By Shivansh Tiwary

Aug 28 (Reuters) - U.S. airlines and airports are

gearing up for the busiest Labor Day weekend, as a record number

of travelers pack their bags and prepare to jet off to squeeze

one last summer trip before the season ends.

The summer travel season, typically one of the busiest

periods for airlines and airports, recorded robust passenger

volumes this year, despite harsh weather conditions, including

unprecedented heatwaves and hurricanes.

The Labor Day weekend, Thursday, Aug. 29 to Wednesday, Sept.

4, is expected to see 17 million people go through airport

security, the busiest on record for the travel period, according

to government agency Transport Security Administration (TSA),

which guards U.S. transportation systems.

The agency anticipates an 8.5% jump in passenger volumes

during the weekend compared to a year earlier. It has already

screened 239.8 million people since the Memorial Day weekend in

May, which is an average of 2.7 million per day.

"People are traveling more than ever this summer and TSA

along with our airline and airport partners stand ready to close

the busiest summer travel period on record during this upcoming

Labor Day weekend," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.

Labor Day is especially popular among families as it is the

final extended weekend before the school year begins for

children across the United States.

According to booking data from AAA, a member organization

offering travel services, roadside assistance and insurance, the

traveling cost for the weekend is down 2%.

Meanwhile, international travel bookings are down 4%

compared to a year earlier, per AAA.

Road trip enthusiasts might also be encouraged to set off

this weekend as fuel prices have hovered around $3.50 per

gallon. The prices were at $3.38 as of last week, according to

AAA. That compares with the national average of $3.81 a year

earlier.

The increased number of travelers is, however, expected to

lead to traffic congestion.

"Drivers should expect the most severe traffic jams before

the holiday weekend as commuters mix with travelers," said Bob

Pishue, analyst at transportation data provider INRIX.

(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini

Ganguli)