Labor Day weekend: Gas prices drop, air travel to hit new highs.
Expect Busy Conditions and Lower Gas Prices for Labor Day Weekend Travel
Those hitting the road for Labor Day weekend travel should prepare for busy conditions and enjoy slightly lower gas prices compared to last year. According to GasBuddy, the national average for gas prices currently stands at $3.77 per gallon, down 3 cents from last year.
While gas prices may be favorable, air travel is expected to break records during this holiday weekend. Despite recent hurricane and tropical depression in the southeast, over 14 million people are projected to fly between Friday and next Wednesday.
Be Cost-Conscious When Crossing State Lines
GasBuddy advises travelers to be mindful of costs when crossing state lines. Prices near these boundaries can often become more volatile. By shopping around before crossing state lines, motorists can save anywhere from 25 to 50 cents per gallon in some situations.
Robert Sinclair Jr., senior manager of public affairs for AAA Northeast, warns that roads will be busiest from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday.
Airports Prepare for Record-Breaking Screenings
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that airports are expecting to screen a staggering 14.25 million people between Friday and next Wednesday. This marks an 11% increase from the same period last year.
According to Hopper, the average cost of domestic airfare this year is $226 per ticket, down 11% from last year and 20% from Labor Day in 2019.
Hurricane Idalia Impact
Labor Day falls on September 4th, just days after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. It later weakened to a tropical depression as it moved over Georgia.
Millions of people in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas were placed under a severe weather watch. Several airports, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Tallahassee, closed ahead of the storm, resulting in over 1,000 flight cancellations.
While some airports reopened after assessing the storm’s damage, Tampa International Airport reopened incoming flights on Wednesday afternoon and outbound service on Thursday.
“TPA is fortunate to have avoided the worst effects of such a dangerous storm, after acting in an abundance of caution to protect the safety of our passengers, employees, and facilities,” said airport chief executive Joe Lopano.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than 250,000 flights are scheduled through Tuesday. AAA data shows a 44% increase in international bookings, while demand for hotel rooms overseas is up over 80% and overseas cruise bookings have risen by 40%, according to Robert Sinclair Jr.
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