The kids have gone back to school and the days are getting shorter, but there is still one more excuse to use the swimsuits and beach towels before packing them up: Labor Day.
Airports, highways, beaches and theme parks are expected to be packed for the long holiday weekend as many Americans mark the unofficial end of summer the same way they celebrated the season’s unofficial start: travel.
The Transportation Security Administration anticipates screening more than 17 million people between Thursday and next Wednesday—a record for the Labor Day period.
AAA says bookings for domestic travel are running 9% higher than last year for the holiday weekend, while international trips are down 4%. American Airlines plans to have its largest Labor Day weekend operation ever and expects a 14% increase in passengers compared to last year.
“Not everyone travels for Labor Day, not compared to July 4th or Thanksgiving—those are the most popular ones,” says Aixa Diaz, a spokesperson for AAA. “But certainly Labor Day offers people a way to get away for the final weekend of the summer. You’ve got people who are either taking the three-day weekend or perhaps taking off the whole week before Labor Day.”
