionally, most of California is currently under an excessive heat warning, according to the National Weather Service.
Two travel agents in Cleveland said they have clients on a honeymoon in St. Lucia. Beryl is forecasted to weaken as it moves through the Caribbean Sea, but is still expected to still be a major hurricane when it reaches Jamaica on Wednesday.
Roni Kemmerer is preparing to travel to Playa del Carmen in Mexico on Thursday, but she isn’t sure if the flight will be canceled.
"We weren't expecting it at all," she said. "Nature is going to be nature. I mean, I guess you have to prepare for these things."
Kemmerer tells 3News she didn't buy travel insurance, and is now waiting to see if the airline cancels her flight to the Yucatán Peninsula.
"We're going to wait it out at the airport," she explained. "Maybe have a margarita in hopes that we'll be having one soon."
Craig Setzer, chief meteorologist for Royal Caribbean, says the company started planning where ships would be moved days ago. Kemmerer wishes the airline would give her more advance notice on whether her flight will depart, but is "just thankful that we're not traveling with our children or our grandchildren" so she and her husband can roll with the punches.
The U.S. Department of Transportation website explains when airlines are required to refund passengers.