Hourly rise in airfares as summer demand surges

HCMC resident Hanh was trying to book round-trip tickets to Phu Quoc a month earlier, but the travel agent quoted new prices every time she called.

She said airfares for three people and one child rise from VND11 million ($473) to VND12 million in 10 minutes, and to VND13 million a few hours later.

Hoa of Da Nang City said the cost of a round-trip to HCMC tripled to VND2.3 trillion within two months.

She said that the longer she waited for the price to drop, it did the opposite.

The most expensive domestic route, Hanoi-Phu Quoc, has seen round-trip ticket prices rise 20-30 percent to VND5-7.5 million from last month.

Airfares from Hanoi and HCMC to Da Nang, Nha Trang and Quy Nhon have risen by over 25 percent in the last several months.

International airfares have also risen by 25-30 percent, with the HCMC-South Korea and HCMC-San Francisco route recording prices of VND10-13 million and VND41-45 million, respectively.

Vietnam Airlines head of communications Dang Anh Tuan said cheap tickets run out soon after the airline opens booking in the summer due to high demand.

Another reason is that fuel prices have doubled, he added.

A media representative for budget airline Vietjet said fuel accounts for around 40 percent of operating costs. When fuel prices crossed $100 per barrel, airlines’ operating costs increased by 50 percent, she added.

Several carriers have said they will increase the number of flights to meet rising travel demand, but did not provide specifics.

Vietnam Airlines will operate 36,000 flights from June to mid-August, while Vietjet will conduct around 450 flights a day this summer, most of them domestic.

Bamboo Airways has said it would increase flights to have the number of seats on offer rise by 15 percent, focusing on routes to Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Quy Nhon.

It will also have more evening flights to reduce pressure at airports during peak hours, the carrier said.