"Fever" for air tickets for the April 30 holiday, tourism finds ways to adapt

Ticket prices are skyrocketing.

During the upcoming April 30 holiday, Mr. Pham Trung Tuyen (No. 2, Ho Dac Di Street, Dong Da) planned to take his whole family to Quy Nhon for a vacation. However, the sky-high airfare surprised him. “The cheapest flight from Hanoi to Quy Nhon with a late flight is about 5 million VND/round-trip ticket. Tickets at good times, on weekends, are more than 7 million VND/ticket . With 4 people in the family, the ticket alone costs at least 20 million VND, so I had to switch to Sa Pa by road, which is less expensive," said Mr. Tuyen.

A survey by reporters of Kinh te & Do thi newspaper on the websites of airlines shows that round-trip airfares from Hanoi to Phu Quoc departing on April 28 and returning on May 3 cost from 5-7 million VND/ticket (including taxes and fees).

Passengers check in at Noi Bai airport. Photo: Hoai Nam

Specifically, Vietnam Airlines is 7.6 million VND/ticket, Vietjet Air is 5.5 million VND, Vietravel Airlines is 6.6 million VND/ticket, compared to the current time, this price is 2.5 million VND/ticket higher. Even if customers buy business class tickets, the selling price is up to 12 - 13 million VND/ticket.

Similarly, for the Hanoi - Nha Trang flight departing on April 28 and returning on May 3, the cheapest price will be 3.9 million VND/round-trip ticket, up to 7.7 million VND/ticket, 1.2 - 1.5 million VND higher than the current price. For the Hanoi - Da Nang flight departing on April 27 and returning on April 30, the cheapest price will be 4.7 million VND/round-trip ticket, 1.6 times higher than the price at the end of March. For the Hanoi - Da Lat flight on April 27, VietJet Air's airfare is 2.7 - 3.9 million VND/round-trip ticket, while Vietnam Airlines' is 3.8 - 13.07 million VND/ticket.

Not only have flights departing from Hanoi increased in price, but flights from Ho Chi Minh City to tourist destinations Phu Quoc and Nha Trang are also in a similar situation.

Tourists at Noi Bai airport check in for their flight. Photo: Hoai Nam

Currently, the lowest round-trip ticket price for the Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc route of Vietravel Airlines is 3 million VND; Vietjet Air is 3.3 million VND, Vietnam Airlines is 3.9 million VND. The Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route during the April 30 holiday of Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air, Vietnam Airlines ranges from 2.7 - 3.2 million VND/round-trip ticket.

Explaining the reason for the high airfare, Director of BestPrice Travel Nguyen Van Dat said that air transport services are often seasonal, during peak periods such as summer or holidays, when travel demand increases suddenly, while supply is limited, leading to high airfares.

In addition, one of the reasons affecting airfares is the shortage of aircraft fleet after aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney announced the recall of PW1100 engines for inspection and repair.

In Vietnam, these engines are being used on a number of A321NEO aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air, so the number of passenger aircraft decreased by 25 aircraft compared to the same period in 2023. The above reasons will directly affect the size of the aircraft fleet and transport on domestic and international routes in 2024.

Tourism seeks to adapt

Information from travel companies shows that the increase in airfares will cause tour prices to increase by 5-7%, which will have a strong impact on people's travel needs. Therefore, to attract customers, travel companies must find practical solutions.

Vietnam Airlines staff check in for passengers at Noi Bai airport. Photo: Hoai Nam

Deputy Director of Dat Viet Tour Tourism Company Do Van Thuc said that the increase in tour prices has led to a decrease in the number of customers, which has caused most travel companies to not dare to buy plane tickets in advance to reserve seats, but only buy tickets when customers register for tours.

"Previously, the company always bought a large number of airline tickets in advance to serve customers during holidays and summer peaks, because if we buy early, we will get discounts from airlines, thereby reducing tour prices. However, this year, the increase in airline ticket prices has led to a corresponding increase in tour prices, so businesses do not dare to order large quantities early, because if they buy and no customers go, they will lose all the money for the tickets. In this situation, we only dare to base our bookings on the number of customers buying tours, and we buy airline tickets when the number of customers arrives, and we do not dare to deposit to buy many tickets in advance. This business plan is being applied by many travel agencies at the present time," said Mr. Thuc.

Passengers at Noi Bai airport check in to receive their boarding passes. Photo: Hoai Nam

Similarly, Director of Hanoitourist Travel Company Le Hong Thai said that tourists using domestic flights often travel between 10am and 1pm and 3pm and 6pm every day. Therefore, flights during these times are always overloaded, which makes airfares always the most expensive. To lower tour prices, we have to choose more suitable flight times to book cheap tickets. Only then can we sell tours and attract customers.

Information from the Ministry of Transport shows that in order to minimize the impact on passengers participating in air transport, the Ministry of Transport requested the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to direct airlines to research, develop exploitation plans, and add aircraft to ensure and maintain the transport force, especially during the April 30 - May 1 holidays and the upcoming summer peak period.

In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam implements solutions to limit flight delays and cancellations, improve service quality, and strictly implement legal regulations and transportation regulations related to the obligations of carriers.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/sot-ve-may-bay-ky-nghi-30-4-du-lich-tim-cach-thich-ung.html