CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — The long Labor Day weekend is quickly approaching, and that means many people are looking to enjoy one last getaway before the unofficial end of summer.
Airports from Buffalo to Atlanta to Los Angeles are busy preparing for the increase in travelers. According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, they're expecting an increase of about 8.5 percent from where we were at this time last year, with Friday being the highest volume day.
Experts say there's one big reason for that, and that's because airfare has come down significantly. The average domestic ticket right now, according to Hopper, is just over $200 compared to the same time in 2019, when it was $250.
Buffalo airport officials say they've seen a big increase in travelers year-over-year, including in the last six months. While they said numbers are actually down this weekend, they're still prepared for the holiday rush.
"We meet with the airlines, we meet with TSA, we meet with our security guards, our security staff police department, and make sure everybody is prepared for the heavy travel period," Lee Weitz, Deputy Director of Aviation at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, said on Wednesday.
"We meet almost weekly and talk about those things and let them know how many passengers are coming. We even have got it down to the hour of how many passengers will come into the airport every hour. That's how sophisticated our numbers are."
The airport said it expects fewer travelers this weekend because so many schools reopen next week.