Why You Should Travel and Save Traveling after Labor Day

Raise your hand if the end of summer is hitting you hard again, this season.

Labor Day typically marks the end of summer, unofficially of course.

You’ll undoubtedly see a last gasp of heat wave or a few more summertime thunderstorms before Fall truly feels like its set in and hit its seasonal stride.

But most individuals see Labor Day as it for summer and thus a disappoint hits, knowing that all the things you love about the warmer weather, sun, swim and barbecues are going to get traded in for snow shovels and four-wheel drive.

The silver lining on your snow and ice premonitions, however, is the fact that traveling, post-Labor Day really is an outstanding idea if for practical reasons to recreate what summer feels like even after the holiday has come and gone.

If you need even more practicality and a touch of frugalness to the discussion, why not consider that traveling in September and post-Labor Day boasts plenty of promotions, deals and even more opportunity to take a trip and save quite a bit on it.

The average vacation cost for one person tops out at over $1,000, making a trip for a family of four $4,000.^[1]

More detailed studies show that if you’re budgeting out for a vacation, you should be around the $100 per person, while adding an additional $75 for food and drinks daily, along with a recommended 20 percent added to that for “extras.”^[2]

All of this means saving money on an individual or family vacation is paramount, and finding ways to have a little left over in your pocket means giving consideration to when, where and what day, not to mention time of year, you travel.

In addition to traveling post Labor Day, you also want to consider advancement on booking hotels or if that’s smart or ignoring just how reserving hotels and flights at the same time can save you money, on top of the September travel deals ongoing.

Consider those who book too far in advance end up spending 60 percent more on average, and overlooking package deals is costing you $200 to $300 more if you’re just buying everything individually.^[3]

Those facts almost scream September travel in that you can find a better, last-minute package deal on a hotel, minus booking too far in advance, as an impromptu vacation to celebrate one last summer rendezvous and also save in the process.

Summer is the prime time when most travel; it’s tourism and too high of prices, but often times that lends to traveling for families, such as kids being out of school. Prices to travel during summer are almost always much higher than if you’d either book prior to Memorial Day or, as suggested, after Labor Day.

In addition to summertime travel equaling spending more, you also have to consider other factors that make traveling post-Labor Day much better, mainly the price of gas.

This summer, gas prices nationwide were over $3 per gallon, even though the national average sat at $2.81, but 15 percent of stations across the country were over $3.^[4]

If you don’t believe value and vacation go hand in hand, consider that nearly 75 percent of the population has admitted to going into debt to pay for vacation, with 55 percent not factoring in a yearly vacation into their budget, thus creating the need to put a vacation on a credit card.^[5]

A recent study showed that airlines have a demand to fill empty seats after Labor Day has come and gone, and has become known as the “fall deal zone.”^[6]

Another study said 21 percent of Americans go into debt, without question, just to have the means to pay for a vacation.^[7]

All of this seemingly adds up to waiting until right now to start thinking about a trip.

This means you’re apt to get a discount on packages across a multitude of airlines or online sites that allow you to book everything in one click. Or, if you’re still of the mindset to book everything separately, you’ll still find sinking prices and superb deals post-Labor Day.

The supply and demand example is on at full force here, with more rooms that are empty, plane seats that are equally vacated and car rentals, even to a degree, seeing a dip in overall sales, so September is open season on saving.

Here’s a closer look at what makes September and after Labor Day so lucrative for consumers:

Everything is simply cheaper in September

Being “cheap” really isn’t a bad thing, quite frankly.

Those who are traveling and want to save money look to this month more so than any others for plane tickets, hotels and other services, including destination and tourist attractions.

The average cost for a plane ticket is at its lowest between September and October, versus any other time of the year, as of numbers last year.^[8]

Take a look at the average rate for a hotel, in July, for example.

That number is well over $133 per night, on average in statistics gathered between 2011-2017, which is above the $126 per night over the course of an entire year.^[9]

The study suggests that hotels are at their peak expensiveness in July and October, flat for August and better for September.

While the best time to book a domestic trip is two to three weeks ahead of schedule, September is often the cheapest month to travel, 14 percent on average.^[10]

You don’t have to look very far when you search for package deals, either.

From Orbitz to Travelocity, you’ll see vacation packages at the latter in September starting at under $500.^[11]

Orbit touts trips that include flight and travel a $241 to Orlando, and $233 to Fort Lauderdale.

Again, this is the opportunity for you, the consumer, to engage in a cheaper fare, lower prices on hotels and better deals on multiple services as once.

Expedia is offering a “Cheap Flights in September” link that allows you to see the lowest prices on flights or flights coupled with hotels, another example of calling out how September is key for business that typically sees a dip post-summer.^[12]

Try This Place on for Size in September

Most of those trips you’re contemplating planning after summer has ended typically are going to be warm-weather locations, and September often is rife with savings to places such as Cancun, Mexico, for instance.

Hotels are affordable, some at $90 per night, and beach hotels around the $100 or less during the month of September.^[13]

The location of Cancun also is very weather-friendly in the September months, as you might expect.

The Caribbean in the later part of the Fall season means you’ll save upward of 60 percent off hotels, another example of deals being pushed to extend that momentum the travel industry had in summer; this instance shows a 25 percent less on a room at Disney’s World All-Star Movie Resort, versus what you’d pay on a weekday in the summer versus one in the Fall.^[14]

The same study showed a discount in flights to this spot in upward of 30 percent.

You shouldn’t have to spend too much time convincing the masses that traveling after summer is a good idea.

Although uncommon, Seasonal Affective Disorder, hits 1 to 2 percent of the population, and thus comes on typically in August due to the “end” of summer.^[15]

So as the sun sets admirably on another summer that has come and gone, why not throw caution to the wind and get a little more of it through your hair by taking a road trip, booking a flight, staying at a five-star hotel for less and enjoying a walk on a sandy beach with warm sun caressing your shoulders, minus having to shoulder the burden of going into debt or spending more for a trip that you really had to.

All it took was waiting until after summer to warm up to the idea of saving money after Labor Day, and still having all the travel you can soak up.