You might have to resort to Plan B for Labor Day travel

Nearly 10,000 flights across the country have been canceled since Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, and flight cancellations across Texas and Louisiana continued to be announced days after the storm’s landfall.

As of Wednesday, the number of affected flights was still well below that of superstorm Sandy, which caused about 20,000 cancellations along the northeast corridor in 2012.

Still, the rain and flooding in Texas, and coming soon to Louisiana, will have a ripple effect on air travel throughout the United States. Tropical storm warnings were still in effect as Harvey weakened, moving through southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas midday Wednesday.

United, the nation’s third-largest airline, uses Bush Intercontinental Airport as a hub, typically with more than 480 flights a day, according to a contributor to Forbes Magazine.

Forbes contributor Dan Reed said 635 flights from Houston’s two airports were canceled Sunday, which means some 3,000 flights nationwide did not take off because planes or crews were stuck somewhere else.

For those who want to drive on the holiday weekend, gas prices are creeping up, according to AAA, averaging about 2 cents higher than this time last year.

Events in driving distance this weekend include:

▪  The American Royal World Series of Barbecue at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. A festival that includes kid-friendly activities and a poker tournament along with live music is built around the barbecue competition that takes place every year on Labor Day weekend. Go to www.americanroyal.com for ticket information.

▪  Chicago Jazz Festival at the Chicago Cultural Center in Millennium Park. The free annual festival includes an art fair in downtown Chicago.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 2:33 PM with the headline "You might have to resort to Plan B for Labor Day travel."