Man arrested after two Southgate police officers shot; heat wave in the forecast; other top stories

Man arrested after two Southgate police officers shot; heat wave in the forecast; other top stories

Man arrested after two Southgate police officers shot; heat wave in the forecast; other top stories

A record number of Michiganders are expected to travel around the July 4th holiday, with more than 2.6 million hitting the roads or taking to the skies.

The estimated number is up nearly 3% from last year, with most of them driving to their destinations. Planes, buses, trains and cruise booking numbers also are up.

AAA’s travel estimates for the Independence Day holiday includes both the weekends before and after that date to reflect extended trips and a variety of departure schedules. July 4 is on a Friday this year, and the holiday travel time being reported is for June 28 to July 6.

“Independence Day is one of the most popular times for travel, with Americans eager to take advantage of summer vacation opportunities,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of AAA Travel. “This year, we’re seeing strong demand for road trips, flights, and cruises, especially with the holiday falling on a Friday.”

Record travel expected for Memorial Day weekend: What you need to know

A record number of Americans are gearing up to head to the airport or hit the highway for the first long weekend of the summer.

A record number of Americans are gearing up to head to the airport or hit the highway for the first long weekend of the summer.

A record number of Americans are gearing up to head to the airport or hit the highway for the first long weekend of the summer.

A record number of Americans are gearing up to head to the airport or hit the highway for the first long weekend of the summer.

A record number of Americans are gearing up to head to the airport or hit the highway for the first long weekend of the summer.

AAA forecasts more than 45 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 22, and Monday, May 26, which would break the Memorial Day weekend travel record set in 2005.

Travelers make their way through security at Denver International Airport on Thursday, May 23, 2024. AP Photo/Thomas Peipert

Heres what you need to know:

Road travel

AAA forecasts 39.4 million people will travel by car over the long weekend.

If youre heading out on Friday, the best time to drive is before 11 a.m., according to analytics company INRIX.

On Monday, INRIX recommends heading home before 2 p.m. The worst time on the road on Monday will be between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., INRIX said.

Air travel

AAA anticipates 3.61 million people will travel by plane — a nearly 2% jump from last year.

U.S. flights are 2% more expensive this year than they were in 2024, with the average round-trip ticket costing $850, according to AAA.

American Airlines said it’s expecting the highest number of passengers on Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23, with 6,741 departures on each of those days.

The top domestic destinations are Orlando, Florida; Seattle; New York City; Las Vegas; Miami; and San Francisco, according to AAA. The top international cities are Rome; Vancouver, Canada; Paris; and London.

The most expensive destination is Hawaii, according to Expedia. Some cities with the most affordable hotels are Kissimmee, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Houston; Minneapolis; and Fort Worth, Texas, Expedia said.

This marks the first holiday since the REAL ID requirement for domestic flights went into effect on May 7. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a congressional panel on May 6 that travelers who haven’t yet obtained a REAL ID will still be able to fly, but will be subject to an additional screening process.

Memorial Day weekend also comes on the heels of ongoing delays at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport due to multiple technical problems, runway construction and staffing shortages.

AAA projects a record 72 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the nine-day Independence Day holiday period — from June 28 to July 6 — with new highs expected for both drivers and air travelers as summer travel reaches peak season.

The auto club forecasts nearly 62 million people will drive over the Fourth of July weekend, representing an increase of 1.3 million from last year. Air travel is expected to rise more than 1% over last year’s record numbers.

“The top 10 heaviest travel days in TSA history have all happened within the past year, and we expect to see more heavy volumes this summer,” said Kristie Jordan Smith, a Transportation Security Administration official at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

How technology at airports is reducing wait times

The Independence Day travel period is expected to be the summer’s busiest travel stretch.

Airport officials are implementing new technology to reduce wait times. At DFW, customs officials report wait times are down 25% thanks to enhanced passenger processing technology that uses facial recognition, now operational at nine airports nationwide.

CBP will soon test a program allowing customs to review X-ray images of checked bags from London flights, eliminating the need for connecting passengers to clear security twice in Dallas.

“This program streamlines and improves the travel experience for our customers, saving them time and reducing the complexity of clearing security while continuing to maintain the highest security standards,” said Jim Moses, Senior Vice President DFW Hub Operations at American Airlines. DFW is the airline’s largest hub.

AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said travel demand reflects both practical and emotional factors.

“We’re seeing travel in record numbers because travel isn’t just an economic and practical decision, it’s also an emotional decision,” Diaz said. “People don’t have to spend a lot of money when they go on these trips, but people want to get away and not be home.”

According to Priceline, top summer destinations include Las Vegas, Orlando, Tokyo and London.

✕ Close Hurricane Beryl on path for Yucatan Peninsula, Gulf of Mexico

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Eight people have died, and millions more in Texas could be left without power for days while Beryl moves northeast.

After making landfall in the United States as a Category 1 hurricane on the coast of Matagorda on Monday morning, Beryl was downgraded to Tropical Storm then to a Depression and now as a post-tropical cyclone as it traversed inland across eastern Texas, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and life-threatening conditions.

Around eight people are believed to be dead as a result of the storm, including seven in Texas and one in Louisiana.

This includes a civilian employee of the Houston Police Department, who was killed when he was trapped in flood waters under a highway overpass, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said.

More than 2.2 million customers were without power around Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, after Beryl blew through, according to CenterPoint Energy.

Acting Texas Governor Dan Patrick said the electric company was bringing in additional workers to help restore power more quickly.

Beryl has already left a trail of destruction as a Category 5 hurricane through Mexico and the Caribbean.

Parts of the Midwest could see tornadoes, while the northeastern US could be hit with flash floods.

Airports, highways, beaches and theme parks are expected to be packed across the U.S. this Labor Day weekend as a lot Americans mark the unofficial end of summer the same way they celebrated the season’s unofficial start: by traveling.

After what’s already been a record-breaking summer for air travel, the Transportation Security Administration predicted its agents would screen more than 17 million people during a holiday period that started Thursday and runs through next Wednesday, about 8% more than last year.

The TSA anticipates Friday being the busiest day. In a sign the summer travel season really is winding down, however, the agency said that fewer than 2 million passengers passed through airport security checkpoints one day this week — the first time that has happened since early March.

If you plan to be part of the crowds heading out of town to enjoy one last blast of summer, here is a rundown of what you need to know.

How is holiday travel going so far?

Busy, as expected, and flight delays were common.

Airlines had canceled more than 200 U.S. flights as of late afternoon on the East Coast, a modest number by current standards. However, more than 4,500 other flights were delayed, led by Southwest and American, according to tracking service FlightAware.

Plenty of people appeared to have heeded experts’ advice to get away as early as possible on Friday.

Travelers use kiosks at Los Angeles International Airport ahead of the Labor Day holiday on Friday. Mario Tama / Getty Images

Lines of cars and passengers appeared at Los Angeles International Airport before the sun was up. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was buzzing early but slowed by midmorning, and parking spaces were still available.

Why travel over a holiday weekend?

Boston resident Dani Fleming flew across the country to visit her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. She got to the airport at 4:30 a.m. for her departing flight and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the lines moved both there and at San Francisco International Airport.

“The flight was easy. (I) napped for a little bit, watched movies,” Fleming said. “This was a breeze.”

Benjamin Schmeiser and his wife and 16-year-old daughter planned to fly from Chicago to San Diego to attend a concert of 1970s rock bands. It was the family’s first flight together since COVID-19 hit.

“We have been looking forward to this trip for quite some time, and I’m happy that we can get the whole family in on the trip,” Schmeiser said while waiting at O’Hare International Airport. “A lot of us are huge live music fans, and we love sports. Now that travel is open, it’s much more affordable, we’re able to travel a lot more.”

Where are the potential trouble spots?

Weather is the leading cause of flight delays. Forecasts call for rain and maybe scattered thunderstorms from Texas to New England plus parts of Florida over the weekend, spreading over more of the Southeast on Monday.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was still working to restore all services after what airport officials described as a possible cyberattack last weekend. Flights have been running normally all week, but the airport told passengers to arrive extra early and to avoid checking bags, especially on smaller airlines, because of problems with the bag-sorting system.

Michael Novick got to SeaTac 30 minutes earlier than usual and checked three bags for his American Airlines flight to Dallas on Friday. “I was a little concerned about what things might look like, but it was absolutely seamless,” he said. “It was a normal day.”

The only thing out of the ordinary: gate agents checked boarding passes manually, Novick said.

What are prices like?

Motorists are getting a break on gasoline. The nationwide average Friday was $3.35 per gallon, compared to $3.83 a year ago, according to AAA.

For electric vehicles, the average price for a kilowatt of power at an L2 commercial charging station is about 34 cents. The average is under 25 cents in Kansas and Missouri but tops 40 cents in several states, including New Hampshire, Tennessee and Kentucky. Hawaii is the costliest, at 56 cents.

Traffic crosses the Bourne Bridge onto Cape Cod on Friday in Bourne, Mass. Michael Dwyer / AP

Average airfares in July were down 7.1% from June and 2.8% from July 2023, according to the government’s consumer price index. Steve Hafner, CEO of the travel metasearch site Kayak, said airfares are dropping as the peak summer-vacation season ends.

When is the best time to hit the road?

Early morning or late evening. Transportation-data provider INRIX says traffic will be heaviest between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, when people head home.

When will airports be busiest?

The TSA expects to screen 2.86 million people Friday. That’s impressive, but it won’t rank among TSA’s top 15 days — 14 of which were this year. The single-day record of 3.01 million was set July 7, the Sunday after Independence Day.

TSA says it has enough screeners to keep the time it takes to get through regular lines to 30 minutes or less and to no more than 10 minutes for PreCheck lines.

American Airlines expects to operate 6,400 flights Friday, the same as Thursday, and 6,300 on Labor Day itself.

What should I do if my flight is delayed or canceled?

Check your flight’s status before leaving for the airport. It’s better to be stuck at home than stranded at the airport.

If your flight is canceled, the airline might automatically rebook you. That might not be the best option.

“Get on the phone (to the airline’s help center), get in front of an agent, reach out to the airline via social media if you have to, but find out what the other options are,” says Julian Kheel, the founder and CEO of Points Path, a browser extension that lets users compare fares with deals available using frequent-flyer points.

Kheel said agents at the airport have more leeway to help but might be overwhelmed by the number of passengers needing help. DIY rebooking on the airline website or app might be faster, he said.

Phone tip: If the airline has international help numbers, call one of those to get through more quickly.

What about refunds and reimbursement?

Airlines are required to provide refunds — including for extra fees paid — to passengers whose flights are canceled for any reason. However, they are not required to pay cash compensation, and no major U.S. airlines do. Only Alaska, Southwest and JetBlue even promise travel vouchers if the cancellation is their fault.

If you’re stuck overnight, ask the airline about paying for a hotel, meals and ground transportation. All major U.S. airlines except Frontier promise to help with all three for “controllable” disruptions, according to the Transportation Department’s airline-policy dashboard.

Keep receipts for all out-of-pocket expenses in case you can file a claim later.

A few final tips

— Leave early. Everything will take longer than you expect, including getting through airport security.

— Watch the weather. Even if skies are clear at home, there could be storms at your flight’s destination or along your road route. Have a backup route.

— Don’t check a bag. About one in every 170 checked bags was lost, damaged or stolen in May, the latest month covered by government figures.

— Be nice. “Go with the flow. You don’t need to hate on the customer-service people. They’re doing the best they can,” said Shannon Beddingfield of Texas as she prepared to board a flight to Orlando, Florida.