Airfare prices increase on April 30 and May 1 holidays, passengers switch to other means of transport

Airfare prices for the April 30 and May 1 holidays increased by an average of 500,000 - 1,000,000 VND/ticket.

Tourists change direction by car and train

Currently, travel agencies and airline ticket agents have opened ticket sales for the April 30 and May 1 holidays. However, airfares are much higher than usual. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, a resident of District 3, said: “On the occasion of April 30, my family has 5 days off, we plan to book air tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Tuy Hoa. However, the lowest holiday ticket price is up to about 4 million VND/round trip, while on normal days it is only about 1.4 million VND/round trip”.

Ms. Thu added: “My family has 4 people, the total cost of airfare is about 16 million VND, which is too high compared to the family's spending ability. Therefore, we are considering staying in Ho Chi Minh City instead of going home for the April 30 holiday.”

People and tourists line up to check out at Tan Son Nhat airport.

According to a survey on airline ticket sales sites in April, airfares for domestic flights range from 1.5 to 2 million VND/ticket/way (including taxes and fees). However, during the April 30 holiday, Vietjet Air's lowest price was 1.8 million VND/ticket/way (late flights), while Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways had prices from 2.6 million VND/ticket/way, and Vietravel Airlines from 2.7 million VND/ticket/way.

Many flights to tourist destinations have also seen prices increase 2-3 times compared to normal days. For example, airfares for the Hanoi - Nha Trang route of Bamboo Airways and Vietnam Airlines currently range from 3.7 to 3.9 million VND/ticket/way (while on normal days they are only from 1.6 to 1.9 million VND/ticket/way). For the Hanoi - Phu Quoc route, Vietjet Air's ticket price is around 1.5 million VND/ticket/way on normal days, but on the occasion of April 30, it is no less than 3.5 million VND/ticket/way.

In addition, airfares for many international routes departing from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have also increased sharply. For example, Thai AirAsia's Ho Chi Minh City - Bangkok (Thailand) route in early April cost about VND1.6 million/ticket/way, but during the holiday, the lowest fare was up to VND3 million/ticket/way. Vietjet Air's Ho Chi Minh City - Singapore route also increased from VND1.6 million/ticket/way on weekdays to VND3.1 million/ticket/way during the holiday.

Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Viet Travel Company, said that during the April 30 and May 1 holidays, round-trip airfares from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi increased by 30% to 40% compared to normal days, ranging from 4.5 to 6.5 million VND. Other routes such as Hanoi to Nha Trang and Hanoi to Quy Nhon also increased by 10% to 20%, with round-trip fares reaching 6 to 6.3 million VND/ticket. Although this year's holiday lasts 5 days and demand for travel is high, the sharp increase in airfares has caused many customers to switch to foreign travel or choose other means of transportation such as buses and trains when booking tours.

In a similar situation, Mr. Pham Quy Huy, Director of Kiwi Travel Company, said that high airfares have affected the consumption of tourism products. Currently, airfares account for about 70% to 80% of domestic tour prices. For example, the cost of tours to Da Nang, including hotel rooms, restaurants, and transportation, is only about 3-3.5 million VND, while airfares have reached 5-6 million VND. This makes tourists consider carefully when booking tours traveling by plane.

"In a survey conducted during holidays, when airfares increase, passengers often switch to using cars or trains to save costs. Purchasing power for tours traveling by plane also decreases compared to tours using other means of transportation," Mr. Quy Huy shared.

"Sold out" early

According to economic experts, airfares usually increase during the April 30 and May 1 holidays due to increased travel demand, leading to price ceilings. Therefore, many people book in advance, causing some routes to sell out early, such as Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao, Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc...

People are switching to group travel to save money during the April 30 holiday.

Ms. Tran Phuong Linh, Director of Information Technology Marketing at BenThanh Tourist, said that during the April 30 and May 1 holidays this year, the number of individual customers interested in and in need of booking air tickets increased, especially for flights to famous tourist destinations such as Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Hanoi. These are also the routes where tickets are "sold out" due to the high demand for travel.

Currently, to improve the efficiency of air transport operations and reduce the high temperature of airfares, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has requested Vietnamese airlines to promote international operations to local airports with tourist destinations such as: Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hue, Phu Quoc, Van Don, Cat Bi, Da Lat; promote domestic air transport operations, ensuring to meet the travel needs of passengers, especially during the peak periods of the April 30 - May 1 holidays, the peak summer season of 2025 and the National Day holiday of September 2; airlines need to increase their transport force, supplement and improve the efficiency of aircraft fleet operations; continue to optimize flight schedule construction, operation, and flexible flight management, in accordance with the actual infrastructure and service capacity of each airport.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that the unit has improved service quality, on-time flight rates, utilization rates and on-time landing and take-off utilization at airports; built and arranged flight plans to ensure aircraft turnaround times and reasonable spacing to meet the most convenient travel needs of the people. In addition, the unit has also worked with suppliers to ensure that supplies, equipment, and facilities are ready to meet operational needs to minimize flight delays and cancellations for passengers during the April 30 and May 1 holidays.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director, Vietluxtour Travel Company said that to save costs for customers when booking tours, the company has encouraged people to buy air tickets early and prioritize buying group tours.

"The upcoming holiday is quite favorable for tourists to choose fun schedules with family and relatives because this holiday will last from 5 to 6 days. Therefore, the company is preparing for a business plan for air tickets, tours and service products early according to customers' 5-6 day holiday schedule. Currently, the number of customers booking group tours, family groups... has also increased. This is also a new travel trend in 2025 to save expenses and ensure safety for tourists buying tours," said Ms. Bao Thu.

According to baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/gia-ve-may-bay-dip-le-304-va-15-tang-cao-khach-chuyen-huong-sang-phuong-tien-khac-post399276.html