Closing out summer with a Labor Day getaway? Expect longer lines at airports, busy roads and higher prices.
An estimated 2.3 million passengers are expected to travel through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during the holiday travel period, according to a news release from the airport. That’s a 1% increase over last year’s Labor Day weekend.
The busiest day at the airport is expected to be Friday, with more than 335,000 passengers projected to pass through Hartsfield-Jackson. Travelers are encouraged to arrive two hours before a scheduled domestic departure and at least three before an international departure.
Atlanta is the No. 10 domestic destination for Labor Day travel this year, according to a separate news release from AAA. It is immediately preceded by Anchorage, Alaska, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Travelers are facing higher airfare costs this year. Average domestic airfare is up 2% compared with the prior year, averaging $750 for a round-trip ticket, according to AAA. It’s nearly 20% higher than last year for travelers flying to the most popular Labor Day destinations, including Orlando and Boston. The cost of international airfare, however, decreased 4% year-over-year.
Hotel costs are up, too. Domestic hotel bookings are up 9% compared with the previous Labor Day weekend, according to AAA. International hotel bookings increased 12%.
Current market trends suggest travelers will pay more in fuel prices than they did in 2025. As of Tuesday, Georgia gas prices average about $3.80 per gallon, up from $2.89 one year prior, according to AAA. Georgians have paid higher gas prices since the start of the Iran war in late February, which disrupted the global flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway in the Middle East. Fuel prices have reached their highest levels in four years.
Unlike longer holiday periods, Labor Day travel is often concentrated into a shorter window. This can result in congestion as normal commuter traffic mixes with holiday travelers.
Other busy times to travel include Thursday between 2 and 7 p.m., followed by Friday between noon and 8 p.m., according to AAA, citing data from transportation data company INRIX.
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