Airline tickets are in high demand for the April 30th holiday; the tourism industry is finding ways to adapt.

Ticket prices are skyrocketing.

With the upcoming April 30th holiday, Mr. Pham Trung Tuyen (No. 2, Ho Dac Di Street, Dong Da District) planned to take his family to Quy Nhon for a vacation. However, the exorbitant airfare prices left him stunned. “Even the cheapest Hanoi -Quy Nhon flight, with a late-night departure, costs around 5 million VND per round-trip ticket. Tickets for peak hours and weekends are over 7 million VND per ticket . For a family of four, the airfare alone would cost at least 20 million VND, so I had to opt for a less expensive trip to Sa Pa by road,” Mr. Tuyen said.

A survey conducted by reporters from the Economic & Urban Newspaper on airline websites shows that round-trip airfare for the Hanoi - Phu Quoc route, departing on April 28th and returning on May 3rd, ranges from 5-7 million VND per ticket (including taxes and fees).

Passengers check in for their flight at Noi Bai Airport. Photo: Hoai Nam

Specifically, Vietnam Airlines tickets cost 7.6 million VND, Vietjet Air 5.5 million VND, and Vietravel Airlines 6.6 million VND, which is 2.5 million VND higher than the current prices. Furthermore, business class tickets can cost up to 12-13 million VND.

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

Not only have flights departing from Hanoi seen price increases, but flights from Ho Chi Minh City to tourist destinations like Phu Quoc and Nha Trang are also experiencing similar price hikes.

A group of tourists at Noi Bai Airport checking in for their flight. Photo: Hoai Nam

Currently, the lowest round-trip airfare for the Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc route offered by Vietravel Airlines is 3 million VND; Vietjet Air is 3.3 million VND, and Vietnam Airlines is 3.9 million VND. For the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route during the April 30th holiday, round-trip airfares from Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air, and Vietnam Airlines range from 2.7 to 3.2 million VND per ticket.

Explaining the reasons for the high airfare prices, Nguyen Van Dat, Director of BestPrice Travel, said that air transportation services are often seasonal, with peak periods such as summer or holidays when travel demand surges while supply is limited, leading to inflated ticket prices.

In addition, one of the factors affecting airfare prices is the shortage of aircraft after aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney announced a recall of the PW1100 engine for inspection and repair.

In Vietnam, these engines are being used on some A321NEO aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air, resulting in a decrease of 25 passenger aircraft compared to the same period in 2023. The aforementioned reasons will directly impact the size of the aircraft fleet and transportation on domestic and international routes in 2024.

Tourism seeks to adapt.

Information from travel companies indicates that the increase in airfare will lead to a 5-7% increase in tour prices, which will significantly impact people's travel demand. Therefore, to attract customers, travel businesses must adapt and find practical solutions.

Vietnam Airlines staff process ticket applications for customers at Noi Bai Airport. Photo: Hoai Nam

According to Do Van Thuc, Deputy Director of Dat Viet Tour Company, the increase in tour prices has led to a decrease in the number of customers. This has caused most travel companies to hesitate to purchase airline tickets in advance to secure reservations, only buying tickets when customers register for tours.

"Previously, the company always purchased a large number of airline tickets in advance to serve customers during holidays and peak summer seasons, because buying early allowed us to receive discounts from airlines, thereby lowering tour prices. However, this year, the increase in airline ticket prices has led to a corresponding increase in tour prices, so businesses are hesitant to book large quantities early. If we buy tickets and there are no customers, we will lose all the money spent on tickets. In this situation, we only dare to base our ticket purchases on the number of customers booking tours; we only buy tickets as needed and don't dare to put down deposits for large quantities of tickets in advance. This business strategy is currently being applied by many travel agencies," Mr. Thuc said.

Passengers at Noi Bai Airport check in for their flights. Photo: Hoai Nam.

Similarly, Le Hong Thai, Director of Hanoitourist travel company, said that tourists using domestic flights usually depart between 10 AM and 1 PM and between 3 PM and 6 PM daily. Therefore, flights during these hours are always overloaded, resulting in the highest airfare prices. To lower tour prices, we have to choose more suitable flight times to secure cheaper tickets. Only then can we sell tours and attract customers.

Information from the Ministry of Transport indicates that, in order to minimize the impact on air passengers, the Ministry of Transport has requested the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to direct airlines to study and develop operational plans, supplement aircraft to ensure and maintain transport capacity, especially during the April 30th - May 1st holiday and the upcoming peak summer season.

In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is implementing measures to reduce flight delays and cancellations, improve service quality, and strictly enforce legal regulations and transportation rules related to the carrier's obligations.

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