Labor Day isn’t one of the top travel holidays. It’s typically more about backyard barbecues and local get-togethers with friends, largely because so many schools have already reopened.
But that doesn’t mean those who do hit the road will enjoy a traffic-free journey.
Reservations for rental cars are up 26% this year compared to the Fourth of July, according to travel website TripIt. And they’re 55% ahead of last year’s pace.
Air travelers, meanwhile, will crowd the airport on Sept. 1 and 2 as they slip out of town, according to Hopper, an app that helps travelers find discount flights and accommodations. And airports will be crowded again come Sept. 5, as travelers return home from their brief getaways.
While Labor Day air travel might not impact drivers as much as that rental car surge, the rush to the airport could make rush hour a lot more frustrating. Departure times at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O’Hare, San Francisco International, and Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday and Friday will all hit their peak at 8 a.m. Boston will see a peak at 5 p.m. Thursday, as will New York’s JFK, says Trippit.
Atlanta, Denver, and LAX are expected to be the busiest airports. All told, more than 12.7 million passengers are expected to fly over the long weekend.
As for the roads, AAA expects Labor Day travel to be up 10% this year, with most traveling by car. Lower gas prices and a continuing sense of wanderlust after being stuck at home during the pandemic are driving more people to slip away one last time before the long walk up to the holiday travel period.
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