Drew Wilson
Travel service club AAA says 35.5 million Americans will travel during Labor Day weekend, the highest level since 2008, with 1.8 million Floridians expected to take a trip between Thursday and Monday.
“The summer travel season is almost over and many kids are back in school, but an extended weekend and positive economic fundamentals should be enough to convince millions of Americans to take one more trip during Labor Day weekend,” Brent Stahlheber, AAA senior vice president of brand marketing and travel, said in a news release.
The prediction is a slight bump from 2014, when 35 million Americans and 1.7 million Floridians traveled during the holiday weekend. Although AAA said people are more likely to travel in years when the weekend starts in August, reduced fuel prices, an improved housing market and solid income gains have given vacationers more disposable income for an end-of-summer trip.
The Heathrow, Fla.-based business said in late August that nationwide gas prices were at the lowest level for the month since 2004. The national average for a gallon of gas sits at $2.43, a $1 drop year over year.
Florida’s average rings up at $2.29 a gallon as of Thursday. The Tampa Bay region has the lowest average gas price among major Florida metros, at $2.17 a gallon. Orlando sits at $2.18, Jacksonville at $2.20 and Miami at $2.43.
Of the 1.8 million Floridians making a trip during the holiday weekend, 1.6 million are expected to drive, an increase of 1.8 percent from 2014. About 130,000 Floridians are expected to fly, with the remainder traveling by train, bus or cruise.
Plane tickets saw a 1 percent dip from 2014 levels, but travelers will have to pay out more for hotels. AAA said the average price for a “Two Diamond” hotel rose $13 this year to $138 a night, the highest rate in five years.
