Labor Day has passed, blockbuster movies are disappearing from theaters, and the kids are back in school. It must mean that summer is all but over. It also means that the major media outlets are putting together their reports on the summer travel season.

Today, the New York Times and USA Today talked about how bad delays and cancellations have been this summer. I have been commenting on the situation for months now, and while I kept hoping things would turn around, they never quite did. There were almost twice as many cancellations this year as there were last year, airlines worked lengthier flight delays into their schedules, and some carriers like Northwest Airlines were plagued by an astonishing number of flight cancellations throughout the season.

Now, as summer comes to a close, it’s time to look towards the holidays and the joys of holiday travel. The airlines blamed bad weather for a number of their problems this summer, and anyone who’s ever tried to fly out of O’Hare or Logan in the dead of winter knows that things on the weather front won’t get much better as we move into the holiday season. Issues regarding crowded flights and overcrowded airports will most likely remain, as well.

My hope is that the holiday season is better for travelers and the airlines than summer was, but there are no guarantees. I also know there’s always a bit of a hassle associated with holiday travel regardless of how well things are clicking at the airport. Do yourself a favor and make those holiday travel reservations as soon as possible. You might have to deal with summer-like delays, but you shouldn’t have to overpay.