Travelers this Labor Day holiday weekend are mostly getting a break from calmer, but hot weather across much of the U.S.
About 2.73 million people traveled through airport security on Friday, and another 2.08 million on Saturday, according to the Transportation Security Administration, which was braced for a busy weekend of end-of-summer travel. The agency already estimated 14 million people would fly to destinations from Friday through Wednesday.
The TSA has screened 227.5 million passengers since Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. Volumes of travelers are higher than during the same summer period in 2019, it said. That makes this the busiest summer travel period on record, TSA said.
As of afternoon on Sunday, there were few delays and cancellations at U.S. airports, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
After last week’s Hurricane Idalia affecting Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, the National Weather Service was forecasting mostly dry but hotter-than-expected temperatures across much of the U.S.
But the Storm Prediction Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, is warning of an increased threat of hail and gusty winds in Northern Utah, on top of heavy rain.
And at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, an estimated 70,000 people remain stranded in the Black Rock Desert after heavy rains turned the ordinarily dry terrain into thick, sticky mud. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of one person during the festival, but hasn’t shared details about the person’s identity or cause of death. The burning of the wooden Man is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Sunday, weather permitting.
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer holidays for many Americans, though schools are already back in session in many places. Three-fifths of consumers said they planned to celebrate Labor Day this year, according to a survey of 518 consumers by Numerator market research company.
About half (48%) of consumers will celebrate the holiday at their own homes; 37% will celebrate at a friend or family member’s home; 14% will go to an outdoor recreational area; and 11% will travel far from home this holiday, the survey said.
Among those planning to celebrate Labor Day, grilling or barbecuing and attending a gathering will be the top activities, followed by cooking or baking, and recreational activities. Hamburgers are the favorite food to grill this holiday (83%), followed by hot dogs (67%), chicken (60%), and steak (41%), Numerator’s survey said.
Less than half of consumers who were asked “What impact will inflation have on your Labor Day shopping?” expect inflation or a potential economic slowdown to affect their celebrations. Even so, more than half of shoppers will buy items on sale, and about a third said they would prepare budget-friendly meals or use more coupons to save money.
Write to Janet H. Cho at [email protected]
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