“Sold Out” Situation for Flight Tickets Back Home for Tết
With just over half a month left until the Lunar New Year, many domestic flights are already fully booked, and airfare is rising daily. Prices for flights to and from Ho Chi Minh City are surging, with some routes tripling or even quintupling the usual rates, causing concern for many.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, booking rates for domestic flights during the 2025 Lunar New Year period are rapidly increasing.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, working in Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, and originally from Dong Da, Hanoi, shared that right after the Tet holiday announcement, she went online to book two round-trip tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and back for over 8 million VND per ticket. The total cost for her and her husband to travel home for the holiday was nearly 17 million VND.
“Compared to regular prices, airfare for Tet 2025 is about three times higher. I knew the prices were surging, but if I didn’t book then, I might not get any tickets later. Moreover, after a year of working away from home, everyone looks forward to reuniting with their loved ones. So, despite the high prices, my husband and I decided to bite the bullet and buy the tickets to ensure we could spend the holiday with our family,” Ms. Lan explained.
Similarly, Mr. Tran Minh Duc, from Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that his family spent over 30 million VND on five round-trip tickets to Nam Dinh for Tet. According to Mr. Duc, they saved nearly 8 million VND by leaving for Hanoi earlier and returning to Ho Chi Minh City sooner. This way, they also avoided the crowded situation at Tan Son Nhat Airport during the holiday season.
“If we calculate the current airfare rates, just the transportation cost for our family to spend nine days in our hometown during Tet would be nearly 40 million VND. It’s disappointing to see how expensive the tickets are after working hard all year. We can’t bear to not go home for Tet, but the high prices are a real concern. We hope the authorities can intervene and find a way to make the prices more reasonable for people’s income levels,” Mr. Duc expressed.
Airlines have increased flights during the Lunar New Year period, but many routes are already fully booked.
The worries of Ms. Lan and Mr. Duc reflect the common concerns of those working away from home during the Lunar New Year season. A survey of prices on the websites of Vietnamese airlines shows that, during the Lunar New Year period, many routes from Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces have been listed at high prices, and some have even “sold out” in the economy class.
Specifically, on January 22, 2025 (the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month), the Ho Chi Minh City-Vinh/Hai Phong/Thanh Hoa routes and the main route Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi show economy class tickets priced at around 2.9 million VND (excluding taxes and fees) by several airlines.
Meanwhile, on January 25, 2025 (the first day of the holiday), many routes, including Ho Chi Minh City-Danang/Thua Thien-Hue/Nha Trang/Thanh Hoa/Vinh, are already “sold out” in the economy class.
However, due to the high demand for travel to the northern and central provinces for Tet, airlines have to operate many empty flights from these regions back to Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, airfare for the opposite direction, from cities like Buon Ma Thuot, Hue, Thanh Hoa, Pleiku, Dong Hoi, and Chu Lai to Ho Chi Minh City, shows a contrasting trend with significantly lower prices.
Lunar New Year flight tickets on many routes to localities are sold out, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is closely monitoring the situation to devise plans to increase supply and meet the travel demands of the people.
Unlike the routes to/from Ho Chi Minh City, the pre-Tet airfare for tourist destinations like Hanoi-Danang/Quy Nhon/Phu Quoc shows no significant difference between the two directions, fluctuating between nearly 1 and 3 million VND depending on the route.
Many flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi on January 25 have sold out their economy class tickets.
However, on January 25, 2025, some routes, including Hanoi-Quy Nhon and Hanoi-Phu Quoc, have sold out their economy class tickets for certain airlines.
After the holiday, when people start returning to work, there is a reversal in airfare for flights from the northern and central provinces to Ho Chi Minh City.
For instance, on February 2, 2025 (the last day of the holiday), many routes from Buon Ma Thuot, Hue, Nha Trang, Thanh Hoa, Pleiku, Dong Hoi, Vinh, and Chu Lai to Ho Chi Minh City are sold out. On the same day, some airlines also sold out their economy class tickets for routes from tourist destinations like Quy Nhon and Phu Quoc back to Hanoi.
On February 8, 2025, the first weekend after the holiday, airfare continues to show a contrasting trend, with routes from Ho Chi Minh City to airports like Da Nang, Pleiku, Vinh, and Noi Bai offered at 0 VND by some airlines, while the opposite direction maintains high prices.
Additional Flights to Be Added
Everyone understands that cheap tickets are not expected during the Tet holiday, especially with the current shortage of planes and the recent surge in airfare. According to the Ministry of Transport, airfare reflects market mechanisms. During peak periods (when demand far exceeds supply), airlines tend to sell tickets at higher prices.
Conversely, during off-peak periods or on less popular routes during holidays, when demand for air travel is low (supply far exceeds demand), airlines lower their prices.
Furthermore, air transport during the Tet holiday has the unique characteristic of being busy in one direction, with very few or no passengers in the opposite direction. Therefore, the airfare applied during this time also helps airlines cover the costs of one-way flights and balance the two-way routes without exceeding the regulated price cap.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, in the period leading up to the holiday (from January 21 to 28, 2025), booking rates for flights from Ho Chi Minh City to other localities are rapidly increasing, and some routes are almost fully booked.
Routes like Hanoi-Buon Ma Thuot, Ho Chi Minh City-Hue/Pleiku/Tuy Hoa/Quy Nhon/Buon Ma Thuot/Quang Binh/Thanh Hoa/Vinh/Chu Lai/Nha Trang, and Thua Thien-Hue are already close to full capacity.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, the demand for flight tickets increases, driving up domestic airfare.
Towards the end of the holiday (from January 30 to February 7, 2025), booking rates have significantly increased for flights from localities back to Ho Chi Minh City. On some days, routes like Pleiku/Tuy Hoa/Thanh Hoa/Quy Nhon/Chu Lai/Dong Hoi/Buon Ma Thuot/Vinh to Ho Chi Minh City have reached or are close to full capacity.
For the main routes, such as Ho Chi Minh City-Danang, Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi, Hanoi-Danang, and Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City, the booking rates are rapidly rising during the holiday period, especially on the Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City-Danang routes, which have already surpassed 80% on certain days close to Tet.
To ensure the travel needs of the people are met, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has directed the airports in Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku, and Tuy Hoa to operate 24/7 to accommodate the night flight schedules of airlines.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam will continue to monitor market trends and instruct airlines to add flights on routes with high passenger volumes during the Lunar New Year period.
Additionally, to ensure smooth transportation connections between air and road travel, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has sent a document to the People’s Committees of provinces and cities, requesting support in implementing solutions for the 2025 Tet holiday. They have also proposed that the local authorities instruct relevant departments, units, and transport service providers like taxis and ride-sharing services to extend their operating hours, increase the number of vehicles, and adjust bus schedules to serve passengers, especially those on night flights to and from the airports.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam will continue to request Vietnamese airlines to consider adding flights on routes from Ho Chi Minh City to the northern and central provinces during the days leading up to Tet, based on their operational capacity, airport infrastructure, and safety and security considerations.
Airline representatives advise passengers to plan and book their tickets early to ensure convenient travel and their desired schedules. To avoid buying fake tickets or paying inflated prices during this peak season, they also recommend purchasing tickets through official websites, mobile applications, ticketing offices, and authorized agents.
