Labor Day weekend is nearly here, and millions of Americans are preparing to close out summer with one last getaway — whether that means catching a flight or packing up the car for a road trip.
Drivers, however, may feel the pinch at the pump. GasBuddy forecasts that the national average gas price will reach $4.03 per gallon, which would mark the highest Labor Day gas price ever recorded. By comparison, AAA reported that the national average stood at $3.19 per gallon on Labor Day last year.
Here’s what travelers should know before heading out for Labor Day weekend:
Air travel
The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen more than 17 million passengers at airports nationwide from Thursday, Sept. 3, through Wednesday, Sept. 9.
According to AAA booking data, the most popular U.S. Labor Day travel destinations are Seattle; Orlando, Florida; Boston; Denver; and New York City.
United Airlines said it is anticipating a busy Labor Day travel period with about 3.4 million passengers — roughly 300,000 more than last year. The airline says its busiest days will be Friday, Sept. 4 and Monday, Sept. 7.
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American Airlines said it expects more than 3.5 million travelers between Thursday, Sept. 3 and Tuesday, Sept. 8, with nearly 500,000 million of those passengers traveling through the airline’s biggest hub, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. American said its busiest day will be Monday, Sept. 7, followed by Friday, Sept. 4.
Road travel
The biggest travel rush on the roads will be after work on Thursday, Sept. 3, and during the day on Friday, Sept. 4, according to analytics company INRIX.
If you’re heading out the door on Sept. 3, the worst traffic is expected to be between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to INRIX, and on Sept. 4, the worst traffic will be from noon to 8 p.m.
If you’re planning to drive home on Labor Day itself, the worst time period on the road is expected to be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., according to INRIX.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway