Labor Day: When to buy airline tickets, where hotels are cheapest

It’s no secret that the longer you wait to book Labor Day flights, the more you pay. But how much could fares increase if you wait? Fly.com says those who don’t buy a ticket before Saturday should expect to shell out an additional 30% or more, depending on the destination.

The online travel booking site looked at more than a million flight searches last year and found a dramatic increase in prices between Aug. 9 and 16 for travel during the Labor Day weekend. The holiday weekend starts Aug. 29 and ends Sept. 1.

If the trend holds this year, those who wait could be facing pricey seats.

“Waiting to book flights for Labor Day travel can come with a hefty price tag. Our latest study shows that Americans should try to book their holiday flights before Aug. 9,” Warren Chang, vice president and general manager of Fly.com said in a Monday statement.

And what about hotel prices?

Kayak.com found the best hotel prices on average over Labor Day weekend to be: $127 a night in Orlando, Fla.; $138 in San Antonio; $140 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; $142 in Washington, D.C., and $144 in Dallas.

One of the top destinations for college football lovers may be Georgia. Kayak reports that it has seen a big jump in hotel searches for Athens, Ga., where University of Georgia plays Clemson University in an Aug. 30 game.

Atlanta too saw an increase in hotel interest among online users with Alabama and West Virginia squaring off in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game, also Aug. 30.