Travel Experts Weigh Cheap Options for Labor Day Vacation

BUFFALO, NY — With back-to-school season fast approaching, most families are hoping to make the most of the last bit of summer by traveling in the coming weeks. Travel experts offer tips to help make their trip less expensive.

• Choose locations that are a plane ride or a few hours’ drive away
• Arrive at your flight and get on the road early to avoid traffic jams
• Cities like Nashville, New York and Washington DC can offer family entertainment

NFTA’s Kelly Khatib says the best and cheapest flight options from Buffalo International Airport are to New York, Nashville and Washington D.C.
“Most people don’t think it would necessarily be good for families, but you can actually turn around and it’s really great because you only have one flight,” Khatib said.

With a New York State license, you enter New York museums for free or at a reduced rate.

According to AAA, overall domestic travel over Labor Day weekend was up 9% from last year, while the cost of domestic travel was down 2%, and here in Western New York, people might want to take a road trip.

“Here locally, we’re also seeing people taking weekend road trips, last camping trips, people going to the Finger Lakes, the Thousand Islands, maybe the beaches on the East Coast. But some people are still trying to enjoy that last family vacation before school starts,” said Elizabeth Carey of AAA.

Carey advises travelers to plan ahead to avoid traffic jams and even airport delays.

“Washington, D.C. or Tampa, Florida, are expected to see about a 40 percent increase in traffic over a normal day, which is already busy in some of those metropolitan areas. So you have to plan for that in advance. Everybody wants to leave on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and come back on Sunday or Monday,” Carey said.

You can tell 7 News reporter Jaurdyn Johnson where you’re going here.