Labor Day weekend is officially upon us and it is predicted to be even busier than LDW 2022, this year’s Memorial Day weekend, and 2019’s Labor Day weekend, before the Covid-19 pandemic began. That means there will be an even higher likelihood of encountering chaos as you travel for the last long weekend of the summer.
“We anticipate this Labor Day holiday weekend will be busy, with passenger volumes nearly 11% higher than last year-volumes that already exceeded 2019 Labor Day holiday travel volumes,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a statement. “We are prepared for the increase in travel volumes and are working closely with our airline and airport partners to make sure we are maintaining our wait time standards of 30 minutes and under for standard screening lanes, and 10 minutes and under for TSA PreCheck lanes.”
Price4Limo did research on which airlines and airports were most likely to encounter challenges, based on Bureau of Transportation statistics. Their data showed that Hawaiian Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines were expected to be the best airlines to fly a lowest percentage of anticipated departure delays. JetBlue Airways, Allegiant Air, and Frontier Airlines were named the airlines most likely to see delays this holiday weekend.
Courtesy of Price4Limo
Courtesy of Price4Limo
The airports that are expected to see the most on-time departures in the US are Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, while Luis Muñoz MartĂn International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Dallas Love Field Airport are predicted to have the most delayed departures. No matter which airline you fly, you need to prepare for extra time going through airport security.
“There are occasions where wait times may be longer, so we encourage you to arrive early, pack your patience and reach out to us before arriving at the airport if you have any questions on our security procedures or items you may bring,” Pekoske advises. “I applaud our frontline employees who have done an excellent job throughout the busy travel season to facilitate secure travel for millions of passengers, all while we continue to deploy new checkpoint technology that enhances security effectiveness, efficiency and the passenger experience.”
Courtesy of Price4Limo
Courtesy of Price4Limo
TSA also recently released updated guidance on how to pack to get through security fastest-these tips will be especially helpful on such a busy weekend.
AAA reports that Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin, and Paris will be the top five international destinations over this Labor Day weekend, and hotels and cruises are both seeing a big boost in business. “International hotel bookings for the holiday are up 82% compared to 2022 and international cruise bookings are up 44% over last year,” AAA’s Labor Day Weekend report states. Domestically, the top five destinations are Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, New York, and Las Vegas.
Even if you don’t plan on flying, you’re still likely to encounter some of this travel chaos. Plenty of people are taking to the roads. To avoid the busiest times on the road, follow advice from transportation data experts INRIX.
“The best times to travel by car over Labor Day weekend are early in the morning or in the evening,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, to AAA. “If you must travel during heavy traffic, navigation apps and local departments of transportation can help steer drivers around long delays.”
Check out the best times to drive for Labor Day weekend 2023 below:
Courtesy of AAA
Courtesy of AAA
Finally, car insurance savings company Jerry reports that Labor Day weekend is the most dangerous summer holiday and the second most dangerous holiday overall for driving. Saturdays are the most dangerous day of the holiday weekend for driving, and each day between 8 pm and 2 am are the most dangerous hours to drive.
No matter how you intend on traveling this holiday weekend-you are now armed with the information on how to plan a safer, less stressful departure and return.
Mexican restaurant chain Mad Mex has dropped a new protein, and it’s one of the most popular street foods in Mexico.
Enter, Chicken Al Pastor. It’s traditionally made with pork and grilled on a spinning rotisserie with a pineapple sitting a top, but Mad Mex has put its own spin on it, serving chicken bathed in an Al Pastor marinade with a touch of juicy pineapple.
You can order the protein-packed filling in your favourite burrito, bowl, quesadilla, nachos, or in a taco.
As always, these things are here for a good time, not a long time. Pop into your local Mad Mex restaurant, order delivery or through the Mad Mex app today.
