Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and more people are expected to travel through the air or on the roads this weekend than last year.
“We are expecting to round out the summer travel season with another busy holiday weekend,” said Tracy E. Noble, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance. “AAA booking data shows a 9% increase for travel bookings for the holiday weekend up from last year.”
Noble said travel has been up for every major holiday in 2024, adding that there is still a post-pandemic surge in travel.
In addition, costs are down 2% on domestic airfare from last year, and car rentals are down 16% . Domestic hotels are up 7% from last Labor Day weekend, according to AAA bookings.
Noble said international flights are 8% less expensive than last year. According to AAA, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it is prepared to screen more than 17 million people during what is expected to be the busiest Labor Day travel period on record, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 4.
“Now we’re falling into that traditional fall season when demand slumps, and you’re also seeing that in airfares,” said Steve Hafner, CEO of the travel metasearch site Kayak, the Associated Press reported. “Airfares are down from the summer about 26% already, and they’re down even from the previous fall, about 4%.”
AAA also said that 2024 has had the 10 busiest travel days in the agency’s history. July 7 tops the charts with more than 3 million screened passengers by Transportation Security Officers, the most on a single day.
The Transportation Security Administration anticipates screening more than 17 million people between Thursday and next Wednesday — a record for the Labor Day period.
TSA says it has enough screeners to keep the time it takes to get through regular lines to 30 minutes or less and to no more than 10 minutes for PreCheck lines.
Noble said after Labor Day, the shoulder travel season starts. It’s also referred to as offseason travel because planes are less crowded and prices are lower.
On the road, gas prices are down 40 cents per gallon from Labor Day 2023. The state average is $3.40 a gallon. AAA said 85-95 % of travelers drive to their destinations.
According to AAA, the best time to leave on Thursday is before 11 a.m. On Friday, drivers ideally should be on the roads before noon or after 7 p.m. On Saturday, the worst time to drive is between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. The best time is afternoon.
On Sunday the best time to be on the roads is before noon and the worst is between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Monday, passengers should be on the road before 10 a.m. for ideal travel and the busiest time on roadways is between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.
On Tuesday, roads will be busiest between 8 a.m. and noon. After that, traveling should be ideal.
Josh Morgan, communications director for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said all non-emergency work on all major highways throughout the state will pause beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday until Tuesday. Morgan said the state does that for all of the major holidays to alleviate congestion.
“We know there is going to be a lot of extra traffic on the road,” he said. “We expect roads to be busy all weekend. It’s a three-day weekend and some people take Friday off to extend it even more.
“We want to honor the holiday and celebrate the unofficial end to summer,” he added. “We want everyone to do their part and drive sober. More than a third of fatal crashes are a result of impaired drivers.”
The Connecticut DOT reports that Connecticut roadway fatalities are at 209 as of August 19, up from 200 at this point last year. Pedestrians and motorist fatalities both are above last year’s number.
Connecticut State Police will also be visible on the roads throughout the weekend.
Starting midnight Friday through Labor Day, state police from all 11 Connecticut state troops will be conducting DUI patrols, according to state police.
In 2023, there were 5,196 calls to service with 678 violations, 25 DUI arrests, 653 speeding violations, six seat belt violations, 313 motor vehicle accidents and 36 with injury. There were also two fatalities. Numbers were slightly down in most categories from the same time period the previous two years.
“Your Connecticut state troopers expect heavy traffic during this long holiday weekend. We remind drivers that arriving safely at their destination should always be their priority,” Colonel Daniel Loughman said in a statement. “Drivers should plan for busy road conditions and proceed with caution. Following state traffic laws is everyone’s responsibility.”
Police are also asking drivers to call 911 if they suspect impaired drivers in their travels and to also obey the Move Over Law if cars are pulled over in the shoulder.
“Plan ahead and make sure everyone is buckled up and driving sober,” Noble said. “We want everyone to have a good last hurrah of summer and safe travel.”
