As the Lunar New Year approaches, airfare for routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and central provinces is skyrocketing, with tickets selling out quickly.

However, flights to tourist destinations such as Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc, and Da Lat from Hanoi remain available at relatively affordable prices before and after the holiday.

Affordable holiday travel

Le Dao Hanh, a resident of Cau Giay District in Hanoi, was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable ticket prices for flights to tourist hotspots during the 2025 Lunar New Year.

Planning to unwind with her family in Nha Trang during the extended holiday, she found round-trip tickets on the Hanoi–Nha Trang route priced between $176–$221 (4.3–5.4 million VND).

Although slightly higher than usual, these fares were notably lower than those for other peak seasons, such as the April 30–May 1 holidays, which often reach nearly $287 (7 million VND).

After confirming the affordable rates, she booked tickets for her family of four, spending a total of $661 (16 million VND).

A survey conducted on December 24 revealed that round-trip fares for flights from Hanoi to Nha Trang during the week before the Lunar New Year start at $176 (4.3 million VND).

During the holiday, ticket prices range from $192–$221 (4.7–5.4 million VND), depending on flight times, and increase slightly to $234 (5.5 million VND) after the holiday.

Other tourist routes like Hanoi–Da Nang show similar trends, with round-trip tickets priced at $114 (2.8 million VND) before the holiday, increasing to $182 (4.5 million VND) during the holiday, and dropping back to $170 (4.2 million VND) afterward.

Flights from Hanoi to Phu Quoc are the priciest, with fares peaking at $340 (8.4 million VND) during the holiday due to limited flight availability.

Before and after the holiday, these fares hover around $243 (6 million VND).

Uneven demand and high prices for hometown routes

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam reported that flights from Ho Chi Minh City to various provinces, catering to workers, students, and families returning home, have nearly sold out for the Lunar New Year period.

By the start of the holiday (January 21–28, 2025), booking rates for routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Hue, Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Quang Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Vinh have already reached 100%.

Return routes from these provinces to Ho Chi Minh City after the holiday show similarly high demand.

In contrast, reverse routes, such as flights to Ho Chi Minh City before the holiday, exhibit low booking rates, ranging from 5–30%.

Airlines are operating empty flights (ferry flights) to accommodate this uneven demand.

Major trunk routes like Ho Chi Minh City–Da Nang/Hanoi and Hanoi–Da Nang/Ho Chi Minh City still have a significant number of seats available, even during peak periods from January 25–February 2, 2025 (Lunar December 26 to January 5).

On average, these flights have a booking rate of 35–40%, except for January 25, when the Ho Chi Minh City–Hanoi route has an occupancy rate exceeding 80%.

During peak Lunar New Year travel, round-trip airfare from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi reaches nearly $309 (7.5 million VND) with Vietnam Airlines, while Vietjet Air and Vietravel Airlines offer fares between $289–$309 (7–7.36 million VND).

Other routes, such as Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh, Thanh Hoa, or Hai Phong, have comparable prices.

In contrast, fares for low-demand, one-way empty flights are significantly cheaper, costing as little as $12–$41 (300,000–1 million VND) for a round-trip ticket.

Ngoc Ha