Pham Huong Hoai from Hanoi’s Long Bien District said her family plans to visit Phu Quoc on the upcoming April 30-May 1 holiday. However, she was shocked to see that return tickets from Hanoi to Phu Quoc during optimal hours cost up to VND10 million (USD394.47) on a Vietnam Airlines flight.
Last year, they postponed their trip due to soaring airfares, with return tickets costing up to VND9 million each.
Finally, she opted for a budget carrier and booked tickets outside the optimal flight times for a better price. The total cost for her family of four amounted to VND30 million, including taxes and surcharges.
Air tickets to top tourists spots during the upcoming Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day holiday have increased
Tickets for VietJet Air’s flights from Hanoi to Phu Quoc between 7.30 am and 2.05 pm on April 30 have been sold out across all classes. As a result, passengers can only opt for flights departing between 2.05 pm and 7.15 pm with return tickets starting from VND4.3 million.
Vietnam Airlines’ Hanoi-Phu Quoc flights on April 30 have only a limited number of tickets remaining. Return economy-class tickets start at VND4.5 million, while business-class tickets can cost up to VND13 million.
Economy fares on many other routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc, Con Dao, and Quy Nhon have nearly been reserved. For example, Vietnam Airlines has announced that flights from HCM City to Danang from 8 am to 10 am on April 30 are no longer available.
VietJet Air flights from HCM City to Phu Quoc, departing between 9.20 am and 10.20 am on the same day, had already been fully secured.
This year, the April 30-May Day holiday will last for five days, starting on April 30, driving a surge in travel demand.
Amid the sharp rise in domestic airfares, many travellers are switching to relatively affordable outbound tours.
A representative from a travel agency specialising in tours to China said that the company expects a sharp rise in bookings for these tours during this year’s April 30-May Day holiday.
Specifically, a 3-day, 3-night land tour of Pingbian-Jianshui-Mengzi in China, departing on April 29 and 30 evenings, is sold for VND4.3 million per person. Meanwhile, the 3-day, 2-night land tour of Nanning-Taiping Ancient Town-Qingxiu Mountain is priced at VND4.2 million per person.
A 5-day, 4-night air tour from Hanoi to Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Zhuhai costs VND11.9 million per person, while a 4-day, 3-night tour from Hanoi to Guangzhou-Shenzhen costs VND11.5 million per person.
Many Vietnamese travellers have also chosen tours to Laos’ Luang Prabang and Vientiane, Cambodia’s Siem Reap and Battambang, with prices ranging from VND14.7 million to VND17.5 million per person.
