The unofficial end of summer is coming and with that, so is the last summer vacation for most families. AAA says booking data for flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises are up when compared to last year with a 4% increase in domestic books and a 44% increase in international.
“Most travelers will leave on Thursday or Friday to take advantage of the long holiday weekend,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel. “Domestically, the Pacific Northwest, big cities like New York and Denver, and tourist hotspots like Orlando and Las Vegas are the most popular. Internationally, it’s all about Europe and Canada.”
For those planning on traveling by car, motorists will see gas prices similar to last year’s prices. INRIX, who is a global provider of transportation data and insights show Thursday, August 31 between 2pm and 6pm as the busiest time to travel on the roads for the Labor Day Weekend. Friday, September 1st is also expected to be busier than normal traffic volumes between 11am and 9pm.
“The best times to travel by car over Labor Day weekend are early in the morning or in the evening,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “If you must travel during heavy traffic, navigation apps and local departments of transportation can help steer drivers around long delays.”
