Saving money on your Labor Day travels

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – It may be hard to believe but the unofficial end of summer is fast approaching. We’re talking about Labor Day Weekend. AAA is projecting travel to be up by nine percent for the holiday compared to last year.

When it comes to Labor Day travel, many people opt to drive to their destinations and some already have a head start.

“Labor Day travels are about a three and a half week travel starting in Pikeville, Tennessee,” John Smolko of Tennessee said.

“We’re going out to Bozeman to visit my son,” Scott Watson of Illinois said.

And there’s some good news for any drivers filling up the tank in South Dakota.

“This year, the average right now is about a three and a quarter dollars per gallon in South Dakota,” Shawn Steward with AAA South Dakota said. “And that’s 45 cents less than what we saw a year ago.”

That’s something Scott Watson of Illinois has already noticed.

“Our first fill-up in Illinois was $3.85 and now we obviously are below two dollars. So that’s always pleasant,” Watson said.

His tip for saving even more money is to pack your own food.

“Yeah, we brought along, like I said, some of our own food. We’re staying in an AirBnB so that we can avoid restaurants a little bit,” Watson said.

Speaking of where you sleep, AAA says hotel costs are up this year, but John Smolko of Tennessee has a way to handle that expense.

“Well, we brought our camper so we saved the hotel bills and we just got through having lunch down at the Falls,” Smolko said.

If you’re keeping the car parked this weekend and traveling by air, you could also see some lower prices. AAA says domestic airfare is down two percent from last year and international flights are down eight percent. However, you can expect some busy airports.

“They’re anticipating the busiest travel day this coming weekend to be on Friday. They are planning to screen more than 2.8 million passengers around the country,” Steward said. “So make sure that you leave early, leave plenty of time and keep up to date on the status of your flight.”

No matter how you’re traveling this holiday weekend, remember to have some fun along the way.

“I just hope they enjoy it and remember what Labor Day is all about — the working man,” Smolko said.

AAA also has a free mobile app that allows you to check gas prices at any location along your trip so you can find the lowest option.

Steward suggests checking your car’s maintenance — making sure it has full tires and a good battery before you hit the road to help lower your risk of having to spend money on tow trucks and repairs along the way.

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