Three weeks before the four-day Reunification Day and International Labor Day break (April 30-May 3), Hanoi resident Trang Nhung finalized plans for a family trip to Hue and Da Nang. By April 7, she found ticket prices had already climbed sharply, with many flights to central Vietnam fully booked.
For the Hanoi-Hue route departing April 27-28 with returns on May 5, round-trip airfares range from VND4.2 million to VND4.5 million (US$160-171). During the peak period from April 29 to May 3, economy-class seats are sold out, leaving only premium tickets priced at up to VND9.7 million per person.
Rail tickets are also tightening. On April 28, only a limited number of sleeper berths remain for the Hanoi-Hue route at around VND1.2 million, while many return journeys on May 3 are already fully booked.
“I expected higher prices this year due to rising fuel costs, but I didn’t think tickets would sell out this quickly,” Nhung said.
Demand spikes across key routes
Airlines report a surge in demand, especially on April 29-30 and return dates of May 3-4. On the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route, one-way fares typically range from VND3.4 million to VND5 million depending on flight time and carrier.
Flights operated by Vietnam Airlines between April 27-29 have very limited economy seats left at the capped fare of VND3.4 million per leg, with most remaining seats in higher fare classes. Return flights on May 2-3 are also nearing full capacity.
Tourism routes to destinations such as Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Da Lat are seeing similar price pressure, with one-way tickets ranging from VND2.5 million to VND4.5 million. Many flights to Phu Quoc and Nha Trang are approaching the domestic fare ceiling.
Round-trip fares for Hanoi-Nha Trang between April 29 and May 2 are about VND7.4 million with Vietnam Airlines and VND7.2 million with Vietjet Air, excluding checked baggage. Many return flights on May 3 are already sold out, leaving only higher-class options.
Market trends show peak-hour flights filling fastest, while off-peak options remain available at prices VND1-2 million lower per leg.
Airlines expand capacity
Despite rising fuel costs, airlines are ramping up capacity to meet demand. The Vietnam Airlines Group plans to offer nearly 1.12 million seats during the peak period, up 15.5% year-on-year.
On domestic routes, the carrier will operate more than 3,800 flights, providing over 730,000 seats, an increase of 13% in flights and 16% in capacity compared to last year.
Vietjet Air is also adding around 500 flights, boosting total capacity to 832,000 seats, up about 18%.
Additional services are focused on high-demand routes linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hue, Quang Binh, Quy Nhon, and Phu Quoc.
Rail sector under pressure
Rail ticket prices have risen 10-15% since March due to higher fuel costs. As of April 7, Vietnam Railways had sold more than 44,200 tickets for the month-end holiday.
During peak days, two additional SE11/SE12 trains will be added on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City line, alongside five regular train pairs. Regional routes connecting major cities to Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Vinh continue to operate daily, including the heritage Hue-Da Nang route.
Additional services are also being deployed on routes such as Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Hanoi-Dong Hoi, and Da Nang. The Hanoi-Lao Cai route maintains three daily train pairs, while Hanoi-Hai Phong operates four, with six additional trips during peak days.
Aviation experts say fare spikes during holidays are cyclical, driven by short-term demand surges. Over the long term, expanding airport infrastructure, optimizing slot allocation, and increasing fleet size will be key to easing pressure.
For travelers, early planning and booking remain the most effective ways to avoid peak-season price hikes.
