INDIANAPOLIS — There's a record number of people traveling this Labor Day Weekend. AAA says it's a 9% increase from last year, but you may notice cheaper prices.
AAA sent WRTV these statistics:
- Traveling by Car:
- Thousands of Hoosiers are expected to be traveling by car this Labor Day weekend, to popular cities like Chicago, Boston, New York and Orlando.
- People can expect heavier traffic starting Thursday, August 29 through Monday, September 2 and even trickling over to Tuesday, September 3.
- Heavier traffic can lead to longer travel times, for example if you are headed to Chicago from Indianapolis this weekend, you can expect nearly a 26% increase in your travel time due to heavier traffic.
- Domestic car rentals are 16% cheaper this Labor Day Weekend compared to last year.
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- Traveling by Plane:
- We are expecting high air travel volumes this holiday, with busy airports and millions of people traveling.
- Domestic airfare is 2% cheaper this Labor Day Weekend compared to last year.
- Gas Prices:
- Travelers should expect to pay less for at the pump this year, compared to last year.
- The national average over Labor Day Weekend in 2023 was $3.81. In recent weeks, gas prices have remained steady, hovering around $3.50.
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- 2023 Travel Compared:
- Domestic travel is up 9% compared to last year.
- International travel being down 4% compared to last year.
- Top Travel Destinations:
- Top ten popular spots for travel this Labor Day Weekend include Seattle, Anchorage and Juneau.
According to the travel company Hopper, 23 million airline seats are taking off this weekend, a 2% bump from last year. While averages are up for flights, the Indianapolis International Airport says they're not expecting massive crowds.
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"Doesn't seem too [busy] today," said Paul Holten heading out to Orlando with his family.
Hopper says airfare costs are down by 5% from last year due to more supply from airlines and lower fuel costs this year.
"Seemed about average I would say," said Holten.
