Airfare prices for Tet 2025 are high, buying early won't get you cheap tickets

Airlines are rushing to add more planes to meet people's travel needs during Tet 2025 - Photo: Q. DINH

On October 15, according to a survey by Tuoi Tre, airfares on many domestic and international routes during the 2025 Lunar New Year have increased significantly. Although there are still many flights and they have not yet sold out, round-trip tickets during the Lunar New Year when purchased during this period are 800,000 VND to 1.2 million VND/ticket higher than usual.

For example, for a round-trip flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi between January 25, 2025 (December 26) and February 2, 2025 (the 5th day of Tet), the cheapest price is 6 million VND/round-trip ticket of Vietjet, while Vietravel Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Vietnam Airlines have prices of 7.1 - 8 million VND/round-trip ticket. This price is higher than the 6 - 6.8 million VND of last year.

Other flights to the northern provinces also have similar ticket prices, making many passengers "dizzy". For example, the Ho Chi Minh City - Dong Hoi route, the round-trip ticket price is 6.2 million VND with Vietjet and 11 million VND with Vietnam Airlines. If flying the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang route, passengers have to pay about 5 million VND for the flight of all airlines.

Meanwhile, flights during Tet from Ho Chi Minh City to Quy Nhon are priced at 4.8 - 7 million VND/round-trip ticket with Vietjet, Vietravel Airlines and Bamboo Airways. However, if flying with Vietnam Airlines during a good time, passengers have to pay up to nearly 10 million VND/round-trip ticket.

"The round-trip ticket price from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang has increased by nearly half a million VND compared to last year, up to 5 million VND. For a family of 4, the travel cost will be up to 20 million VND, so I had to choose to take a one-way bus to save money," Ms. My Chi, an office worker in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, complained.

Many passengers said they booked their tickets 4-5 months in advance, but the prices have not decreased. Minh Hung, the owner of an airline ticket agency in Ho Chi Minh City, explained that Tet ticket prices are always high due to the sudden increase in demand, regardless of how early customers book.

Representatives of airlines also confirmed that although they have added more planes and opened ticket sales in many batches, the scarcity of planes due to many planes having to be maintained has caused the supply to be insufficient to meet demand, pushing up ticket prices.

Rising operating costs, especially Jet A1 fuel, are seen as one of the main reasons for the difficulty in reducing ticket prices. Currently, fuel costs account for 37-42% of the total cost of each flight, while taxes and exchange rate fluctuations also have a significant impact.

Increase operating frequency at Tan Son Nhat airport

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has just announced its decision to increase the frequency of flights at Tan Son Nhat Airport (HCMC) during Tet. Specifically, the number of flights during the day and evening will increase from 42 to 46 flights per hour, and at night (0:00-5:00) will increase from 32 to 42 flights per hour. This will help increase the number of tickets provided, making it easier for people to buy tickets.

Airlines such as Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are also rushing to add new aircraft, with Vietjet expected to receive eight A321s and two E190s to serve the demand during Tet. Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines also have similar plans.

However, according to a representative of an airline, this addition only partially reduces the pressure because the shortage of aircraft still exists, not to mention the costs related to maintenance and fuel have both increased sharply.

Experts recommend that passengers book tickets early to minimize the risk of high ticket prices near Tet. Airlines will open Tet ticket sales in 3-4 batches, but the later the batch, the fewer tickets and the more expensive they will be. Therefore, planning your travel now is the best way to save money during Tet.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gia-ve-may-bay-tet-2025-tang-cao-mua-som-cung-khong-co-ve-re-20241016075857605.htm