Expect To See More People Heading Out This Labor Day Weekend
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- New heights for holiday travel as millions gear up to travel this upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend.
Marcus Washington reports you can expect to see more people--both on the road and in the air.
This Labor Day, weekend travel is only up 1.3 percent, but it's producing a number of travelers we haven't seen in some time.
More people are heading out this upcoming holiday weekend. More than 35 million are expected to travel 50 miles or more.
"We're looking at the highest level of travelers for the Labor Day weekend since 2008," said Christine Delise, AAA Mid-Atlantic.
The number of travelers is slightly up from 2013--with more than 29 million people hitting the road and nearly 3 million traveling by air.
"We saw this with July Fourth and we also saw it with Memorial Day," Delise said.
AAA says this increase shows the economy is bouncing back. They also credit the increase with the holiday falling earlier on the calendar and the lowest gas prices seen in August since 2010.
"Gas prices will likely continue to drop into the fall, barring any unforeseen circumstance such as a hurricane," said Delise.
If you are not planning to stay with family or friends, expect to pay more for your hotel.
"We're looking at about a six percent to nine percent increase--all because of higher demand," Delise said.
For the millions of travelers planning to drive to their final vacation spot of the summer, make sure your vehicle is ready to hit the road.
"You don't want to spend part of your holiday stranded on the side of the road and you don't want to be the cause for a multi-mile back up," said Delise.
The peak times of holiday travel are Friday afternoon and Monday. It's suggested you try to leave on a Thursday and return on a Tuesday if possible to avoid the heavy traffic.
Because of a stronger economy, AAA says more Americans are feeling comfortable about using their credit cards to pay for holiday weekend travel and activities.
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