It's Not Too Late to Book a Cheap Flight for Labor Day Weekend
Want to squeeze in one last vacation with the family before summer ends?
Good news -- it's still not too late to book your Labor Day Weekend getaway without blowing the budget. In fact, with all the recent sales popping up (like Expedia's "Let's Go sale," for example), now is the time to get serious if you decided you want one more trip this summer. The absolute best Labor Day Deals may have already been scooped up in early July, according to a study by Hipmunk, but all is not lost for planning procrastinators.
Not Too Late for Cheap Labor Day Fares
A new study by travel search engine site CheapsFlights.com, reveals that if you book Labor Day Weekend airfare between Aug. 13 and Aug. 23, you're likely to score a median airfare between $230 to $260. (If that sounds pricey, you can instead grab a last-minute summer fare on Frontier for just $15.)
According to this study, some of the cheapest Labor Day destinations available right now include: Orlando ($177), Raleigh ($191), Ft. Lauderdale ($194), Denver ($206), New Orleans ($210), Boston ($212), Austin ($217).
The Best Credit Cards for Airfare Purchases
Of course, specific flight prices can vary wildly depending on your specific route, so here are top 10 ways to search for the best airfare from your hometown and a guide on becoming a wizard of utilizing Google Flights to spot the best deals. For example, here are some Labor Day Weekend flight deals available via Google Flights out of NYC. If you find a good deal on cash, paying with fixed-value points allows you to pounce on good airfare and keep cash safely in your wallet.
Where to Go for Labor Day
When trying to narrow down the Labor Day Weekend destination choices, we recommend checking out the TPG list of the best places to travel in August and September. The list is a little light on domestic destinations, but you will find places such as Michigan and Vermont, which have much more comfortable late-summer climates than say ... Orlando and Austin.
If you need more inspiration, CheapFlights.com identified these cities as trending for Labor Day travel based on search volume: Hilton Head, Martha's Vineyard, Kona, Austin, Key West, Panama City, Aspen, Cozumel, St. Lucia and St. George.
If the kids are coming along for the adventure, here are some fun summer spots to consider (and where to stay when you get there).
Prepare for Busy Airports
As you are planning out your Labor Day Weekend trip, keep in mind that actual travel on Labor Day weekend tends to be very busy — and we mean record-breaking numbers. So, we suggest you arrive early at the airport so you don't have to rush through security. You can also sign up for TSA PreCheck or CLEAR to cut out the wait altogether. Here are the best credit cards for TSA PreCheck.
Be sure and brush up on our tips for having a successful getaway during even the busiest holiday travel periods.
For the latest travel news, deals and points and miles tips please subscribe to The Points Guy daily email newsletter.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
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Annual Fee
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
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- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month