Labor Day 2022: Travel expected to surge amid drop in gas prices

BELLMAWR, New Jersey (WPVI) — It’s the unofficial end of summer and experts say most people are hitting the road for trips down the shore instead of air travel for Labor Day weekend.

Heavy traffic on the Schuylkill Friday afternoon looked more like a morning commute, with many drivers trying to get an early start on their weekend plans.

“I’m going to Baltimore for my niece’s wedding,” said Tina Caruso of Haddonfield.

AAA suggests driving during non-peak travel times if you’re planning a weekend getaway.

Gas prices have continued to drop since they peaked in June at more than $5 a gallon.

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In Philadelphia, a gallon of regular gas will cost you $4.04 compared to $4.85 during Memorial Day weekend.

In South Jersey, you’ll pay $3.85 compared to $4.72, and in Delaware, $3.63 will come as a relief for motorists who paid $4.62 at the pumps that last weekend in May.

“It’s nice that they’re starting to come down. Hopefully, they can continue to come down once we get into fall and winter,” said Tom Boucher of Bellmawr.

Airports and airlines will be put to the test as the Philadelphia International Airport is expecting 481,000 travelers this weekend.

But for a Friday morning, travelers say they didn’t encounter any issues.

“It’s been really easy. We started at Charlotte at 8:30 a.m. in the morning and there wasn’t a ton of people there at all. The flight was quick, about an hour, and we got out of the airplane in a couple minutes. So it’s been easy,” said Kate Hastings of Doylestown.

“In and out, great. Rental car pickup and return great. Delta is great always,” said Laura King of Georgia.

The good news is AAA expects gas prices to continue to drop as demand decreases.

The winter blend of gas is also less expensive to produce.