Local travel is expected to increase slightly during Labor Day weekend, the Automobile Club of Southern California said Monday. About 2.5 million Southern California residents are estimated to take trips, a 1 percent increase compared to last year. That includes 86 percent of local travelers, or 2 million, who are expected to drive to their destinations, plus 347,000 air travelers. Both auto and jet travel will increase about 1 percent from last year. “With Labor Day occurring on its latest possible date of Sept. 7, we were unlikely to see a huge increase in travel compared to last year because most schools will have been in session for at least a week,” Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services, said in a statement. “But dropping gas prices will give those who do travel some more flexibility in their getaway budgets.” Average gas prices are 25 to 30 cents a gallon lower than a year ago, the club said. The top destinations for Southern California travelers, according to a survey of the club’s travel agents, are San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco, the Central Coast and the Grand Canyon.
