Overview

• AAA’s guidance points to the best windows for departures as Thursday before 1 p.m., Friday before noon, Saturday 6–10 a.m., Sunday before 11 a.m., and Monday before noon, with afternoons and early evenings the worst across the weekend.
• AAA booking data shows domestic round-trip flights down 6% from last year, hotel rates down 11%, and car rentals down 3%, with summer gas averaging near $3.20 nationally after $3.33 on Labor Day 2024.
• Friday is expected to be the busiest day for rental car pickups nationwide, and Hertz lists Orlando, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles and Atlanta as top pickup destinations based on advance bookings.
• Hot spots include the Boston–New Hampshire I-93 corridor where Monday midday travel times could more than double, and Houston’s I-45 from Galveston on Thursday evening where congestion is projected to jump about 54%.
• Airports report heavier-than-usual volumes and urge arriving at least two hours early, with Little Rock forecasting peak TSA screening in the early morning and Northwest Arkansas advising extra time for parking, check-in and security.