Pack your patience: Labor Day travel expected to shatter records

The last holiday weekend of the summer is expected to be a historically busy one with people traveling by car, boat and plane, and filling parks, beaches and entertainment hot spots.

AAA says bookings for domestic travel are running 9% higher than last year for the holiday weekend, while international trips are down roughly 4%, possibly because the cost to travel internationally is up 11%.

If you’re headed out of the Bay Area from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) or San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK), you’ll have plenty of company.

Doug Yakel, a spokesperson for SFO, the region’s busiest airport, said that from Thursday through Tuesday, the airport is expecting more than 930,000 passengers to pass through the gates. That’s about 8.7% higher than last Labor Day, and roughly 97% of pre-pandemic levels for the Labor Day weekend.

In the South Bay, SJC projections are that 77% of available airline seats will be filled over a nine-day period starting Thursday. The airport expects the busiest day to be Friday, when more than 22,000 passengers are expected to depart.

OAK is also gearing up for a busy Labor Day weekend, with more than 200,000 people expected to pass through the airport between Thursday and next Tuesday. The busiest travel days are expected to be Friday and Tuesday, airport officials said.

Travelers taking road trips should expect to pay less for gas compared to last year–and John Treanor, a spokesperson with AAA, said those lower prices are fueling more holiday travel. AAA does not have projections for holiday weekend travel, but expects it to be busier than in years past.

The national average over Labor Day weekend in 2023 for a gallon of regular gas was $3.81.This year, the average price has dropped to $3.36. California, and especially the Bay Area, is far more expensive, with the average price for a gallon of regular gas at $4.62 per gallon Wednesday.

Gas in San Mateo County was $4.86 per gallon Wednesday; drivers in Santa Clara County were paying $4.64 per gallon, while those in Contra Costa and Alameda counties paid $4.73 and $4.74 per gallon, respectively.

Donna Taylor, who is planning to drive from Pleasant Hill to Bakersfield for the holiday weekend to celebrate her 57th birthday, said she will gas up her Subaru before leaving the Bay Area because gas prices along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, can be pricey.

“I usually fill up at Rotten Robbie. There’s one right here and it’s cheap,’’ she said. “I‘m usually able to get down to Bakersfield on a tank of gas.”

Taylor said she plans to hit the road by noon on Friday with a friend and her dog, Calvin.

“I keep hearing, ‘Don’t leave after 2 p.m.,’’’ she said. “I really want to leave by noon because I know it’s going to get crazy on I-5.”

Many travelers will stay closer to home this holiday weekend, with Napa Valley being a particularly popular choice.

“Napa Valley is a hot spot during Labor Day weekend because it coincides with the start of the region’s bustling harvest season, a peak time for winemaking activities,’’ said Justin Crabbe, the CEO of Jettly, a jet charter company. “Special harvest events entice visitors into grape stomping, private wine tastings and vineyard tours. Throughout the weekend, there are also numerous cultural events, such as festivals of food and wine, outdoor concerts and film showings, held with Napa as a scenic background.”

Chris Pyle, a car expert with the website Just Answer, said there are some important things to remember when taking a road trip, especially with children.

“Have entertainment for the kids so they aren’t bothering the driver,’’ he said. “That can be electronics, the phone or even a game they can play with each other. And make sure you have chargers that work.”

Pyle also recommends abandoning Siri for an actual human navigator.

“A good navigator sitting in the passenger seat will help you pay attention, entertain you and get you where you need to go,’’ he said.

Pyle said for the best gas mileage, keep the speedometer at about 62 mph.

“Driving faster does not give you better fuel mileage,’’ he said. “You can do 65 or 68 and still get decent mileage.”

Driving slower has other benefits, too.

“It does relieve stress sitting in the right hand lane going slower. You don’t have to pass people a lot, you don’t have to look in your mirrors as much,” he said. “You can just look out and enjoy the scenery.”

Feel like traveling outside of California for the holiday?.

According to AAA booking data, Seattle is the number one Labor Day weekend destination, up nearly 30% from last year, when it also topped the list. Anchorage and Juneau are also on the top ten list of Labor Day hot spots because they are ports of call for cruise ships.

“This is the time of year to go on an Alaska cruise,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “There are fewer crowds compared to earlier in the summer, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of fall colors.’’