News

September 2, 2009
Fewer Virginians Expected to Travel for Labor Day as Schools Are Back in Session
Projected Number of Travelers Down 15% – Yet Holiday Will Be Third Most Traveled This Decade

RICHMOND, VA (Wednesday, September 2, 2009) – AAA Mid-Atlantic projects that slightly over one million Virginians will take a trip of 50 miles or more away from home for the 2009 Labor Day Holiday, a decrease of 15 percent from 2008. The decrease, according to AAA, can be attributed primarily to the fact that Labor Day fell on September 1st last year allowing for a long weekend trip before a new school year started in most areas of the Commonwealth. This year, however, Labor Day is September 7th when the school year has already started for many children.

The association noted that although projections are down significantly for this Labor Day holiday, it is still projected to be the third busiest Labor Day this decade and will outpace the July 4th 2009 holiday, typically the busiest automobile travel holiday of the year. The gap between the 2008 and 2009 numbers is also a result of a higher than expected number of travelers in 2008. “Pent up demand, receding gas prices and great last minute travel deals all contributed to an unusually high number of travelers in 2008, thus the 2009 number looks pale in comparison,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Majority of weekend travelers select auto travel; Air travel numbers down.
As always, the vast majority of travelers (84 percent) report they will travel via automobile for a total of 865,000 in Virginia. Air travelers will account for 39,000 of the total number of Virginian’s celebrating the end of the summer, down about 20% from last year in spite of lower air fares. Travelers choosing trains, cruises, buses, RVs, personal watercraft, motorcycles, or trips that use multiple modes of travel will total 101,000 in Virginia.

Gas Prices approximately one dollar lower than last year
Last Labor Day weekend Virginia’s average price of self-serve, regular gasoline dropped to $3.53 per gallon after peaking at an all-time record of $4.01 per gallon on July 17, AAA said. This, combined with the earliness of the holiday and the emergence of end of summer travel discounts, caused large numbers of travelers to make a last minute decision to take a holiday trip. As of today, the average price of self-serve, regular gasoline in Virginia is $2.47. It is anticipated that gas will be approximately one dollar per gallon less expensive this Labor Day than last.

Airfare and lodging costs will be lower
According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, the lowest average published airfares over the Labor Day holiday weekend are expected to decrease 17 percent from last year. Car rental rates are up seven percent with consumers paying an average of $43 per day compared to $40 a year ago. Rates for AAA Three Diamond and Two Diamond lodgings are expected to be 12 percent less than last year with travelers spending an average of $137 per night for Three Diamond properties. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond lodgings will pay an average of $101 per night.

AAA’s projections are based on research conducted by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA earlier this year as part of an agreement to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. For purposes of this forecast the Labor Day holiday travel period is defined as trips that include travel of 50 miles or more from home in one direction during the period from Thursday, Sept. 3 to Monday Sept. 7. The complete AAA / IHS Global Insight 2009 Labor Day holiday forecast can be found at AAA.com/news.

AAA Mid-Atlantic serves nearly 830,000 members in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is the nation’s fifth largest auto club with nearly 4 million members in Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia. It provides a wide range of personal insurance, travel, financial and automotive services through its 50-plus retail branches, regional operations centers, and the Internet. For more information on AAA Mid-Atlantic, please visit our web site at www.AAA.com. and our blog at aaa.com/community.

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Contact: Martha M. Meade
Phone: (804) 323-6510 Pager: (804) 543-7190

Contact: Windy VanCuren
Phone: (804) 323-6535