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Labor Day weekend: Summer finale means busy roads and airports

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s domestic atrium was full of long lines of travelers waiting to go through security on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. The holiday travel period running through the Tuesday after Labor Day will bring more than 300,000 passengers a day through the Atlanta airport on peak days and Friday was expected to be the busiest day of the Labor Day travel period, with 330,000 passengers passing through the Atlanta airport.  (John Spink/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)
By Kelly Yamanouchi Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA — The last hurrah of the summer will mean yet another packed weekend at airports and on the nation’s roads.

AAA forecasts domestic travel will be up 9% nationally over Labor Day weekend compared with last year. The nation’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, is preparing to handle more than 2.3 million travelers during the Labor Day travel rush.

The busy holiday period starts Wednesday and runs through Sept. 4.

The peak day at Hartsfield-Jackson is expected to be Friday, when more than 349,000 people are expected to travel to, from or through the Atlanta airport.

Airport officials recommend travelers get to the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Those headed to airports should allow extra time to navigate traffic, consider making parking reservations if they plan to park at the airport or consider taking public transportation.

The Transportation Security Administration expects record volumes of travelers in airports across the country over the Labor Day travel period, with more than 17 million people passing through security checkpoints nationally over the seven days.

The Labor Day holiday caps off a summer when TSA saw its highest-ever travel volumes, continuing a boom in post-pandemic travel. Labor Day passenger counts are expected to be up 8.5% from last year, according to TSA.

The agency said the 10 busiest travel days in its history have all occurred this year, in the months since May. The busiest day of the summer was July 7.

“People are traveling more than ever this summer and TSA along with our airline and airport partners stand ready to close the busiest summer travel period on record during this upcoming Labor Day weekend,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a written statement.

Labor Day weekend is a popular time for families to take regional road trips.

AAA said the busiest time on the highways is expected to be this Thursday and Friday in the afternoon and early evening.

“Drivers should expect the most severe traffic jams before the holiday weekend as commuters mix with travelers,” said Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, in a written statement.

Gas prices are expected to be lower than last year, when the national average gas price for a gallon of regular unleaded over Labor Day weekend was $3.81, according to AAA. Over the last several weeks, the average price at the pump nationally has been about $3.50.

Domestic car rental costs and domestic airfares have also declined year over year, according to AAA data.

Higher costs to travel internationally, however, are contributing to a 4% decline in international travel over the holiday compared with last year. International hotel and car rental rates are up year over year, AAA said.

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