iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Labor Day weekend is here and people all over the country will be celebrating the unofficial end of summer. Beaches, parades, camp sites and football games. But everyone knows the worst part: getting there.
The airlines will be in high gear as they are expecting 2.23 million air travels this weekend, a 4% increase from 2015’s Labor Day weekend, according to trade organization Airlines for America. In response, the airlines will be offering almost 100,000 more seats.
The trade organization expects Friday to be the busiest day in the skies.
“On the heels of this summer’s record volumes and falling ticket prices, A4A anticipates a commensurate increase in the number of flyers for the Labor Day period,” said John Heimlich, A4A Vice President and Chief Economist.
Air fares this year are lower than previous years, in part due to falling oil prices.
AAA says gas prices for drivers will be at their lowest point since 2004, even though demand for gasoline will be a near all-time highs.
A report from the National Safety Council, a congressionally chartered nonprofit, indicates motor vehicle deaths were 9 percent higher through the first six months of 2016 than in 2015. The same report predicts 2016’s Labor Day will be the deadliest since 2008. They estimate 438 people will be killed during the three-day holiday period.
Despite the grim prediction, crowd-sourcing navigation app, Waze, tells ABC News that their historical data indicates highway traffic shouldn’t be too bad. So hit the road and drive safe.
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.