Labor Day travel surge expected

The upcoming three-day Labor Day holiday is predicted to reflect a significant increase from last year’s holiday, according to AAA Northern California’s most recent travel survey.

AAA’s latest travel forecast predicts that more than 3.9 million Californians will travel 50 miles or more from their homes this upcoming three-day Labor Day weekend. This represents an overall increase of 6 percent compared to last year.

“This resurgence of travel is partly due to improved consumer confidence, which is at a much higher level than 2012,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris. “Although there are lingering budgetary concerns, Californians will not let this last opportunity to celebrate summer go back without a quick holiday getaway.”

This year Labor Day trips by automobile will be the preferred mode of transportation with more than 3.1 million Californians driving to reach their destinations. This represents a 6.2 percent increase compared to 2012. More than 514,000 Californians are planning to travel by air, an increase of 4.4 percent compared to last year. Approximately 300,000 state residents are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, such as rail, bus and watercraft. This represents an increase of 6.1 percent over 2012.

Nationally, AAA projects just over 34 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the Labor Day weekend, representing a 4.2 percent increase compared to 2012.

The AAA Leisure Travel Index shows that airfares over Labor Day weekend are expected to increase by 4.0 percent, with an average cost of $214 per ticket. Hotel rates at AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to average $161 per night, an increase of 4.0 percent from a year ago. Weekend car rentals are expected to increase 32 percent, with a new average daily rate of $51. The expenditures for a West Coast family of four are expected to average $622 over the weekend, and the average road trip is predicted to cover 666 miles.

AAA’s survey shows that visiting family and friends, dining, shopping, and visiting beach/waterfront areas will be the preferred leisure activities for West Coast families. Other favorite activities over the weekend are expected to be biking, hiking and sightseeing.

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be closed in both directions Labor Day Weekend in order to take the original East Span out of service and to open the new East Span to traffic. The closure will begin Wednesday, August 28th at 8:00 p.m. and the new East Span is scheduled to open on Tuesday, September 3rd at 5:00 a.m.

—California State Auto Association

(photo: Elizabeth Carmel)