What Travelers Can Expect During Labor Day Weekend

With Labor Day just around the corner, Americans are getting ready for the last long weekend of the summer.

This summer has seen super busy for airports with increased disruption as travel demand surged following the pandemic.

Flight delays and cancellation rates are well above 2019 averages and travelers should be prepared for those ongoing disruptions over the holiday weekend.

According to the travel app Hopper's Labor Day Outlook, over 12.7 million passengers are expected to depart from US airports over the long weekend.

With 501,724 passengers scheduled to depart over Labor Day weekend, Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) airport is expected to be the 4th busiest airport in the U.S.

Which airports are expected to be the busiest?

1. Atlanta (ATL) - 701,060 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 10:00PM (25% flights delayed in August)
2. Denver (DEN) - 531,809 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 11:00AM (29% flights delayed in August)
3. Los Angeles (LAX) - 515,581 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 8:00AM (21% flights delayed in August)
4. Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) - 501,724 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 10:00AM (24% flights delayed in August)
5. New York City (JFK) - 471,607 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 6:00PM (33% flights delayed in August)
6. Chicago O'Hare (ORD) - 468,912 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 5:00PM (23% flights delayed in August)
7. Las Vegas (LAS) - 458,143 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 9:00AM (34% flights delayed in August)
8. Orlando (MCO) - 393,565 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 7:00AM (31% flights delayed in August)
9. Seattle (SEA) - 351,420 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 7:00 AM (20% flights delayed in August)
10. Miami (MIA) - 344,661 passengers; Busiest time to depart: 10:00 AM (22% flights delayed in August)

Worst airports for flight delays & cancellations in August:

1. Chicago (MDW) - 47% of flights delayed in August on average
2. Baltimore/Washington (BW) - 43% flights delayed in August on average
3. Newark (EWR) - 37% flights delayed in August on average
4. Las Vegas (LAS) - 34% flights delayed in August on average
5. New York City (JFK) - 33% of flights delayed in August on average

Best airports for flight delays & cancellations in August:

1. Juneau (JNU) - 3% of flights delayed in August on average
2. Anchorage (ANC) - 13% of flights delayed in August on average
3. Boise (BOI) - 15% of flights delayed in August on average
4. Kahului, Hawaii (OGG) - 17% of flights delayed in August on average
5. Salt Lake City (SLC) - 17% of flights delayed in August on average

How can travelers prepare for disruption over Labor Day Weekend?

1. Add Trip Protection - Travel app Hopper offers Flight Disruption Guarantee which covers flight delays, cancellations and missed connections. If you experience a travel disruption, you can immediately rebook your flight on any carrier & get out on the next flight for free, or receive a refund.
2. If you haven't booked yet, build in a buffer day: Particularly for holiday weekends, it's always a good idea to add in an extra day or two to your travel plans, to ensure you can arrive at your destination on time (and with some wiggle room).
3. Take the first flight out: Hopper recommends booking the earliest flight available, so you're less likely to be impacted by delays from earlier in the day. With nearly half of recently delayed flights being for 1 hour plus, ensure you get to your destination faster by booking a direct flight, so you don't run the risk of missing a connection.
4. Sign up for alerts: You'll want to know about delays and cancellations as early as possible. On most U.S. carriers, passengers can sign up for text, email, and/or in-app notifications about any changes to their itinerary including delays and cancellations. Travelers using the Hopper app are also notified as soon as we are aware of any disruptions.
5. Know what options you have available: Before you head to the airport, take a look at the schedule for departing flights for that day so you're aware of other flight options if you do get delayed or experience a cancellation.