Labor Day is the busiest day to fly in 2023

Labor Day in the U.S. may be the unofficial ending of summer, but that doesn’t mean the airports will stop being crowded. Given the record crowds this year, it’s possible that this Labor Day Weekend will be even busier.

The U.S. has already set new passenger records this summer. The Friday preceding July 4 marked the new high for passengers in a single day. More than 2.884 millions people went through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.

This figure surpassed the previous record set by 2.882 millions people on the Sunday following Thanksgiving in 2019. NerdWallet’s analysis of TSA statistics shows the number of passengers screened through U.S. TSA Checkpoints during the past four years.

It is not surprising that approximately 12% more passengers will pass through U.S. Airports in June of 2023 than June 2022. This may be due to the effects the pandemic has had on the country through the year 2022.

It is more amazing that the 2023 crowds are bigger than those of 2019. TSA checked 0.6% more passengers than June 2019 in order to prove that summer has returned and is bigger than ever.

Labor Day in 2023 will be the same as it is today, although some days are busier than other.

TSA data at checkpoints suggests that most people treat Labor Day, which falls on the first of September, as a long holiday. The majority of people leave on Friday and enjoy two days off. They return on Monday.

Book Labor Day trips on days other than the weekends’ beginning and ending to avoid the crowds and save money. According to an average over the last four years, these are the top and bottom ranked days of Labor Day week.

1. 
   The Friday after Labor Day is the busiest.
   

2. 
   The Thursday before
   

3. 
   Labor Day Monday
   

4. 
   The Sunday following
   

5. 
   After Friday
   

6. 
   The Monday following
   

7. 
   The Monday before
   

8. 
   The Thursday following
   

9. 
   After Tuesday
   

10. 
    Wednesday before.
    

11. 
    The Sunday before.
    

12. 
    The Saturday before
    

13. 
    After Wednesday
    

14. 
    The Tuesday before
    

15. 
    The Saturday following (least crowded)
    

The three most popular travel days are ranked in order of least to most busy:

Pre-holiday:

1. 
   The Tuesday before the holiday (the day that is least congested).
   

2. 
   The Saturday before
   

3. 
   The Sunday before.
   

Post-holiday:

1. 
   The Saturday following the holiday (the day that is least congested).
   

2. 
   After Wednesday
   

3. 
   After Tuesday
   

The Friday prior to Labor Day was the busiest travel day in the last four years.

Labor Day Monday was the busiest flying day in the last three years. This includes the seven-day period that begins on Labor Day and continues for the next few days. Labor Day Monday can be excluded, and the following Sunday is the most busy day in the last three years. The trend in 2019 was reversed: Sunday was busiest and holiday itself second.

It seems reasonable to leave Friday night after your workday and return on Labor Day if you have a regular Monday-Friday schedule and a holiday. If you follow the same route as others, it’s likely that you will pay more in both airfare and airport congestion. Try these days to avoid crowds and get better prices.

If you can, fly on Tuesday or Wednesday. This will allow Labor Day to be closer than a full week. The airport will be less crowded and you’ll get more time to enjoy your trip.

The Saturday before or after a holiday is a good day to travel. Instead of rushing to the airport on Friday, take the flight in the morning the following day.

You may also be able to reduce the risk of delay by taking a Saturday morning flight. Travel booking website Hopper’s Spring 2023 Flight Disruption Forecast shows that flights scheduled after 9 am are more likely to experience delays than those departing between 5-8 am.

You might want to fly back the day before. Most people will return home Labor Day, but you can get an early start by returning on a Sunday. You’ll only have one vacation day less than those who depart on Monday. But that’s no bad thing. You’ll be able to prepare and refresh for the upcoming week by returning on Sunday evening. This includes doing your laundry, meal planning, or recovering from jetlag. It’s sometimes the best way to unwind is by going on a holiday from your vacation.