Traffic jams and crowds on Labor Day: things to consider if you're planning a trip this weekend

Millions of Americans are expected to fill highways and airports this week ahead of Labor Day. Summer travel chaos continues. But you can still jump on the last car, reports The Washington Post.

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According to the representative AAA Ellen Edmonds, bookings for domestic travel, including flights, cars, cruises, hotels and tours, are up 22 percent over the 2021 Labor Day weekend. International bookings are up 104 percent as coronavirus-related restrictions continue to ease. Travel booking app Hopper expects more than 12,7 million people to fly out of US airports between September 1 and 5, including 1,8 million to fly overseas.

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As airlines continue to face staffing challenges and extreme weather, travel experts say the most important step is to keep your plans flexible. And for last-minute vacations, you can still find deals.

Airline staffing problems will not disappear

Prepare for delays in Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles.

An average of 2,6 million passengers are expected to depart from U.S. airports each day over Labor Day weekend, with air travel peaking on September 2, according to Hopper's forecast.

“We're just seeing extremely high levels of demand,” said Andrew Heritage, an economist at Hopper. “But also demand has returned faster than capacity—airlines have brought capacity up to about 95 percent of what they were before the pandemic, but they are not yet back to pre-pandemic levels.”

The company predicts that the busiest airports will be Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles, and warns passengers traveling through these hubs to be prepared for delays. The worst airports for flights are expected to be Chicago-Midway, Baltimore and Dallas Love Field - all three airports had more than a third of flights delayed in August.

Arrive at the airport early to be as "adaptable" as possible this weekend, Heritage said. For those who have not bought a ticket yet, it is recommended to fly on September 3rd or 4th and use tools such as guarantee when canceling a Hopper flight, which allows you to instantly rebook tickets free of charge in the event of a flight disruption.

Although TSA data shows that the number of people passing through checkpoints has dropped since June and July, the agency expects a spike over Labor Day weekend, according to spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

How can bad weather ruin your trip?

Edmonds said AAA expects an influx of travelers on Sept. 1 and 2, and recommended leaving early in the morning for both commuting and flights.

Gasoline remains significantly more expensive than a year ago, but national average prices have fallen by more than $1 since June, according to the AAA. The national average hovered around $3,85 a gallon this week. The cheapest place to fill up is in the Southeast, especially in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Georgia.

Car rentals are also in decline, according to Matt Clark, vice president of marketing for Kayak North America, with fall prices expected to be 21% cheaper domestically and 31% cheaper internationally compared to summer.

According to Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service, Labor Day weekend is expected to be above average for most of the country except for Texas. Rain chances are higher than usual in Southern California and the south, especially Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, while the northern states are less likely to rain than usual.

According to AccuWeather, the east coast hurricane season has been historically quiet so far, but there's a chance that could change over Labor Day weekend. Meteorologists are monitoring several systems, one of which has a small chance of threatening the Gulf Coast over the weekend, AccuWeather reports, which could disrupt travel and gasoline supplies.

Covid remains a threat

Coronavirus cases in the United States gradually declined in August, but vaccine immunity is waning and the virus is evolving to become more transmissible, so testing and masks remain important for travel.

Health experts say you should still get tested before you travel

Masks are not required on public transportation or airplanes, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you continue to wear them. If you test positive, you should avoid travel until you are out of isolation, according to the CDC. If you've come out of isolation but it's been less than 10 days since you tested positive, or if you've been in contact with someone who has COVID, you're still advised to wear a high-quality mask or travel in your own vehicle.

And while the United States no longer requires a negative test result to enter the country, most non-citizens must show proof of vaccination. CDC offers on its website a tool for determining requirements for people entering the United States, and Kayak maintains a database of travel restrictions for other countries.

A federal government program that provides free at-home coronavirus tests will be suspended on Sept. 2 due to a lack of funding, according to its website. website. Tests are still available for reimbursement through insurance companies or public testing sites.

Last minute destinations

Even if you haven't booked your trip yet, there may still be good deals, Heritage says. Air tickets to Atlanta and Orlando are still under $250 round trip, and if you're up for the ride, hotels in Kissimmee, Florida and Tempe, Arizona are affordable, according to Heritage.

You might also want to consider "holiday" as some hotels offer local guests special last-minute rates based on geolocation, Hopper says. Major cities such as New York and Las Vegas may also have discounts on hotel rooms closer to the check-in date.

According to Kayak, the cheapest domestic destinations are Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Las Vegas, and Orlando. Internationally, Montreal, Toronto and Guadalajara, Mexico are good places to look for last minute deals.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

Overall, travel prices have come down slightly since the peak of the historically expensive summer season, but you'll still experience price tag shock compared to last year and pre-pandemic. According to Heritage, the average cost of domestic airfare this Labor Day weekend is $278, up 23 percent from 2021 and 20 percent from pre-pandemic 2019.

“If people haven’t made plans yet and want to fly somewhere, maybe leaving September 3rd or 4th and returning September 6th or 7th will help avoid the crowds and save money,” Heritage said.

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