Air tickets for the coming Tet Lunar New Year have witnessed slow sales as the Covid-19 pandemic remains complicated in Vietnam.
Airlines in Vietnam have set lower-priced tickets for Tet this year.In December, VietJet Airways announced to offer customers hundreds of thousands of tickets from only VND609,000 (USD26.43) on different air routes, including those linking Ho Chi Minh City with Hanoi, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong and Danang.
Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Jetstar Pacific have also launched Tet tickets on routes from HCM City Hanoi, Vinh, Danang and Hue.
Many carriers are selling HCM City-Hanoi flights’ tickets at just VND1.98 million (USD86) against VND3-3.5 million in previous years.
The tickets for HCM City-Vinh flights slated to be operated on January 28 are from VND2.8 million, including taxes and surcharges, around VND700,000 cheaper than usual.
Despite the more affordable prices, many have still hesitated to buy tickets to return to their hometown on Tet as the pandemic remains complex. They worry about quarantine regulations.
Ngoc Khanh from HCM City said that his family wanted to return to his hometown in Ha Tinh Province for Tet, but under the locality’s regulations, people from HCM City have to be quarantined at home for seven days and banned from having contact with other family members. So, he has not yet decided to book air tickets.
According to Hong Duyen from HCM City’s Binh Chanh District, air tickets from HCM City to Dak Lak is just VND1.5 million, but she has not yet decided to buy the tickets due to the self-quarantine regulation in her hometown.
Khanh Loan ticket agency in HCM City said that tickets on many air routes for Tet have sharply fallen but have failed to attract passengers. Many people are concerned about the risk of flight cancellation because of the pandemic as well as the slow refunds offered by some airlines.
Source: dtinews.vn, LD