Labor Day 2022 travel: What you need to know when you return home

Millions of Americans are traveling over the Labor Day weekend, which means there could be problems on the roads and at airports nationwide.

In addition to traffic jams, Robert Sinclair Jr., senior manager of public affairs for AAA Northeast, says travelers should be wary of car issues that could cause a vehicle to break down amid bad weather and busy highways.

When it comes to travel on Monday, Sinclair Jr. told FOX Business that travelers should leave their vacations at noon. Traffic can be heavy from 5pm onwards and could double travel times, he added.

American Airlines delayed hundreds of flights for Labor Day

AAA is also seeing “a lot of bad weather” around the country, including flooding, Sinclair Jr. said. He warned.

“Drowning in a vehicle is one of the most dangerous climates, especially at night and especially in unfamiliar territory,” he said, noting that it takes about five or six inches of moving water to dislodge an SUV. A smaller, lighter car.

Traffic is stopped on the 110 Freeway. (Keith Birmingham/Media News Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images/Getty Images)

In the past seven days through Labor Day Monday, AAA Northeast projects more than 500,000 breakdowns for AA members alone. About 120,000 of those calls are expected to be for dead batteries or battery problems.

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Travelers should check their tire pressure before heading home. Sinclair, Jr. said they are expecting 64,000 calls for flat tires alone.

It is also important to make sure the car’s oil, coolant and transmission fluid are checked as well. The company is expecting more than 200,000 trailers during the week, he said.

In addition to driving, a smattering of travelers are flying home from their weekend vacations. Travel website Hopper predicted 12.6 million travelers would fly out of US airports over the Labor Day weekend.

Although commuters are still experiencing problems, disruptions have been reduced compared to most days this winter.

As of noon ET Monday, there were more than 1,100 flight delays in, out of and across the United States, according to flight tracker FlyAware. Thursday and Friday, the busiest travel days, saw nearly 5,000 delayed flights each day.

Travelers line up at the south security checkpoint at the main terminal of Denver International Airport, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File/AP Newsroom)

“But overall, 16% of flights were delayed, which is lower than the 20-22% we’ve seen on most days this summer,” FlightAur spokeswoman Kathleen Bangs told FOX Business.

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However, travelers facing issues can turn to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new customer service dashboard.

The dashboard, which went live before the Labor Day holiday weekend, helps passengers see what guarantees, refunds or compensation major domestic airlines offer in the event of a flight disruption.

Travelers at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the borough of Queens, New York City, on Friday, July 1, 2022. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)

It’s designed to help travelers shop around and choose the airlines that offer the best deals.

“Airlines are required to honor the promises they make in their customer service plans, including a commitment to take care of customers in the event of manageable delays or cancellations,” Dott said. “The department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to do so.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.