Last-Minute Labor Day Weekend Deals Abound

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- Didn't put much labor into your Labor Day weekend plans? Don't fret, there are still deals out there. Despite the BP BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and blistering temperatures in the Northeast and Midwest, vacation rental agencies are reporting that this summer's results were much sunnier than expected. Jamie Dito, spokeswoman for Austin, Texas-based rental site HomeAway, says rentals near such hot spots as New York City, Cape Cod, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Disney DIS properties in Orlando, Fla., remain popular, but inland Gulf Coast destinations such as New Orleans and Hot Springs, Ark., saw increased demand this year. Steve Daimler, spokesman for Philadelphia-based last-minute rental site PackLate says the demand that has kept his firm busy all summer has extended to Labor Day, with his company wrapping up a 72-hour Labor Day sale earlier this week. The demand for last-minute deals dovetails with an uptick in travel, as Air Transport World calculates that the nine largest U.S. airlines (behind strong performances from Delta DAL and United UAUA) collected $1.45 billion in net income in the second quarter ending June 30 after posting a $556 million loss the same time last year. As a result, FareCompare.com notes that airlines have been able to increase peak-day fares from between $20 to $60 this summer as seats fill. To read the rest, head over to TheStreet.com