00:00 Well, summer, whether we like it or not, is winding down.
00:02 Many of us are heading out of town, though,
00:04 and we're here with some tips on how
00:06 to make your Labor Day weekend getaway
00:08 go as smoothly and safely as possible,
00:11 as Andrew Gross, AAA's national spokesperson.
00:14 So thanks again, Andrew, for joining us.
00:17 My pleasure.
00:18 Yeah, we always like talking to you, Andrew.
00:20 And we want to know, what should travelers
00:22 keep in mind this weekend, whether they're
00:24 driving or flying?
00:26 Whether you're driving or flying or going on a cruise
00:29 or going by rail or bus, you're going to have a lot of company.
00:32 We know from our booking data that domestic travel
00:35 is going to be up 4% this year over last year.
00:38 And international travel bookings
00:39 are up 44% over last year.
00:42 So clearly, people are sort of deciding
00:45 they're going to get away to kind of wrap up their summer.
00:48 And some, especially with kids, may be kind of distracted
00:51 and trying to cram it all in.
00:53 Here we have early days of school, the fall sports
00:56 schedule.
00:57 So a lot of people may have a lot on their minds.
00:59 So what do drivers often forget about when it comes
01:02 to staying safe on the road?
01:05 Well, it's easy to get distracted.
01:06 I mean, distraction is one of the most dangerous things
01:09 you can have when you're driving.
01:10 So it's just you really have to focus on the task of driving.
01:14 Let other things going on in the car, let that happen.
01:17 Don't let the driver get involved.
01:19 And if you feel like the driver is getting involved
01:22 every couple hours, like three to four hours,
01:24 pull off to the side of the road, take a break.
01:26 Maybe just rest stop, a little pit stop.
01:29 Let the road fog clear a little bit.
01:31 Let everybody stretch their legs.
01:32 Get the dog out.
01:33 Just take a little bit of a break.
01:35 It doesn't have to be very long, 10, 15 minutes.
01:38 Then hop back in the car, and everybody
01:39 is pretty much recharged, and you're good to go.
01:42 So a little reset there that certainly helps.
01:44 Now, for those flying, which airports
01:46 are going to be the busiest here this weekend?
01:49 Well, your major metropolitan airports are going to be busy.
01:52 So your Atlantas, your big hub airports
01:54 are going to be very busy.
01:55 And you also have to sort of pay attention
01:57 to where it is you're going.
01:59 So if you're flying down into the southeast,
02:01 double check that.
02:02 Because while airports are open, make sure your hotels
02:05 and everything's OK.
02:06 Because there could be some residual flooding or power
02:09 outages, things you want to check on first before you
02:11 head off to the airport.
02:13 Excellent advice, as always.
02:14 Andrew Bruce, national spokesperson for AAA.
02:17 Happy Labor Day weekend to you.
02:19 Thanks again, Andrew.
02:20 You too.
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