The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has released a report on booking and airfare trends during the National Day holiday (September 2nd) period.
According to the authority, from August 30th to September 3rd, domestic airlines operated a total of 4,257 flights, averaging 840 flights per day. This represents a 3% increase compared to the previous holiday week and a 3.5% rise year-on-year.
There was an average of 600 domestic flights per day, a 5% increase from the previous holiday week and a 2.8% rise year-on-year. International flights averaged 241 flights per day, a slight decrease of 2% from the previous holiday week, but a significant 5.1% increase compared to the same period last year.
The routes connecting the three major cities of Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City were the busiest, with an average of 241 flights per day—an 8% increase from the previous holiday week and a substantial 14.9% rise year-on-year.
Domestic tourism routes to destinations such as Vinh, Binh Dinh, Dalat, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc also saw an increase in flight frequency, averaging 171 flights per day—a 2% rise from the previous holiday week.
To meet the holiday demand, airlines added more flights, resulting in an increased supply of seats. During the holiday period (August 30th to September 3rd), the total number of seats offered across all routes exceeded 885,000, with an average of 178,000 seats per day—a 3.2% increase year-on-year.
Airfares have increased by 40% compared to the previous off-peak period. |
Notably, the Civil Aviation Authority’s survey of airfare data on August 29th revealed that ticket prices during the National Day holiday period were approximately 20% higher than the previous week and a significant 40% increase compared to the off-peak period.
For example, on August 31st, fares on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route ranged from 2.3 to 3.5 million VND one-way for Vietnam Airlines, including a meal—an increase of 23% to 28%. Vietjet Air offered tickets ranging from 1.5 to 2.4 million VND, an increase of 25%, while Bamboo Airways’ fares started at 1.7 million VND, going up to 2.5 million VND, a 24% increase. Vietravel Airlines’ fares were around 1.7 million VND, a 19% rise from the off-peak period.
On the Hanoi-Da Nang route, Vietnam Airlines’ fares were approximately 2.5 million VND, a 40% increase. Vietjet Air’s fares were slightly higher at around 2.4 million VND, a 60% jump, while Bamboo Airways offered tickets for 2.2 million VND, a 42% increase.
For the Hanoi-Nha Trang route, Vietnam Airlines’ fares remained steady at 2.5 to 3.2 million VND, while Vietjet Air’s tickets ranged from 2.6 to 3.5 million VND, an increase of about 33%. Bamboo Airways’ fares for this route were approximately 3.2 million VND, a 14% rise.
Other domestic tourism routes also experienced fare increases, with the Hanoi-Phu Quoc sector seeing prices ranging from 2.5 to 4 million VND, a significant 60% jump. The Hanoi-Quy Nhon route saw a more modest increase, with fares averaging 2.4 million VND, a 25% rise.
The authority emphasized that this data underscores the importance of early planning and booking for travelers, as it allows for a wider range of fare options and helps avoid the higher prices that tend to accompany last-minute bookings during peak periods.
As of August 29th, the booking rate for domestic flights during the National Day holiday period reached an average of over 65%. This trend indicates a “lumpy” booking pattern, with higher demand at the beginning of the holiday period and lower demand towards the end.
For flights departing from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces, the booking rates were higher at the start of the holiday and lower towards the end. Specifically, on the last day of the holiday (September 3rd), booking rates were generally lower, except for a few routes that maintained high occupancy rates, such as Hanoi-Da Lat, Hanoi-Can Tho, Hanoi-Pleiku, Ho Chi Minh City-Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City-Pleiku, and Ho Chi Minh City-Dong Hoi. Notably, the Hanoi-Tuy Hoa route reached an impressive 92.6% booking rate.
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