Labor Day Travelers Find Last-Minute Savings

Travelers looking to make last-minute Labor Day trips are in luck, according to a major travel booking website.

Expedia says travelers can expect significant last-minute savings to a number of popular locales. Labor Day weekend flights to Cancun, Mexico are about 10% cheaper this year, compared to 2014. So are flights to Miami. Travelers headed to Los Angeles and Washington, DC, can expect savings of about 9%, the website says.

All of those cities are in the Top 10 Labor Day destinations, according to Expedia’s booking data. The overall Top 5 Labor Day destinations, according to the site, are (in order): Las Vegas, New York City, Cancun, Orlando, and Chicago.

Overall, the best flight deals for the Labor Day season are in Toronto, Mexico City, and Cleveland, where travelers can enjoy savings of 27%, 25%, and 22%, respectively.

However, travelers hoping to go greater distances will also find savings.

“The favorable exchange rates we’ve seen this summer are a welcome relief for travelers looking to experience Europe,” said Ingrid Belobradic, a senior editor at Expedia. “Coupled with the already great promotions available, we’re seeing opportunities for strong savings this Labor Day across international and domestic destinations.”

The site says hotel rates in Barcelona, Spain are down about 20% in US dollars thanks to exchange rate changes. Hotels in Florence, Italy are down 5% this summer.

And if all of this talk of savings is enticing you to book a last-minute vacation, you’re not alone. Expedia’s analysis of 2014 booking data showed that only 20% of eventual Labor Day travelers had booked their flights and hotels by July. The rest waited until the final weeks.