On April 23, many flights for the April 30 and May 1 holidays to tourist destinations such as Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Nang, etc. had surprisingly low prices compared to a few weeks ago.
Forced to reduce price
Ms. Hoang Minh Tam (residing in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) said that on the afternoon of April 23, she visited the websites of several airlines to find air tickets for the Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc route and was surprised by the ticket prices. Accordingly, if departing on April 27, the ticket price is only from 672,000 VND/person (including taxes and fees); if flying on April 28 of Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines , Bamboo Airways..., the price is from 1.35 million VND/person. In other words, the round-trip airfare is only from 2.7 million VND instead of the lowest price of about 3.5 million VND if booked in early April 2023.
There are still many airfares available for different times of the day. During previous holidays, airfares often sold out early, leaving only early morning or late evening flights.
Flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to tourist destinations such as Nha Trang, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Da Lat, etc. all have ticket prices reduced by up to 40%, even 50% compared to about 2-3 weeks ago.
In early April, many passengers complained that they had to buy round-trip tickets for the above flights at very high prices. Ms. Le Ngoc Hanh (living in Hanoi) said that she spent up to 15 million VND to buy round-trip tickets for her family of 3 from Hanoi to Da Nang on April 28. In total, a round-trip ticket cost each person 5 million VND - twice as much as usual.
Passengers check in at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi) before the April 30 and May 1 holidays. Photo: TAN THANH
With the busy and crowded Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route, round-trip tickets are being sold by Vietjet, Bamboo Airways, and Pacific Airlines from 3.1 million VND. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines is selling tickets from 4 million VND, a sharp decrease compared to a few weeks ago.
Bamboo Airways representative explained that air transport services are highly seasonal. During peak periods such as April 30 and May 1, travel demand increases dramatically, while the supply capacity of airlines is limited, leading to ticket prices being pushed up.
The price of air tickets in recent days has surprised many people, especially those who bought tickets at high prices a few weeks ago. Some people familiar with the aviation market explained that previously, airlines kept prices high because they expected increased purchasing power during the 5-day holiday. However, passenger demand did not increase as much as during previous holidays and Tet, forcing airlines to reduce ticket prices at lower price ranges.
Meanwhile, according to a survey by reporters from the Lao Dong Newspaper, many families with young children decided not to travel far this holiday because students are studying for their second semester exams.
Fly off-center for cheaper tickets
Although airfares on popular routes during the holidays have dropped significantly compared to before, many people still choose to fly at an angle to save money. Ms. Pham Thanh Xuan (living in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) said she just booked a flight for her mother from Quy Nhon to Ho Chi Minh City for less than 1 million VND/trip, including taxes and fees.
"I booked tickets for my mother to visit during this holiday, visit her grandchildren and travel. I bought them late but the prices from 159,000 VND, 259,000 VND, 359,000 VND (excluding taxes and fees) are still very high, 30%-40% lower than a few weeks ago. Instead of the whole family going from Ho Chi Minh City to Quy Nhon with higher ticket prices, I chose to bring my mother to visit with the family, which is both cheaper and less crowded" - Ms. Xuan explained.
According to airlines, during holidays and Tet, there are often situations where flight tickets are very cheap. In fact, the opening ticket price is only a few tens of thousands of VND (excluding taxes and fees) due to low demand. For example, during the peak season before Tet, flights from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central and Northern regions were expensive and full of passengers, while in the opposite direction, the planes may have to fly empty due to lack of passengers.
Beware of fake tickets and price gouging
A representative of Vietravel Airlines said that as of April 22, all of the airline's flights departing from April 28 to May 3 had an average occupancy rate of over 97.4% and continued to increase as the number of customers booking tickets close to the date was relatively high.
Vietravel Airlines' domestic flights connecting to tourist cities recorded a high number of passengers, such as: Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Phu Quoc; Hanoi - Da Nang... Many passengers chose to travel to neighboring countries because of the long holiday period. For example, Vietravel Airlines' Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City - Bangkok (Thailand) route had an occupancy rate of over 92%.
Bamboo Airways plans to continue to increase the supply of 25,000 seats/day on domestic routes, increasing the supply capacity by about 15% during this holiday. The airline will increase the frequency of the entire flight network, focusing on the main routes such as Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, tourist routes to Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, etc.
Vietnam Airlines and VASCO plan to offer nearly 551,000 seats (equivalent to nearly 2,800 flights) on domestic routes from April 26 to May 5, a slight increase over the same period last year. The airlines are continuing to sell more seats to serve the increasing demand of passengers.
Currently, some Bamboo Airways flights have a high booking rate of over 90%, with some flights having 100% occupancy such as Hanoi - Nha Trang, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Hue, Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Quang Binh; Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Hue, Quy Nhon, Con Dao, Vinh.
Notably, airlines have just advised passengers to be careful to avoid buying fake tickets. Vietnam Airlines Group (including 3 airlines Vietnam Airlines, VASCO, Pacific Airlines) and authorities said that they have just recorded a number of cases of passengers buying fake tickets from websites, organizations, and individuals claiming to be agents of the airline. To avoid being tricked into buying fake tickets, airlines recommend that passengers buy tickets on official channels.
"The most common method of fraud today is for subjects to impersonate agents, create their own websites and social networking sites with links and designs similar to those of official airlines or agents, and then advertise very attractive prices. If customers contact them, these subjects will send them a booking code as a security deposit and request payment. After receiving payment, they do not issue tickets but disconnect. Because the booking code has not been issued to the airline ticket, it will automatically cancel after a while, and customers will only know about this when they arrive at the airport," explained a representative of Vietnam Airlines.
According to Vietravel Airlines, on the occasion of April 30 and May 1, the number of customers buying tickets increased dramatically, causing ticket prices on some key routes, especially to famous tourist destinations, to increase by 30%-40% or "sell out" quickly. Taking advantage of this situation, many online sites (websites) of unknown origin or individuals impersonating airline representatives sold cheap airline tickets for profit.
"Passengers need to proactively research and be cautious with information about unusually low ticket prices compared to the general market. Contact information and a list of agents are always updated on the airline's website... Passengers should not share personal information or bank account information to avoid being taken advantage of or unintentionally assisting other fraudulent acts on the internet," a representative of Vietravel Airlines advised.
Railways increase trains, offer incentives
Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company said that on the occasion of April 30 and May 1 this year, the company has opened ticket sales for 58 trains from Ho Chi Minh City to other places and vice versa. In order to facilitate groups of passengers who are families or groups who want to have private space on the train, the company has implemented a program to reduce prices for entire rooms and entire carriages. Specifically, buying tickets for entire rooms will receive a 10% discount; for entire carriages, a 15% discount will be applied from March 20 to April 26. Tickets are sold directly at stations and through call centers.
According to Vietnam Railways Corporation, in addition to maintaining the Thong Nhat passenger trains, from April 28 to May 3, the unit will increase 52 trains on routes, especially to provinces and cities that attract a large number of tourists.
Meanwhile, according to the afternoon of April 23, the ticket sales area of the Eastern Bus Station (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) was operating at a low level. Most passengers came here to buy tickets for travel during the day. Many ticket sales counters also stopped operating.
A representative of Hong Hai bus company said that because there is no official document listing ticket prices, they cannot sell tickets to customers who want to travel during the April 30 and May 1 holidays. Currently, passengers who want to buy bus tickets during this holiday can book by phone. A representative of Sau Ban bus company also said the same.
T.Hong - L.Vinh
Demand for self-driving car rentals has dropped sharply.
Car rental establishments in Ho Chi Minh City commented that the demand for car rental during the April 30 and May 1 holidays this year is not as high as last year. Car rental prices for this holiday are similar to the same period last year.
According to Mr. Kiet Pham, Vice President and Country Director of Zoomcar Vietnam, the demand for self-drive car rental during this holiday season has increased by about 50% compared to normal days. Zoomcar's current car inventory is still quite abundant.
Mr. Nguyen Van Long, Director of Sigo Vietnam Co., Ltd., said that so far, customers are mainly checking prices and are not in a hurry to book a car. Compared to normal days, if customers book a car rental from last month, the price will increase by about 30%, if they book in early April, it will increase by 50%, and if they book at this time, it will increase by 100%.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chu Phat Dat, Director of the self-drive car rental platform Ibookcar, said that many customers booked 7-seat cars for family trips, while the demand for 4-seat cars was not high. Mr. Dat commented that during this year's holiday, many people chose to take buses, coaches or rent cars one way to reduce costs. "The number of self-drive rental cars this year is very abundant. Customers do not have to worry about a lack of cars during the days leading up to the holiday. In addition, there are also many private cars and they are included in the self-drive rental service," he said.
Ng. Hai
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