If  you plan to travel this Labor Day weekend, and millions are, Montanans could find the lowest Labor Day unleaded gas prices in a decade, according to AAA MountainWest, which serves Montana, Wyoming and Alaska.

In Montana, the average unleaded gas price is $2.69 – $1.00 lower than last year’s holiday, and lower than all Labor Day unleaded gas average prices in Montana dating back to 2005.

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is about $2.47 -- 98 cents cheaper than the price n Labor Day 2014, and lower than all Labor Day national average prices dating back to 2004, according to AAA MountainWest.

AAA Travel projects 35.5 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day holiday weekend, the highest volume for the holiday since 2008 and a 1 percent increase from the 35 million over 2014. This will mark the fourth consecutive year of overall travel growth for the Labor Day holiday period, and the seventh out of the past nine years to see year-overyear increase in volume.

The holiday period is defined as Thursday, September 3 to Monday, September 7.

Other AAA forecast highlights include:

  • 85.8 percent of travelers will drive. Automobile travel will increase by 1.1 percent this year, with 30.4 million travelers hitting the road.
  • 7.4 percent of travelers (2.64 million) will fly – a 1 percent increase from last year.
  • 6.8 percent of travelers (2.42 million) will go by other modes of transportation like train, bus or cruise.
  • Airfares are forecast to fall 1 percent.

“The summer travel season is almost over and many kids are back in school, but an extended weekend and positive economic fundamentals should be enough to convince millions of Americans to take one more trip during Labor Day weekend,” said Anna O’Donnell, AAA MountainWest spokesperson. “Historically, more Montanans have shown a higher tendency to travel when Labor Day weekend begins in August. Although this year’s holiday begins in September, AAA still expects more Labor Day travelers than last year, primarily due to low gas prices, solid income gains, rising household net worth, and an improving housing market.”

 

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