Traveling Over Labor Day Weekend? Here's What You Need To Know To Avoid A Headache

Labor Day weekend is underway and more than 12 million Americans are expected to fly during this long holiday weekend.

According to data from Hopper, passengers across the U.S. are scheduled to fly from Thursday, September 1 to Monday, September 5, averaging about 2.5 million travelers per day. 

American Airlines Group Inc AAL estimates 2.5 million customers will board 26,400 scheduled flights through Monday. 

According to the report, the flight costs will remain significantly higher than both 2021 and pre-COVID pandemic 2019 prices.

The average cost for a domestic flight over the holiday weekend is $278 round-trip, an increase of 23% from 2021 and 20% from 2019. The average price of an international flight is $850 round-trip, or 34% more expensive than last year and 30% more expensive than in 2019.

Hopper reports that Las Vegas was the most-booked domestic destination for the holiday weekend, followed by Denver and Atlanta. Vacations in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Cancun are also good options.

Here's How To Deal With Flight Delays And Cancellations? 

According to NPR data, airlines have canceled more than 50,000 flights since Memorial Day and delayed over half a million. For example, Delta Air Lines, Inc DAL canceled 100 scheduled daily flights in the U.S. and Latin America between July and August. Similarly, Southwest Airlines Co LUV canceled close to 20,000 flights.     

Overall, 23% of flights departing from various U.S. airports in August were delayed, an increase of nearly 30% compared to 2019.

To avoid a travel nightmare and to deal with flight delays and cancellations, the U.S. Department of Transportation has launched a customer service dashboard to help vacationers during the long weekend.

Also Read: US Authorities Issue Ultimatum To Airlines, Demand Help For Stranded, Delayed Passengers

Using the dashboard, travelers can check to see what kinds of guarantees, refunds, or compensation the major domestic airlines offer in case of flight delays or cancellations. It will allow travelers to shop around and favor those airlines that offer the best compensation.

The department has announced that major airlines guarantee meals and hotel accommodations when an airline's issue causes a delay or cancellation.

Last month, the department decided to take stern action and a possible plan of rule changes for the airlines if they do not come up with improvements for customer service in dealing with flight delays and cancellations. 

Google Reveals Cheapest Days To Fly & How To Get The Best Flight Deal

Last week, Alphabet Inc's GOOGL Google released data on how to get the cheapest flight tickets during the holiday season. 

Based on five-years data, U.S. searches for "cheapest airline tickets" surged by over 240% from April to August this year. Other popular searches include "when is the best time to book a flight?" and "how to find cheap flights?"

Data suggested that flights departing on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday have been 12% cheaper than those on weekends. However, people should avoid traveling on Sunday as the flight prices remain at an all-time high. 

On average, booking a flight on a weekday instead of a weekend has only been 1.9% cheaper.

The fares for flights with layovers are, on average, 20% lower than non-stop flights.

Google data also revealed how an early booking can make a big difference. 

Different holidays in any given year can also impact how early you should buy your tickets. For example, if you plan to travel during Thanksgiving, then tickets are cheapest 36-74 days before the flight.

For any trips in July and August, the prices are lowest 14-44 days prior to the departure date, Google data said. 

Photo: N i c o l a on flickr