VietNamNet Bridge – While several people find it difficult to buy train and coach tickets for Tet due to strong demand, air tickets for the holiday are not selling well.

llustrative image. (Photo: VNS)

Given rising local travel demand for the holidays, many big coach companies have had to add more vehicles heading to the central region. Phuong Trang Corporation last Thursday announced it will operate 104 more coaches including 34 sleeper coaches and 70 high-class models.

Nguyen Cong Dinh, general director of Phuong Trang Corporation, said besides the 500 vehicles in operation on 30 routes connecting the city with Danang southwards, his company will mobilize more cars from the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month to the middle of the first lunar month (Thursday to February 24).

As for surcharges, Phuong Trang will collect the highest margin of 40% compared to the ceiling level of 60% as set by related law. The firm has maintained normal ticket prices for routes from HCMC to Ca Mau and Chau Doc in An Giang.

Similarly, Mai Linh Group has no tickets available for journeys to central and northern provinces.

Other small transport companies active at Mien Dong Coach Station operating routes to central provinces like Thuan Thao and Tin Nghia also announced that they are fully booked for routes departing from the 22nd day to the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Saigon Railway Station also informed that tickets from the 20th day to 28th day of the twelfth lunar month are sold out.

In the meantime, air tickets are facing poor demand from local buyers. A representative of VietJetAir said tickets of the low-cost carrier’s HCMC-Hanoi route for the busiest days of the holiday are still unsold.

Jetstar Pacific Airlines affirmed that this year’s demand for Tet tickets is poor. The low-cost airline has held back numerous tickets connecting HCMC with Danang and Vinh departing on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month (February 5) onwards and those from HCMC to Hanoi departing on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month onwards.

Vietnam Airlines has tons of tickets for the peak period of Tet unsold. The national flag carrier has sold 308,000 tickets but still has 125,000 left for the busiest days, Le Truong Giang, spokesman of Vietnam Airlines, said.

Source: SGT