Tempted to make it out to a Labor Day party at the last minute, but need to book a flight?
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You’re probably running out of affordable options already. Worse, you might be hamstrung when it comes to selecting the best flying date.
Each year, data from the TSA and AAA helps many Americans avoid the biggest traffic jams, whether at the airport or on the road.
If you plan on making a last-minute flight purchase, use this year’s latest TSA data to make the perfect selection—one that’s less likely to get delayed and be overbooked.
These are the best and worst days to fly over the upcoming Labor Day holiday, according to TSA data from the last five years that’s been broken down and analyzed by the great minds at NerdWallet.
Best and worst days to fly over Labor Day, according to TSA Data
The best days to fly out for Labor Day weekend are Tuesday, August 26th, or Saturday, August 30th.
Statistically, the Tuesday before Labor Day has been the least busy day at major airports around the country. (Here’s your reminder that Tuesdays, in general, are often viewed as the slowest travel day in terms of air travel.) If you can’t make it on Tuesday, wait for Saturday—it’ll also be relatively slow compared to Thursday and Friday.
The best days to fly back from Labor Day weekend are Sunday, August 31st, or Tuesday, September 2nd.
Obviously, you need to make a sacrifice if you want to save on flights home and minimize the risk of delayed and/or overbooked flights. But if you don’t have any big plans for the actual day off, then leaving that Sunday can save you some hassle. If not, wait until Tuesday, September 2, or even Wednesday, September 3.
What about the worst days to fly over Labor Day weekend?
Avoid leaving for Labor Day on Friday, August 29th. Airports have historically been the busiest on the Friday before the holiday, as millions of Americans wait until after work to fly out for the weekend. According to NerdWallet, it’s also the priciest day to fly.
Additionally, avoid flying on the actual holiday, September 1st. TSA data from the last five years shows that this is the busiest day in terms of air travel for the whole weekend.
