Many routes are sold out.
According to a survey conducted by Lao Dong Newspaper reporters at Hanoi Railway Station and My Dinh Bus Station, in recent days, the number of passengers going to the bus station and train station to book tickets for the Lunar New Year has been bustling. Sharing with reporters, Minh Anh (a student at Hanoi University of Pharmacy) said that in the past, she often bought train tickets online, but this year she decided to go directly to the train station to see if the ticket price was cheaper.
"I found the ticket a little cheaper on the website. I booked a ticket from Hanoi to Quang Ngai on December 20, luckily there were still tickets available to book" - Minh Anh shared.
According to the representative of the Ticket Office at Hanoi Railway Station, short-distance trains such as Hanoi - Vinh (train NA1) are currently sold out from December 21 to 26. However, SE trains (North - South trains) still have tickets, passengers traveling short distances can pay additional surcharges according to regulations to stop at the desired station. To know the ticket price as well as the number of available seats for each train, passengers can look up on the ticket sales website of Vietnam Railways Corporation. Passengers can also book tickets online instead of going directly to the ticket counter at the stations. This unit noted that when having a travel plan, passengers should book tickets early, to avoid booking close to the date, which can easily lead to "sold out" situations.
The same situation also occurs in the Ho Chi Minh City area. At the new Mien Dong bus station (Thu Duc City), tickets for travel on the days before Tet are almost sold out. Major bus companies such as Binh Tam and Chin Nghia announced that they have sold out peak tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Ngai on January 23-26, 2025 (ie December 24-27). According to Binh Tam staff, there are very few tickets left for the days before December 23 and the two days before Tet.
At the old Mien Dong bus station (Binh Thanh district), Deputy Director of the station Do Phu Dat said that 99% of the tickets in the plan of 22 businesses registered at the station have been sold. On peak days from January 22 to 28, 2025 (ie December 23 to 28), an average of 17,000 - 19,000 tickets have been booked each day.
Regarding the railway from Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Le Anh Tuan - Director of Saigon Railway Transport Branch - said that train tickets from January 22 to 26, 2025 (December 23 to 27) departing from Saigon Station and Bien Hoa Station have been sold out. Currently, train tickets are mainly for low-peak days, including from January 21 and before and from January 27 onwards (ie December 22 and before and December 28 onwards).
For air travel, many flights for the 2025 Lunar New Year have also sold out. According to the flight on January 25, 2025 (the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday), flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang, Thanh Hoa, Pleiku, Vinh recorded a situation of sold out economy class tickets, and even some days there were no business class tickets left.
On February 2, 2025, the end of the holiday, sold-out tickets were recorded on many routes from Buon Ma Thuot, Hue, Nha Trang, Thanh Hoa, Pleiku, Vinh, Chu Lai... to Ho Chi Minh City. Also on this day, on flights from tourist destinations such as Quy Nhon, Phu Quoc... to Hanoi, some airlines were sold out.
Will increase vehicles, increase trips
Although bus and train tickets for the Lunar New Year have been sold out, transport companies say people should not worry, as they have plans to increase buses and trips.
Mr. Dao Viet Anh - General Director of Phuong Trang Futabuslines Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company - said that the company is flexibly mobilizing vehicles, transferring vehicles from low-demand routes to high-demand routes to meet travel needs during Tet. In particular, during the peak period from December 20 to 25, Phuong Trang prioritizes serving routes to the Central region - an area that always records a sudden increase in passenger numbers.
According to Mr. Le Anh Tuan - Director of Saigon Railway Transport Branch - due to high demand, the railway industry has added 11 more trains from Saigon station to provinces such as Quang Ngai and Hanoi, with a total of 5,000 seats.The additional trains include SE12, TN6 and SE24, which will operate from January 17 to 19, 2025 (ie December 18 - 20).These trains are intended to reduce pressure during peak days, meeting the needs of passengers who want to return home early.
According to Mr. Vo Khanh Hung - Deputy Director of the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City, during the Lunar New Year this year, the number of passengers passing through inter-provincial bus stations in the area is expected to increase by about 6% compared to the same period last year, with an average of 93,500 passengers/day.
In response, bus stations in Ho Chi Minh City have prepared plans to increase trips and increase reserve vehicles. In case of a sudden increase in the number of passengers, the units will organize additional trips to relieve the situation, avoiding a shortage of vehicles. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport closely coordinates with transport companies to control ticket prices, avoid speculation, unreasonable price increases, and ensure the rights of the people.
In Hanoi, Mr. Vuong Duy Dung - Deputy Director of My Dinh Bus Station (Hanoi) - said that the bus station has expected the number of passengers traveling during Tet to increase by 200-300% compared to normal days and transport units have plans to meet the needs of the people.
Informing Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of Vietnam Airlines said that to meet the increased travel demand during the 2025 Lunar New Year, Vietnam Airlines has just leased 3 more Airbus A320 aircraft from January 13 to February 12. The additional aircraft have a capacity of 180 passengers, operating on routes between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Chu Lai. These aircraft will contribute about 75,000 seats, equivalent to more than 400 flights during this year's Lunar New Year.
Flight ticket prices for Tet holiday nearly doubled, many flights are fully booked
On the occasion of Lunar New Year 2025, Vietjet will add 10 new aircraft, bringing the total to 115 aircraft, serving peak periods from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Da Nang and international routes. However, many flights recorded booking rates exceeding 90%. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam coordinated with airlines to increase flights and operate night flights to meet travel demand. Passengers are advised to comply with baggage regulations and arrive at the airport on time to ensure a smooth journey.
