last. training and certifying new controllers takes two to three years. and united has its own staffing problems. a union email says flight attendants are waiting on the phone for hours to reach crew scheduling. airports nationwide reporting record passenger levels at or exceeding 2.7 million passengers every day, eclipsing 2019 numbers. reporter: just as the tsa predicts, friday could be the monster travel day, 2.8 million travelers. tom costello, nbc news, washington. i m sam brock in new orleans french quarter, where long lines packed this steamboat dock as unrelenting heat is steaming the entire city. it s really hot out here. reporter: new orleans could set record highs the next four days with the heat index approaching 120 degrees. i saw someone about two weeks ago had a heatstroke, a lady out here. so it s very hot. reporter: is that scary to see firsthand? yes, it was. reporter: the city s top priority, caring for the most vulnerable, opening at least nine cooli