The “Head-Start” Travel Trend
In anticipation of the Government’s directive and the Ministry of Transport’s guidance, the Vietnam Aviation Administration has proactively instructed airlines to develop and implement Tet holiday plans well in advance, including night-time operations, to best serve people traveling home and during the festive season.
As per annual trends, there is a surge in travel demand on routes from the South, especially from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and central and northern provinces such as Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and the Central Highlands, during the pre-Tet period. The reverse is true for the post-Tet period.
Specifically, at the beginning of the holiday season, on the first official holiday (January 25, 2025, or the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month), booking rates on flights from Ho Chi Minh City to other localities mostly exceeded 50%.
Some routes even reached booking rates of over 90%, and a few hit the 100% mark, including: Ho Chi Minh City – Tuy Hoa (100.24%), Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku (100%), Ho Chi Minh City – Quy Nhon (100%), Ho Chi Minh City – Quang Binh (100%), Ho Chi Minh City – Chu Lai (99.76%), and Ho Chi Minh City – Hue (99.31%)…
Many routes were fully booked during the Tet holiday period.
In contrast, booking rates were very low for the opposite direction. For instance, the Quang Binh – Ho Chi Minh City route had a booking rate of only 15.66%, Chu Lai – Ho Chi Minh City was at 13.16%, Pleiku – Ho Chi Minh City was 12.85%, Hue – Ho Chi Minh City was 12.2%, Tuy Hoa – Ho Chi Minh City was 7.73%, and Quy Nhon – Ho Chi Minh City was 5.66%.
On January 24 and 26, 2025, one day before and after the first holiday, booking rates continued this trend, with routes currently experiencing high booking rates ranging from 93% to 100%, such as Ho Chi Minh City – Hue, Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku, Ho Chi Minh City – Tuy Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City – Quy Nhon, Ho Chi Minh City – Quang Binh, and Ho Chi Minh City – Chu Lai. The reverse routes showed low booking rates, mostly below 20%.
Towards the end of the holiday season, especially on the last day of the break (February 2, 2025), booking rates significantly increased for flights from localities to Ho Chi Minh City, averaging around 75%.
Several routes reached or nearly reached full capacity, including Dong Hoi – Ho Chi Minh City (100.76%), Tuy Hoa – Ho Chi Minh City (100.56%), Chu Lai – Ho Chi Minh City (100.09%), Pleiku – Ho Chi Minh City (100%), Quy Nhon – Ho Chi Minh City (100%), and Thanh Hoa – Ho Chi Minh City (99.56%)…
In contrast, the average booking rate for the opposite direction was below 20%, with Ho Chi Minh City – Quang Binh at 19.51%, Ho Chi Minh City – Hue at 10.17%, Ho Chi Minh City – Chu Lai at 7.97%, Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku at 6.65%, and Ho Chi Minh City – Quy Nhon at 3.29%.
For key routes such as Ho Chi Minh City – Danang, Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi, Hanoi – Danang, and Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City, the load factor during the period from January 25 to February 2, 2025 (from the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 5th day of the first lunar month), remained relatively low, averaging between 15% and 20%.
Leasing Additional Aircraft, Increasing Capacity
In preparation for the peak Tet holiday season in 2025, Vietnamese airlines have planned to supplement their fleet with additional aircraft and increase capacity on domestic and international routes. Vietjet Air intends to add six aircraft (owned, dry-leased, and wet-leased), while Vietnam Airlines plans to add five aircraft (dry-leased and wet-leased).
From January 14 to February 12, 2025, Vietnamese airlines will offer more than 6.9 million seats on international and domestic routes, averaging 227,000 seats per day, a 4% increase compared to Tet in 2024.
The total number of seats supplied on domestic routes is approximately 4.8 million (an average of 160,000 seats per day), a roughly 3.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The total number of seats supplied on international routes exceeds 2.1 million (averaging nearly 71,000 seats per day), a 4.6% increase compared to the previous year.
Regarding airfare, a survey of economy-class ticket prices on January 21, 2025 (the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, before the holiday season) for the Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi route, the most frequently served and traveled route, revealed the following: Vietnam Airlines offered tickets at approximately VND 3.7 million one-way; Vietjet Air’s prices ranged from VND 2.9 to 3 million; Bamboo Airways’ tickets were around VND 3.7 million; and Vietravel Airlines’ tickets were about VND 2.9 million.
Crafting an Ecosystem to Empower Online Export
In today’s deeply interconnected world, cross-border e-commerce has emerged as a vital channel for exporting goods and expanding the market reach of Vietnamese products. Thus, developing an ecosystem that fosters online exports will empower Vietnamese businesses to showcase their export-ready goods and tap into international markets through e-commerce avenues.
The Border Province’s Impressive Fiscal Performance: Surpassing Expectations with a Revenue of Over 9.7 Trillion VND in 11 Months, Reaching 99% of the Annual Estimate.
By the end of this year, we are projected to surpass the impressive milestone of 10 trillion VND in revenue.
Thief Targets Underground Cables: A $385 Million Highway Project in Jeopardy as Authorities Scramble to Find the Culprit.
The recent theft and vandalism of almost 1.3 km of underground cables powering the highway’s lighting system has resulted in significant financial losses and safety concerns. This despicable act has impacted the entire route, endangering travelers and causing extensive damage.
Taxing Times: A Sweet Proposal for a Healthier Vietnam
A bold proposal to tax all free-sugar beverages is on the table.
In Vietnam, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the predominant sweetener in soft drinks, not sugar. Thus, a special consumption tax should be levied on all beverages containing free sugars (including HFCS), rather than just on soft drinks sweetened with cane sugar.
The Race to Launch Ho Chi Minh City’s First Metro Line
The ongoing dispute among contractors for the CP1a package (the underground section from Ben Thanh Station to the Opera House Station) of the metro line no. 1 remains unresolved. Ho Chi Minh City authorities are reporting the issue and seeking the Prime Minister’s guidance to facilitate a resolution. The aim is to ensure the first urban railway line in the city can commence commercial operations as scheduled on December 22nd.
