Travelers hitting the skies and roads over the upcoming Labor Day weekend can expect busier airports and highways — and to face higher prices.
The cost of airfare and gasoline is up this year. And airports are projected to be packed over the historically busy travel period.
About 1.71 million travelers will pass through O’Hare and Midway airports from Thursday to Tuesday, according to the airline projections shared by the Chicago Department of Aviation. That’s 5.9% more passengers than the same period last year.
The busiest day at O’Hare should be Sunday, when 261,000 passengers are expected to pass through. Monday will be the most crowded day at Midway, with nearly 58,000 travelers.
Nationally, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration projects air travel to be nearly as busy as 2025’s Labor Day weekend. Last year’s holiday weekend was historic for the TSA, when it screened the most people every in a single day (10.4 million on that Friday.)
Meanwhile, the price of an average flight is up 2% over last year, averaging $750 for a round trip ticket, according to auto group AAA. Ticket prices are up 20% to the most popular Labor Day destinations, such as Seattle, Orlando and Boston. The cost of international flights, however, is down 4% on average.
Travelers’ pocket books are being pinched elsewhere. The cost of hotel bookings is also up 9% compared to last year, according to AAA.
Car travel
The cost of driving is up, too, as gas prices remain high than last year. The national average for gas was $4.14 a gallon on Wednesday, up nearly a dollar from last year’s Labor Day weekend, when the national average was $3.19.
Vehicle traffic is expected to be worst in the afternoon and early evenings of Thursday and Friday as holiday travelers share the road with commuters, according to transportation data company INRIX.
The Illinois Tollway expects 8.5 million vehicles to use the toll system over the holiday weekend. The busiest travel days are projected to be Friday, with 2 million drivers, and on Tuesday, with 1.8 million drivers. The tollway typically sees an average of 1.7 million users each day.