Searching desperately for cheap plane tickets.

Fuel shortages have driven airfares up dramatically; coupled with airlines continuously cutting or suspending routes, people's travel needs are becoming increasingly difficult to meet.

Despite having passed the peak holiday season, the domestic air travel market has remained strong since March. This is gradually transforming air travel from a common and convenient mode of transportation into a luxury service for many passengers.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong (residing in Tan Lap ward) shared: "At the beginning of April, I had an urgent family matter to attend to in Vinh. I thought that tickets would be cheaper and easier to book on weekdays, but unexpectedly, almost all the seats were taken, and the ticket prices were double those during the Lunar New Year of the Horse. Although I felt bad about the money, because it was an important matter, I had to spend nearly 4.5 million VND on a one-way ticket."

Sharing the same predicament, Mr. Ho Viet Tu (from Ea Knuec commune) was also astonished to have just spent nearly 8 million VND to buy two tickets from Buon Ma Thuot to Vinh. "I've never seen ticket prices this high on a normal day. During the recent Tet holiday, I bought tickets close to the departure date for only about 2.5 million VND, but now it's almost double," Mr. Tu said.

According to the survey, not only the route to Vinh, but even the route from Buon Ma Thuot to Hanoi, despite maintaining a frequency of 3 flights/day, still has high ticket prices, ranging from 2.2 million VND to nearly 4 million VND per ticket. Meanwhile, for medium-haul routes such as from Buon Ma Thuot to Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, ticket prices in recent days have also been approximately 2 million VND.

Passengers boarding a plane at Buon Ma Thuot Airport.

Amidst the ongoing price surge, many passengers have begun changing their travel habits. Instead of choosing flights for medium-haul routes, many are opting for sleeper buses or high-quality limousine services to save money, even though the travel time is longer.

According to information from Vietnam Airlines, the domestic aviation fuel supply currently relies heavily on imports, accounting for approximately 70-80%. Meanwhile, international supplies are showing signs of decline, putting airlines at risk of fuel shortages and enormous additional costs.

Faced with the pressure of being unable to cover operating costs, many airlines have had to choose to reduce frequency or temporarily suspend routes that are not economically viable and have unstable passenger numbers. Specifically, from April 1, 2026, Vietnam Airlines announced the suspension of several domestic routes, including the Buon Ma Thuot - Hai Phong round-trip route.

Similarly, Vietjet Airlines has also reduced flights on the Buon Ma Thuot - Vinh route. Instead of operating on weekdays as before, in April and until the end of May, the airline only maintains flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This reduction in flights has inadvertently driven up ticket prices for the remaining flights due to the law of supply and demand.

In response to the impact of fuel price fluctuations, based on a proposal from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the Ministry of Construction has reported to the Prime Minister and recommended that relevant ministries and agencies study appropriate support policies. Among these, adjusting the ceiling price for domestic air passenger transport services is one of the options being considered by the Ministry of Construction, aiming to alleviate difficulties for airlines while ensuring a balance of passenger interests in the new context.

Rain

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202604/do-mattim-ve-may-bay-gia-re-fbf7354/