Americans will mark the unofficial end of summer over this Labor Day holiday weekend.
Although the holiday isn't as busy as others travel-wise, this year's Labor Day is expected to be busier than it was in 2023.
"Labor Day Weekend isn't as big of a travel weekend as, say, July 4 or Thanksgiving in the fall, but it is a time for most people to close out their summer," said Aixa Diaz, a spokesperson for AAA.
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Diana Frazier is traveling to Europe for the holiday. She says she "couldn't believe how crowded" the airport was when she started one leg of her trip on Wednesday.
AAA says domestic flight bookings are up 9% from last year's holiday, and lower prices could be partly why. The company says airfares are down 2% from 2023, and while domestic hotel costs are up 7%, car rentals are down 16%.
"We're seeing great last-minute availability for specific areas, especially domestically as people tend to travel less," said Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going.com. "Kids are back in school, families aren't traveling nearly as much as they do in the height of summer."
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The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 17 million people between Thursday and next Wednesday, but peak air travel is expected on Friday. Experts advise allowing plenty of time to get to your destinations.
But for those forgoing the airport for the road, you might see a break at the gas pump. AAA reports the national average price of gas over Labor Day weekend last year was $3.81 per gallon, and as of Thursday, it's down to $3.36 a gallon.
INRIX, a transportation data provider, warns the worst time to be on the road is Thursday afternoon from 1 p.m. until about 7:30 p.m., then again Friday between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The return trip home is predicted to be jammed all day Monday.
