Air tickets seen in an illustration photo by VnExpress/Anh Tu
Two months away from the Lunar New Year Tet, Vietnam’s biggest holiday, many air tickets are still available while in the same time last year most flights were sold out.
On key routes between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Da Nang City and Vinh, roundtrip tickets now range between VND5.7 million and VND7.4 million (US$224-291) around the nine-day holiday which begins Jan. 25.
Flights to popular travel destinations such as Nha Trang, Phu Quoc or Con Dao Islands still have many seats available with prices ranging between VND2.6 million and VND3.6 million, lower than the same period last year.
Pham Thi Huong, owner of a ticket distributing firm in HCMC, said that this year has been challenging for the aviation industry.
In the last four weeks her company has seen ticket sales for the holiday dropping 30% from the same period last year.
Unlike last year, when she paid VND500 million upfront to reserve seats, she now only purchases from airlines when customers confirm bookings.
Industry insiders attribute the weaker demand to economic difficulties.
Hoang Anh, a director of communications for a company in HCMC, said that financial pressure has delayed her family’s decision to buy holiday tickets this year.
Last year they completed their ticket purchase four months in advance.
Thanh, a deliveryman, said that instead of flying back to his hometown like in previous years, he plans to travel by bus to save money.
Airlines have acknowledged slower holiday sales compared to previous years.
State-owned carrier Vietnam Airlines said that despite slower sales, it is still increasing number of flights to ensure a large supply.
The airline plans to lease four more aircraft to add 130,000 holiday seats.
In total Vietnamese airlines will offer five million tickets during the holiday, half of them from Vietnam Airlines.
