The Rising Cost of Airfares During the Lunar New Year: A Growing Concern for Travelers

12 January, 2025

“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 prices are rising daily. Airfare prices are surging for both departures from and arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City, with some routes costing three to five times more than usual, 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 for herself and her husband from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and back for over 8 million VND per ticket, totaling nearly 17 million VND for the two of them.

“Compared to regular prices, airfare for Tet 2025 is about three times higher. Although I knew the prices were surging, if I didn’t book then, I might not get any tickets later. Moreover, after a year of working away from home, everyone longs to reunite with their loved ones, so despite the high airfare, my husband and I still decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and buy the tickets to go home early,” Ms. Lan said.

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 to avoid the crowded Tan Son Nhat Airport during the holiday season.

“If we calculate based on the current airfare prices, just the transportation cost for our family of five to go back to our hometown for nine days during Tet would be nearly 40 million VND. It’s disheartening to see how expensive the tickets are after working hard all year. We can’t bear to not go back to our hometown, but it’s also very costly. We hope that the authorities can take measures to adjust the prices to a more reasonable level for people’s income,” 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 their hometowns during the Lunar New Year season. A survey of airfare 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 are listed at high prices, and some routes have already ‘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 have 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, resulting in a contrasting trend in airfare prices, with tickets from cities like Buon Ma Thuot, Hue, Thanh Hoa, Pleiku, Dong Hoi, and Chu Lai to Ho Chi Minh City being significantly cheaper.

Lunar New Year flight tickets on many routes to different localities are sold out, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is closely monitoring the situation to come up with plans to increase flight capacity to meet the travel demands of the people.

Unlike the routes to and from Ho Chi Minh City, during the period before Tet, on tourist routes such as Hanoi-Danang/Quy Nhon/Phu Quoc, there isn’t a significant difference in airfare prices for departures and returns, fluctuating between nearly 1 million 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 already sold out their economy class tickets for certain airlines.

After the holiday period, when people start returning to work, there is a reversal in airfare prices for flights from the northern and central provinces to Ho Chi Minh City.

For example, 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, on routes from tourist destinations like Quy Nhon and Phu Quoc to Hanoi, some airlines have also sold out their tickets.

On February 8, 2025, the first weekend after the holiday, airfare prices continue 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 prices for the opposite direction remain high.

Additional Flights to Be Added

Everyone understands that cheap tickets during Tet are not to be expected, especially given the current situation of aircraft shortages and surging airfare prices. According to the Ministry of Transport, airfare prices reflect market mechanisms. During peak periods (when demand far exceeds supply), airlines tend to sell tickets at higher prices.

Conversely, during off-peak periods or for flights with low demand during holidays, when demand drops sharply, airlines lower their ticket prices.

Furthermore, air transportation during Tet always has the characteristic of being busy in one direction, with very few or no passengers in the opposite direction. Therefore, the airfare prices during this time also help airlines cover the costs of one-way flights and compensate for the two-way routes without exceeding the regulated price cap.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, during the holiday period (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 such as Hanoi-Buon Ma Thuot, Ho Chi Minh City-Hue/Pleiku/Tuy Hoa/Quy Nhon/Buon Ma Thuot/Quang Binh/Thanh Hoa/Vinh/Chu Lai/Quy Nhon/Nha Trang, and Thua Thien-Hue are among those with high booking rates.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the demand for flight tickets increases, causing domestic airfare prices to rise daily.

Towards the end of the holiday period (from January 30 to February 7, 2025), booking rates have increased significantly for flights from localities back to Ho Chi Minh City, with some days on routes like Pleiku/Tuy Hoa/Thanh Hoa/Quy Nhon/Chu Lai/Dong Hoi/Buon Ma Thuot/Vinh-Ho Chi Minh City reaching or close to 100% capacity.

For trunk routes like Ho Chi Minh City-Danang, Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi, Hanoi-Danang, and Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City, booking rates during the period from January 25 to February 2, 2025 (the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 5th day of the first lunar month) are rapidly increasing, especially for the Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City-Danang routes, with some days before Tet already reaching over 80% capacity.

To ensure the travel needs of the people are met, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has directed the airports of Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Phu Cat, Pleiku, and Tuy Hoa to implement 24/7 operation plans to accommodate night flights for airlines.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam will continue to monitor market trends and instruct airlines to add flights on routes with high passenger volume during the Lunar New Year period.

Additionally, to ensure seamless road and air transportation connections, 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 People’s Committees instruct relevant departments, units, and transportation service providers like taxis and ride-sharing services to extend their operating hours, increase the number of vehicles, and enhance bus frequencies to serve passengers, especially those on night flights to and from 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 regions 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 itinerary. To avoid buying fake tickets or falling victim to price gouging during this peak season, passengers are also recommended to purchase tickets through official channels, such as the airlines’ websites, mobile applications, official ticket offices, and authorized agents.