Airline tickets increase, many routes... 'sold out'!

Airlines have simultaneously wet-leased and dry-leased many aircraft, increased flights, and increased capacity to exploit the peak Tet holiday season in 2025. However, many flights have been "sold out" on popular routes and even business class tickets.

High demand for travel during Tet holiday causes ticket prices to increase - Photo: TTD

According to statistics of the Department Vietnam Airlines, as of January 10, Vietnamese airlines have added 522 flights during the Lunar New Year, increasing about 133,000 seats on domestic routes compared to the previous week.

However, many flights from Ho Chi Minh City to other localities were quickly filled up in the days leading up to Tet and in the opposite direction in the period after Tet. Many routes continued to have a 100% booking rate.

"Shocked" by Tet flight ticket prices

After a period of patiently watching for additional tickets, but in the end, Ms. Bao Chau (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) still had to accept paying a high price, double the normal price for a one-way ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang , about 2.4 million VND/way.

Similarly, Mr. Thanh Binh (42 years old, Phu Nhuan) had previously checked the ticket price for the Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh route. The total round-trip ticket price for his family of 4 was up to 25 million VND, so he could not buy it because he did not have enough money.

However, by the time he had enough money and decided to make a purchase, the ticket price had risen to a "new height"!

According to Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice, the price plane tickets Lunar New Year 2025 will remain high, with an increase of 10-15% compared to Tet 2024.

Airlines such as Vietnam Airlines , Vietjet, and Vietravel Airlines have adjusted ticket prices up to millions of dong, double the same period last year.

For example, Vietnam Airlines business class tickets for the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang route cost between VND9.4 million and VND15.9 million, while Vietjet and Vietravel Airlines cost between VND5.8 million and VND6 million, double the price of two weeks ago. Therefore, many people have to pay for tickets, not daring to hesitate for fear that tickets will be harder to buy.

Our observations on January 14 show that despite the high ticket prices, "sold out" situations have appeared on domestic flights, especially from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central and Northern provinces such as Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang, Thanh Hoa, Vinh...

For example, on flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Pleiku from January 23 to 25, there are no more economy class tickets. It is worth noting that this is the time when many families, especially those who have been away from home for a long time, are just able to arrange time to return home to celebrate Tet with their families.

In fact, airlines have increased their fleet but ticket prices are still quite high. For example, Vietnam Airlines wet-leased (including flight crew) three new Airbus A320 aircraft, adding 75,000 seats, equivalent to 400 flights during the Tet season. Vietjet received four more aircraft and Bamboo Airways two.

Flying around is not more economical

Many people consider connecting flights through countries in the Southeast Asian region and then returning to Vietnam, but ticket prices for connecting flights have also increased sharply, making the round trip option no longer feasible.

For example, if flying directly from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi on January 25 (December 26), the ticket price is around 3.6 million VND/way for all airlines.

If flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok on the same day, passengers will have to pay at least 2.4 million VND, not including an additional 1.4 million VND for the Bangkok - Hanoi flight on January 26, the total ticket price is 3.8 million VND, an increase of 200,000 VND and an extra day.

Similarly, if you fly 2 legs Ho Chi Minh City - Kuala Lumpur - Hanoi, the total ticket price is 4.3 million VND, much higher than a direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Moreover, connecting flights take a lot of time, require immigration procedures and can easily cause fatigue due to the long flight time.

While airfare During Tet, flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and the Central provinces continuously increase and quickly run out of seats. Tourist flights from Hanoi to Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc, Da Lat... before and after Tet still have many flights, with much more affordable ticket prices.

Ms. Huyen in Da Nang found a round-trip ticket from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, departing on January 27 and returning on February 8 for only 1.9 million VND, much lower than previous years.

Meanwhile, ticket prices for international flights to Thailand and South Korea remain high, ranging from 3 to 4.5 million VND/round trip. Ms. Huyen said she will go to Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate Tet with her family and relatives, then travel to the West before returning to Da Nang.

Similarly, ticket prices for flights from Hanoi to Da Nang and Phu Quoc also have a clear difference. If flying before Tet, passengers only have to pay about 2.8 million VND/round trip ticket, while during Tet, ticket prices can go up to 4.5 million VND and decrease to 4.2 million VND after Tet.

For the Hanoi - Phu Quoc route, the most expensive ticket is during Tet with the price up to 8.4 million VND, due to the limited number of flights, while before and after Tet the ticket price fluctuates around 6 million VND.

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