Travelers getting out of town for Labor Day weekend should prepare for packed roadways and airports.
AAA recommends drivers hit the road either early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the worst of the weekend’s traffic.
Friday is expected to have more traffic than usual between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. On Saturday, the best time to travel will be before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. The best time to travel Monday is before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m., AAA reports.
The worst might be behind us. INRIX, which analyzes transportation data, expected Thursday between 2 and 6 p.m. to be the busiest time on the roads during the long weekend.
The congestion on Interstate 94 in the Chicago area will be up by 25%, according to INRIX.
Gas prices remain high heading into the holiday, similar to the price last Labor Day weekend. The average per gallon in Illinois is $4.04, slightly below last year’s $4.15, according to AAA.
The Transportation Safety Administration expects to screen more than 14 million passengers between Friday and Wednesday, up nearly 11% over the same weekend last year.
Bookings for flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises are higher this Labor Day than last year, AAA data shows. Domestic bookings are up 4% and international bookings are up 44%.
“People are so anxious to still travel, throughout the year bookings were so high,” said Molly Hart, a spokesperson with AAA’s office for Illinois and Northwest Indiana.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stopped by O’Hare Airport on Friday to talk about air travel this summer and what travelers should expect heading into the holiday weekend.
Buttigieg told reporters the Federal Aviation Administration expects close to 50,000 flights up in the air on Friday. After a dip on Saturday and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will see 45,000 flights each day. He said he expects the weekend to run smoothly and for airlines to provide safe and reliable travel to passengers.
“This weekend is capping what TSA reports is the busiest summer travel period on record, the most air travel passengers that have been screened by TSA in American history,” Buttigieg said.
Hurricane Idalia closed many Florida airports this week and caused delays and cancellations nationwide. But as of Thursday, Buttigieg said cancellation rates started returning to normal, just in time for a spike in travel this weekend.
Flight cancellations are down so far in 2023, Buttigieg said. At this point in the year, 1.6% of flights have been canceled, down from 2.6% in 2022 and 2% in 2019. Weather has caused nearly 75% of delays and cancellations this year.
“We’re on track to be at or below the typical rate of cancellations over the last decade,” Buttigieg said. “So not only are we seeing the system rebound from the worst effects of COVID, but we’re seeing things come more in line with what we would have regarded as normal.”
Buttigieg and the TSA recommend getting to the airport early to avoid stressing about long lines.
