Fewer people than usual expect to travel Labor Day weekend

WORCESTER, Mass. – Labor Day is this Monday, and while it’s usually a busy travel weekend, AAA doesn’t expect end of summer travel to be anywhere near as crazy as it was at the beginning of the season.

AAA said their studies show only 31 percent of people in the region plan to travel this weekend. They found that high gas prices and airline troubles are partly to blame.

AAA’s Mary Maguire said 70 percent of people say concerns over inflation factored into their travel decision. Despite those concerns, she said because of falling gas prices, the majority of travelers will drive to get to their destinations.

“I think the fact that gasoline prices are falling right now will definitely propel more people to travel this Labor Day holiday weekend, given the fact that in Massachusetts we’ve finally hit the $4 a gallon mark,” said Maguire. “We are down more than a dollar since the height in mid-June and nationally we are looking at $3.82, down almost 40 cents a month. So I think that will definitely empower people to travel more.”

For people flying this weekend, AAA recommends downloading the airline’s app to track flights and where the aircraft is coming from. They also recommend taking a carry-on bag rather than checking one.