Are plane tickets scarce?
Since the third week of September, a number of Vietnamese airlines have simultaneously opened ticket sales for Tet holiday. Accordingly, Vietnam Airlines opened 1.5 million seats for sale, Vietjet Air opened 2.6 million seats for sale.
Meanwhile, Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines have not officially announced the opening of ticket sales for the 2025 Lunar New Year.
However, passengers can easily book tickets on the airline’s website and some applications. From now until the end of October, most routes still have many empty seats and many flight times for passengers to choose from.
Are airfares going up?
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, from the beginning of 2024 until now, the average price of economy class tickets on some domestic routes has increased compared to the same period in 2023, mainly during good times during peak occasions such as holidays and Tet.
According to reports from Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, the main factors causing domestic airfares to increase in 2024 compared to 2023 include: Aircraft repair and maintenance costs; aircraft equipment rental and depreciation costs; and aviation fuel costs. These costs increased primarily due to increased rental and purchase prices worldwide and the average USD/VND exchange rate in the first 6 months of 2024 increased by 4.4% compared to 2023.
In addition, increased fuel import tax, environmental protection tax and value-added tax also contribute to increasing airfares in 2024. The total cost related to these three taxes accounts for 7.7% - 8.7% of the total cost of each flight.
According to a survey by Lao Dong in early October 2024, on average, domestic flight ticket prices during the Lunar New Year are only 5-8% more expensive than the same period last year.
Representatives of some travel companies and airline ticket agents said that airfares this year are at an acceptable level. A 9-day vacation with reasonable airfares will create conditions to stimulate tourism. Because normally, airfares account for about 30% of the total cost of a trip.
When should I book my flight?
After the official Tet holiday schedule, the domestic air ticket market has started to bustle, especially with peak flights from North to South. Airlines also encourage customers to book early to get good airfares.
"Hunting" for tickets early on October 7, according to a survey by Lao Dong, the price of Tet flight tickets (January 14-30) on round-trip flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku, Nha Trang, Da Lat... is only from 1.7 million VND; longer flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong... are only from 3.3 million VND.
Compared to Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines airfares are more expensive depending on the route and flight time, but the difference is not large. The earlier you book your tickets, the more comfortable it is for customers to choose the right flight time and seat.
Normally, domestic airlines will open ticket sales for Lunar New Year in 3 batches, batch 1 falls in September and the first half of October. Batch 2 falls from mid-October to November. Batch 3 with very few tickets in December. The closer to Tet, the more difficult it is to book air tickets with higher prices.
Therefore, passengers who need to travel and travel during Tet should book air tickets early. If possible, passengers should book a few days earlier or later than the official Tet holiday to get a reasonable price.
Is there a shortage of planes for Tet this year?
According to information from the two largest airlines in Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Airlines, it is expected that the airlines will continue to receive more and have plans to lease additional aircraft to supplement their existing fleet.
Accordingly, Vietjet Air is expected to receive 8 A321 aircraft and 2 E190 aircraft. Of which, the E190 serving the Hanoi - Con Dao route is temporarily suspended after Bamboo Airways returned the aircraft and restructured.
Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines are also planning to increase the number of aircraft in operation to match capacity and market development needs during Tet.
The number of new aircraft will be increased in late 2024 and ready for the peak of the Lunar New Year 2025. Airlines also plan to lease more aircraft when necessary. Therefore, passengers do not have to worry about a lack of aircraft to serve this Tet holiday.
On the other hand, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has directed domestic airlines to arrange and balance transportation resources, coordinate with ground service units to ensure appropriate load supply; deploy early sales of air tickets for the Tet holiday so that passengers can choose and develop appropriate travel plans.
At the same time, speed up the process of receiving leased aircraft, purchasing new ones and re-entering into operation aircraft that have completed engine repair and maintenance from the manufacturer. All are aimed at enhancing service capacity, best meeting passenger travel needs and supporting the regulation of airfares.
