Airfare prices are starting to rise for the April 30th - May 1st holiday.

This year, the April 30th - May 1st holiday offers people nationwide a five-day break, from Wednesday, April 30th to Sunday, May 4th. As a result, the demand for travel and returning home has increased significantly, and air travel remains the top choice for many families. However, current airfares are both expensive and scarce, causing many to reconsider their options.

Mr. Bui Trung Thong, residing in Truong Thi ward, Vinh City, stated: "For the upcoming April 30th - May 1st holiday, I plan to take my family to Da Lat for a vacation. However, after searching for tickets on online airline ticket websites, I found that prices have increased significantly. Specifically, there is only one direct flight from Vinh to Da Lat on April 30th, VJ799 operated by VietJet Air, with the cheapest one-way ticket costing 2.7 million VND per person. On April 28th, the price for this flight was only about 1.4 million VND, meaning it has doubled."

"For my family of five, the plane tickets alone cost nearly 15 million VND, not including other expenses and the return flight fare. If we left two days earlier, the price would be cheaper, but it would be a workday, and we wouldn't be able to take time off. Therefore, we are considering other means of transportation to save costs..." Mr. Thong shared.

Having missed the Lunar New Year holiday, Mr. Phan Van Kien, a resident of Minh Tien commune, Thanh Chuong district, currently living in Ho Chi Minh City, plans to take his family back to his hometown to visit relatives during the April 30th - May 1st holiday this year. Knowing that airfares are usually difficult to find during this period, Mr. Kien proactively searched for tickets early. However, the price of tickets for the Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh route has increased significantly, making him hesitant.

"Normally, if you fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh, the price of an economy class ticket ranges from 1.4 to 1.7 million VND, depending on the airline. However, during the April 30th - May 1st holiday this year, the lowest reference price has increased to 2.3 to 2.5 million VND," Mr. Kien said.

According to surveys on the online ticketing websites of Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, etc., other flights with high booking volumes during the April 30th - May 1st holiday include: Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh - Nha Trang, Vinh - Da Lat, Vinh - Can Tho, Vinh - Phu Quoc… Ticket prices for these routes have doubled compared to normal days, and some routes have even sold out of economy class tickets, leaving only business class tickets at exorbitant prices, making them inaccessible to the average person's income. Therefore, to adapt, many families are considering switching to other means of transportation such as buses and trains to save costs.

A representative from Vinh International Airport stated that currently, three airlines operate flights at Vinh airport: Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, and Bamboo Airways, with 17 flights per day.

These include 10 flights by VietJet Air, 6 flights by Vietnam Airlines, and 1 flight by Bamboo Airways. During holidays, depending on the number of passengers booking tickets, airlines often add extra flights to meet the travel needs of the public.

Currently, Vinh International Airport has five direct flights to and from Vinh: Vinh - Hanoi, Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh - Da Lat, Vinh - Buon Ma Thuot, and Vinh - Can Tho. Besides these five routes, passengers wishing to travel to other provinces and cities by air will have to take connecting flights or find other means of transportation.

The upcoming April 30th - May 1st holiday is expected to see a large influx of passengers at Vinh Airport before it closes for a period to carry out upgrades. There is currently no official closure date for Vinh Airport.