People wait to check in at a Vietnam Airlines counter. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Airfare prices for many routes from HCM City to provinces and cities during Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday of 2025 are skyrocketing, with economy class tickets on many routes already sold out, forcing many people to opt for alternative transportation.

A survey on domestic airlines' ticket sales websites shows that round-trip economy class tickets for many domestic routes during the Lunar New Year holidays (from January 24 to February 3) have increased by over VNĐ1-2 million ($40.89 to 81.79) per ticket compared to regular days and by about VNĐ3 million ($122.68) compared to the same period last year.

On average, a family of four will have to pay VNĐ32-40million ($1,256-1,570) for economy-class air tickets from HCM City to Hà Nội. It is close to the equivalent of two months' combined salary of couples.

Many airlines’ websites showed economy class was fully booked, with only business-class tickets remaining.

Higher airfares led many to stay in HCM City for Tết, while many families have opted for alternative means of transportation to return to their hometowns or stay in the city.

Following the directive of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV) has instructed airlines to develop and implement early plans to meet the demand for travel, including night-time operations, to ensure the best service for people travelling during Tết.

In preparation for the holiday peak season, domestic airlines have planned to add additional aircraft and increase capacity on both domestic and international routes.

For example, Vietjet Air intends to add six aircraft through purchases, dry and wet leases, while Vietnam Airlines plans to add an additional five planes.

A representative from the Vietnam Airlines Group (comprising Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and VASCO) stated that they would provide more than 650,000 additional seats, equivalent to over 3,000 flights on domestic routes, from January 13 to February 12.

This increase will bring the total domestic seat capacity of the Vietnam Airlines Group to over 2.15 million seats, equivalent to more than 11,000 flights.

The additional flights will primarily focus on routes with high demand for New Year reunions and spring travel, such as routes between Hà Nội and HCM City, Nha Trang, Đà Nẵng, Phú Quốc and Vinh cities as well as routes between HCM City and Đà Nẵng, Hải Phòng, Huế, Thanh Hóa, Quy Nhơn, Pleiku, Chu Lai, Đồng Hới and Vinh cities.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that many Tết flights already had occupancy rates of 70 to 80 per cent, particularly for routes from HCM City to northern and central provinces such as Thanh Hóa, Quy Nhơn, Chu Lai, and Đồng Hới.

Meanwhile, Vietravel Airlines said that over 60 per cent of its seats had already been sold over the peak period (January 14 to February 12) with routes with the highest bookings including HCM City - Quy Nhơn City, HCM City - Đà Nẵng City, and HCM City - Hà Nội.

"Ticket sales for this Lunar New Year are slower than in previous years, possibly due to economic difficulties and customers waiting for prices to drop before purchasing.

“However, we anticipate a surge in last-minute ticket sales due to the extended nine-day Tết holiday. To accommodate passenger demand, Vietravel Airlines plans to increase capacity on key routes such as HCM City - Hà Nội and HCM City - Đà Nẵng City," said a Vietravel Airlines representative. VNS