Airlines said they will continue to open ticket sales in the next rounds to meet customers' travel needs - Photo: CONG TRUNG
With such high airfare prices, should people wait or book early?
No shortage of tickets, high prices
Nearly 6 million Tet flight tickets have been put on sale by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet. The peak period lasts from February 2 to March 3, 2026 (December 15 to January 15). The main routes are still Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang and routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Hai Phong, Hue, Quy Nhon, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc...
However, the survey shows that ticket prices for Tet have been "anchored" high right from the first sale. For the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route on February 14, 2026 (December 27), Vietjet 's night flights have the lowest price of more than 3.1 million VND/way; most flights during the day are at nearly 3.7 million VND/way.
Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines have not yet officially announced the sale, but the system has shown the maximum price of 3.83 million VND/way, equal to Vietnam Airlines' 3.86 million VND/way. Compared to Tet 2025, this year's ticket price has increased by 100,000 - 200,000 VND/way.
On the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang route on the 27th of Tet, Vietnam Airlines tickets cost nearly 2.5 million VND/way for economy class and over 4.8 million VND/way for business class. On the same day, Vietjet also offered tickets for over 2.2 - 2.3 million VND/way.
Even with early flights from December 15, Vietnam Airlines still maintains the standard fare of 3.7 million VND and the premium standard fare of 5.4 million VND, throughout the Tet holiday. The routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang/Quy Nhon cost 2.5 - 3.6 million VND/ticket, Ho Chi Minh City to Thanh Hoa 3.7 million VND/ticket, Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang nearly 2 million VND/ticket.
Vietjet initially sold tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi at VND890,000 - 1.2 million (excluding taxes and fees). After taxes and fees, passengers had to pay VND1.5 - 1.8 million/ticket. But just one week later, the ticket price doubled to VND1.7 - 1.8 million (excluding taxes and fees), and by December 25, the price jumped to VND2.3 - 2.8 million, after taxes and fees it became VND3.3 - 3.7 million/ticket.
Airlines: Should book flight tickets early
According to airlines, the reason why Tet airfares are always high stems from the special law of supply and demand. During Tet, tens of millions of people simultaneously want to return home, while the capacity of airlines is limited, causing cheap tickets to quickly sell out, forcing most passengers to buy tickets at high prices.
In addition, fuel and operating costs during peak season also contribute to the increase in ticket prices. Another factor is the familiar "head-to-head" situation. Before Tet, the route from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central and Northern provinces was always overloaded, while the return trip had many empty seats; after Tet, the trend reversed.
To balance, airlines often increase prices during peak hours and reduce prices during off-peak hours, even offering "zero-dong" tickets after Tet. Opening sales early also helps airlines forecast demand, but because customers compete to buy during peak days, prices often "stabilize" at high levels, with almost no promotions.
However, according to an airline's explanation, opening ticket sales early helps the airline forecast demand closely, thereby preparing resources to rent more planes, balance international and domestic flights, add human resources... The number of tickets sold is also a "measure" to adjust operating plans, increase flights or arrange pilots and flight attendants.
Contrary to rumors that tickets were sold out immediately after the opening day, in reality, there are still many tickets for Tet 2026. On the websites of Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo or Vietravel Airlines, peak-season flights still have tickets in many classes, except for some Business classes that are fully booked.
Vietnam Airlines Group said it will add more late-night and early-morning flights, with night flights accounting for 20% of total flights, both optimizing operational capacity and creating more options for passengers.
Airlines recommend that passengers plan their Tet holiday, proactively purchase tickets, and avoid ticket prices increasing close to the flight date and the scarcity of flight times suitable to their needs.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-trieu-ve-may-bay-tet-2026-ban-som-chua-kip-mung-da-soc-vi-gia-cao-20250913074647188.htm
![[Photo] Binh Trieu 1 Bridge has been completed, raised by 1.1m, and will open to traffic at the end of November.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/10/2/a6549e2a3b5848a1ba76a1ded6141fae)
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