Labor Day weekend travel bookings up 9 percent: AAA

Travelers are looking for their “last hurrah” before the unofficial end of summer by booking trips for Labor Day weekend, according to AAA.

Labor Day weekend travel bookings are up 9 percent compared to last year, with several popular destinations across the country.

In a year with an already high number of travelers, Labor Day weekend is booked and busy as many families wrap up summer before school begins, AAA said.

According to AAA booking information for Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, more Americans are looking to travel domestically than internationally this year.

This time last year, more Americans were traveling internationally. AAA said domestic travel was up 4 percent in 2023, while international travel was up 44 percent.

In the United States, Seattle is the most popular travel destination, likely because of the popularity of Alaskan cruises this time of year, AAA noted. Anchorage and Juneau are also on the top 10 list.

Other top Labor Day weekend destinations include Orlando, Fla.; New York City; Boston; Las Vegas; Denver; Chicago; and San Francisco.

The cost to travel domestically is down 2 percent, but it’s up 11 percent to travel internationally, the agency said.

International travel over the holiday weekend is down 4 percent compared to last year, AAA said, according to its booking numbers.

Most of this year’s international bookings are heading to Europe; 8 out of 10 bookings abroad are heading to European cities.

People who are travelling via car should expect to pay less for gas compared to this time last year. In 2023, gas was $3.81 per gallon over Labor Day weekend, and in recent weeks, it’s hovered around $3.50, AAA said.

“Despite the popularity of summer road trips, overall gas demand is down as daily driving habits have changed post-pandemic, preventing pump prices from spiking,” AAA said.