April-end holiday airfares take off

A return ticket from Hanoi to the southern island of Phu Quoc costs around VND9.9 million ($432.99) on Vietnam Airlines and VND7.2 million on Bamboo Airways between April 29 and May 3.

These are three times the fares on normal days and 10-25 percent higher than during the same holidays last year.

Similar increases are seen on routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to popular destinations such as Nha Trang and Quy Nhon in central Vietnam.

April 30 is Reunification Day and May 1 is International Labor Day, and they fall on a weekend this year, which means two days are added to the holidays.

Thu, owner of a ticket booking office in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District, said many people in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are also booking to Pleiku in the Central Highlands and Quang Nam and Phu Yen on the central coast.

“Tickets usually run out three days before the holidays, but this year that could happen sooner since airlines have not increased the flight frequency yet”.

A spokesperson for an airline, who asked not be identified, said his carrier would announce more flights next week to meet the burgeoning demand.

The number of domestic tourists in February rose by 380 percent year-on-year to 9.6 million, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Vietnam reopened to international travelers on March 15 after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19.