Summer airfare prices soar after exam season

giá vé máy bay - Ảnh 1. — Demand for air travel during the summer has increased sharply. In the photo: passengers at Phu Quoc airport in June 2025 - Photo: QUANG DINH

Airlines are competing to increase flights and offer strong promotions to attract customers, but airfares are still very high on many hot routes.

"Open the website to see the dizzying prices of plane tickets!"

Domestic ticket prices this summer have increased significantly compared to the beginning of the season, with some routes soaring to the same level or even higher than international tickets. Ms. Nguyen My Huong (35 years old, Lai Thieu ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that in early July 2025, her whole family chose Da Nang as their favorite destination thanks to the blue sea, rich cuisine , and especially taking their children on the cable car to Ba Na Hill.

However, when she opened the website to check the prices of 4 domestic airlines, she was shocked to see that the round-trip ticket was nearly 3.7 - 4 million VND/person. The airfare for 4 people was nearly 15 million VND, plus hotel, food, and sightseeing was at least 35 - 40 million VND.

"The kids are very excited, but I have to think about going closer or taking the train or bus to save money," said Ms. Huong.

A survey on online ticket sales platforms shows that from the beginning of July to August 15, during the peak summer tourist season, domestic ticket prices increased by 5-10% compared to June. "Hot" routes such as Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi, Hanoi - Phu Quoc, Hanoi - Da Nang all witnessed higher prices than usual.

Specifically, the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route rarely costs less than 1.7 million VND/way on Vietjet, excluding taxes and fees. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines costs 2.1 - 3.8 million VND/way. Many sea routes such as Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc are priced at 2.5 - 4 million VND/way, meaning a round trip costs 5 - 8 million VND/person if booked late.

Please rate our services and experiences at this link.

The paradox is that these fares are sometimes equal to or higher than international fares on short flights.

For example, Ho Chi Minh City - Bangkok is only 1.6 million VND/way, round trip is about 3 - 4 million VND. Hanoi - Bangkok is commonly 3.2 - 5.7 million VND round trip.

Vietjet even sells tickets from Hanoi to Busan (South Korea) for only 4.8 million VND/round trip, competing directly with domestic flights from Hanoi to Phu Quoc.

Airfare prices are constantly fluctuating, causing many families to look for ways to hunt for airfare, choosing early or late night flights for lower prices.

Ms. Tran My Linh, a garment worker in Ho Chi Minh City, shared her worries that every summer she wants to take her two young children back to her hometown in Quang Nam (now Da Nang). "I have to wait for midnight tickets, and when I see cheaper ones, I buy them right away, but they always happen late at night," Ms. Linh said.

Why domestic ticket prices increase sharply?

According to airlines, airfares are seasonal. During summer and Tet, demand increases dramatically but operating capacity is very limited. Some busy routes can only add 1-2 flights per day. When demand exceeds supply, prices inevitably increase. This is the normal operating rule of the industry.

In addition to seasonal factors, input costs, which account for 70-80% of ticket prices, also play a big role. Jet A1 fuel prices, rental costs, and aircraft maintenance are all in foreign currencies. Fluctuations in oil prices and the USD exchange rate cause airlines' costs to increase, making it difficult to reduce ticket prices.

To limit excessive fluctuations, the Ministry of Construction has directed the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to coordinate capacity regulation and reasonable flight allocation to avoid local pressure on "hot" routes such as Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi, Hanoi - Phu Quoc.

Despite the seasonal increase in ticket prices, airlines are not sitting still. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the total number of domestic flights in the summer of 2025 is expected to be 68,558, about 745 flights/day, providing nearly 14 million seats, an increase of 21% in flights and 18% in seats compared to the summer of 2024.

Vietnam Airlines said that its domestic flight network alone increased sharply by 28% during the peak summer season, reaching more than 6.3 million seats. In total, the airline plans to operate more than 43,000 flights, nearly 9 million seats, an increase of 14% compared to last year. Flights such as Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Phu Quoc, Quy Nhon are given priority for additional capacity.

Vietjet has increased its domestic and international flight network by more than 600,000 seats. In addition to domestic routes, the airline has also increased the frequency of flights to Australia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asian countries.

The airline said that from July 7, it will launch a discount program of up to 77% for millions of tickets on all domestic and international routes, applicable for travel from August 11 to March 28, 2026. This is considered a long-term stimulus strategy, encouraging customers to plan early with more savings.

Worry about flight delays

According to Tuoi Tre , in addition to the increase in airfares, passengers are concerned about the tense situation of flight delays of airlines during the summer. Many people choose national airlines to limit flight delays, but in reality, they still happen continuously, causing customers to complain. Not to mention other airlines such as Vietjet, Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines are often delayed during peak hours of the day.

According to an expert in the field of flight operations, the collision of a Boeing 787 and an A321 aircraft between an airline caused the two planes to be temporarily grounded for repairs. A Boeing 787 has the passenger capacity of two A321 aircraft.

The unexpected incident disrupted the airline's flight schedule, leading to delays.

International prices also "increased slightly"

While domestic tickets are hot, international fares are still quite competitive. For example, Ho Chi Minh City - Bangkok or Hanoi - Singapore remain at 1.6 - 2.5 million VND/way, almost equal to or cheaper than many "hot" domestic routes. However, international fares have started to "increase slightly".

Hanoi - Seoul increased by about 8% compared to June, to 4.5 - 6.1 million VND/round trip. To save money with reasonable ticket prices, according to airline representatives, customers should proactively book 3 - 4 weeks in advance, choose to fly midweek or during off-peak hours.

TRUST

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gia-ve-may-bay-he-leo-thang-sau-mua-thi-20250706073711119.htm