Labor Day travel expected to hit record highs

As Labor Day weekend approaches, travelers are gearing up to close out summer with busy highways and record-breaking airport crowds.

According to AAA, domestic travel over Labor Day is up 9% from last year, while the cost to travel within the U.S. has dropped by 2%.

The Transportation Security Administration anticipates screening more than 17 million passengers this holiday weekend — officials said it is expected to be the busiest Labor Day travel period on record.

Friday is expected to be the peak air travel day, with 2.86 million passengers passing through security.

“Travel volumes have been robust domestically and internationally all summer. Because many kids have returned to school in our region, not everyone travels for Labor Day,” said Ragina C. Ali, spokeswoman for AAA. “But there are certainly plenty of people trying to squeeze in one last three-day weekend to end summer. Others may take off the week after Labor Day to kick off ‘shoulder season’ travel, which can mean lower travel costs and fewer crowds at many destinations in the United States and abroad.”

AAA said the TSA’s top 10 busiest travel days have all occurred since May.

AAA is also urging drivers to make sure their vehicles are road-ready.

“It’s important that drivers remember that their vehicle can break down just as easily over Labor Day weekend as it can at any time of year, and that they take every precaution to ensure that their cars are road-ready,” Ali said.

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