Falling gas prices and long lines: What to expect when traveling this Labor Day weekend

Labor Day weekend has arrived, marking what many regard as a ceremonial end of summer with children going back to school and temperatures beginning to cool.

In the United States, Labor Day is a federal holiday that honors and recognizes the labor movement and the contributions of modern workers. The holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of every September, giving many people an extended three-day weekend. This year, the holiday falls on Sept. 2.

Here’s what to expect if you’re traveling:

For those going on a road trip this Labor Day weekend, gas prices are down compared with earlier this summer and this time last year.

The national average for regular fuel at the pump was $3.36 per gallon as of Thursday, down about 14 cents from last month. This figure is also down 46 cents from a year ago, according to AAA .

“If you're going to go somewhere, it's a great weekend to go because prices are going in the right direction,” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said.

For those in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, gas prices are mostly even lower, hovering around $3.58 in D.C., $3.27 in Maryland, and $3.22 in Virginia for regular fuel.

The Gulf states have among the cheapest gas, with averages of $2.89 in Mississippi, $2.95 in Texas, and $2.96 in Louisiana. Oklahoma and Tennessee are also in the top five states with the lowest gas prices heading into the weekend.

While AAA data showed national prices hovering between $3.44 and $3.54 in June and July this summer, gas prices have fallen ahead of the long weekend due to lower oil prices. The U.S. benchmark for oil, West Texas Intermediate, has shown an 8% decrease in the price of oil since July.

The season also affects prices as the summer winds down and demand for gasoline goes down.

“Most of the country is looking at sharply lower prices,” Tom Kloza , global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service, a pricing reporting agency, told USA Today . “I think the conversations people are going to be having [after Labor Day] is, ‘Wow, that's the cheapest gasoline we've seen since 2021.’”

For those catching a flight for their weekend travels, expect long lines at the airports. The Transportation Security Administration is expecting to screen a record-high number of passengers.

In 2023, the TSA screened 16.39 million passengers during the Labor Day holiday weekend, which the agency defines as the period from the Thursday before the holiday through the Wednesday after the holiday. In 2022, the TSA screened 15.02 million passengers.

This year, there are as many as 17 million passengers, up 8.5% from last year. The agency expects the volume of passengers to peak on Friday.

TSA is expecting 2.86 million passengers on Friday alone.

This year, TSA has hit new record-highs with passenger numbers. The top 10 busiest days at U.S. airports since the beginning of the TSA have all been since May of this year, according to ABC News .

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American Airlines is predicting this year will be the largest Labor Day operation in the airline’s history. The company anticipates over 3.8 million customers from Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, up 14% from last year. American Airlines said its busiest travel days would be Aug. 29 and Aug. 30.

The busiest airports are anticipated to be Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, according to Hopper. The most searched-for domestic destinations for Labor Day are New York City, Seattle, and Los Angeles.