What should air travelers keep in mind during the Lunar New Year holiday?

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority advises passengers to carefully check their identification documents and strictly comply with aviation security and safety regulations.

Many flights are already fully booked.

According to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, as of January 10th, Vietnamese airlines had added 522 flights, equivalent to an increase of approximately 133,000 seats on domestic routes. These flights are concentrated on routes from Ho Chi Minh City to central provinces during the period from January 22nd to February 8th.

With the high volume of passengers at airports, localized congestion is predicted at certain times at the domestic terminals of Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai airports (Illustrative image).

Many routes continued to have 100% booking rates, such as from Hanoi to Buon Ma Thuot and from Ho Chi Minh City to destinations like Hue, Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Buon Ma Thuot, Quang Binh, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Chu Lai, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, and Hue.

For trunk routes such as Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang , Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi, Hanoi – Da Nang, and Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City, the occupancy rate during the period from January 25th to February 2nd (i.e., the 26th day of the 12th lunar month to the 5th day of the 1st lunar month) is increasing rapidly, especially on the Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and Da Nang routes, where some days leading up to Tet have seen occupancy rates exceeding 90%.

With the extended Lunar New Year holiday, the number of passengers at airports, especially at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International Airports, is expected to increase significantly. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam predicts that there may be localized congestion at certain times in the domestic terminal, and passengers may experience delays in receiving their luggage.

What should passengers be aware of?

To ensure the safest, most on-time, and most convenient flights, passengers are advised to proactively obtain all flight information, check-in times, and to understand and comply with all aviation safety and security regulations.

Passengers need to plan their arrival time at the airport carefully to avoid missing their flight. They must comply with regulations regarding identification documents, carry-on baggage, checked baggage, etc. Passengers must have valid identification documents when traveling by air.

For international flights, passengers need to have a passport, visa, and other documents as required by the authorities of the country of origin, transit, and destination.

Airlines have different regulations regarding the size, weight, and quantity of carry-on baggage allowed on board, as well as checked baggage and the fees for checked baggage or excess baggage. Passengers should note that checking in online or through apps is recommended to minimize congestion at airports.

For international flights, passengers will need to go through immigration procedures after completing check-in.

Passengers should be aware of the validity period of their passports. For some countries, passports must be valid for at least six months to be accepted during immigration procedures. Regarding visas, some countries require not only an entry visa but also a transit visa.

After completing the airport procedures, passengers must proceed to the security control area and comply with all instructions and requirements of airport security personnel, as well as the airport security screening procedure for themselves and carry-on baggage.

Passengers engaging in behaviors such as spreading false information that could threaten aviation security and safety (bombing, terrorist attacks, etc.), causing disturbances, disrupting public order, theft or damage to property of organizations or individuals within the airport and on aircraft, using forged documents to board aircraft, etc., will be severely punished according to the law and face temporary or permanent bans from air travel.

According to regulations, boarding gates must close no more than 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Therefore, after completing security screening, passengers should quickly proceed to the boarding gate and wait there until airline staff announce that the gate is open.

On flights, the flight crew will provide instructions on how to use safety equipment and safety regulations before the aircraft departs. Passengers should follow these instructions to ensure their safety throughout the flight.

Behaviors such as disrupting order on board an aircraft; verbal abuse or threats; physical assault; intimidation; intoxication or disorderly conduct; excessive alcohol abuse; refusal to follow flight crew instructions; endangering the safety of the aircraft… are not permitted on board an aircraft.

If such behavior occurs, the aircraft may have to make an emergency landing and passengers may be forcibly removed from the aircraft. Passengers may be denied boarding, subject to administrative penalties, or prosecuted under the law.

At the arrival airport, if checked baggage is lost or damaged, passengers can contact the Lost & Found counter to report the situation.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/khach-di-may-bay-dip-tet-can-luu-y-gi-19225011611112423.htm