Get your motor running

More Americans hitting the road for Labor Day weekend, AAA says

From Jim Morelli
CNN Travel Now

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Labor Day weekend marks the last long weekend of summer, and Americans will be taking full advantage of it, according to AAA estimates.

"We're forecasting that some 33.7 million people will travel over the holiday period," says the automobile association's Ted Allred. "Of that total number, some 28 million will be traveling via automobile."

That's 5 percent more people planning to be on the road this Labor Day weekend than last year, AAA says. And motorists will be paying, on average, about a quarter more per gallon of gas.

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"I think, with the gas prices being as they are today, that has been quite a surprise to see the numbers of people that are planning on driving," says Rhona Albright, of Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

The automobile club predicts little growth in the number of people planning to get out of town by other means, including air travel. Last year, that statistic rose 6 percent.

The leveling off probably has less to do with flight delays and cancellations, and more to do with peaking demand, AAA maintains.

But Wendy Perrin, a consumer editor for Conde Nast magazine, disagrees. Some people find flying has become an intolerable experience, she says.

"Flying these days is so unpleasant," Perrin says. "It's such a nightmare, that so many people are opting not to fly, especially business travelers who are forced to fly all the time for work. In their free time, the last thing they'll want to do is head to an airport."

Still, this is not a weekend for counting on an empty middle seat. Throughout the summer -- despite bad publicity and, some would argue, bad performance on the part of the airlines -- planes have been leaving the terminal at full capacity.

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