Passengers surprised by airfare increase like... Tet

Passengers are upset because of the sky-high ticket prices, agents shake their heads because regular seat prices have increased to the same level as business class, and airlines are surprised even though it's low season.

In recent days, many customers booking air tickets have been surprised by the decrease in the number of flights and the sharp increase in ticket prices. In particular, tickets for the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route are difficult to buy at a low price.

Not satisfied with the airline's explanation of reducing flights due to... low season, sick pilots, many passengers wonder if the airlines are reducing flights to increase prices? While the airlines always affirm that the increase in airfares and the reduction in flights were planned in advance...

Passengers check in at the airport.

Ticket prices suddenly skyrocketed

Going online to buy a plane ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) was surprised when the price was over 6 million VND for a round-trip ticket.

"I was quite surprised that during the low season, the prices were sky-high, similar to the airfare during Tet. Meanwhile, flights from 8am to 11am are very rare. Suddenly increasing ticket prices and cutting flights like that has limited the travel needs of many people," said Ms. Tuyet.

A survey of air tickets from October 3 to 5 on the websites of Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Jetstar shows that one-way economy class flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi cost VND3.3 - 3.6 million (including taxes and fees) per ticket.

Customers who book tickets about a week before the flight date will not see the basic price being much cheaper. There are quite a few flights priced at 3.3 million VND/ticket.

For customers booking tickets two weeks or more before the flight date, Vietnam Airlines' basic price is stable at 1.5-3.6 million VND/ticket, not more expensive than before.

With low-cost airline Jetstar, prices have increased sharply as the number of flights can be counted on the fingers. Specifically, on October 4, Jetstar has 6 flights, priced at 3.5 million VND/one-way ticket.

On October 5, this airline only had 3 flights, while a few months ago, the airline operated over 9 flights/day on the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route.

According to a Vietjet agent, on the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route, Vietjet has reduced the number of flights by about 40% compared to last month.

The normal ticket price for the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route booked two days in advance is around 1.8 - 2 million VND/ticket, but now it has increased to 2.9 - 3.5 million VND/ticket.

An airline ticket agent in Ho Chi Minh City said that in recent days, airlines have reduced flights and increased ticket prices, making it difficult for agents to sell. "Many customers call the agent to book tickets, and when they hear the price quote, they are surprised because the price is too high, for example 3.5 million VND/ticket, plus the agent's ticket issuance fee of 50,000 VND/ticket. The quote for a good flight time is too high, customers ask if that price is for business class..." - the agent said.

The airline said... surprise

Information from a Vietjet representative confirmed that the tickets were expensive but did not exceed the ceiling price. Explaining the reduction in flights, the representative said that during peak season, Vietjet operates 45 aircraft. At the end of peak season, the airline returns 3 aircraft and reduces its fleet to 3 aircraft for lease.

The reason given is that having extra planes during the low season is considered a loss of capital, while commercial plans must be arranged a year in advance.

Faced with the fact that demand for flights on the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route has increased, a representative of Vietjet said that the airline was also... surprised that recently there has been a lot of demand for flights close to the date on this route.

Meanwhile, all flights must be licensed, airlines must be autonomous in their business plans, and the commercial side must calculate how many flights are appropriate and how to balance them so as not to lose revenue from business results.

Jetstar representative also said that airfares are sold from low to high, and if the flight is full, the ticket price will be higher. No matter how much the price increases, the airline affirms that it is still within the price range registered with the authorities.

Passengers check in for the flight.

Aviation Department checks, airline promises to increase flights

On the afternoon of October 2, a leader of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said that normally from August 15 to November 15 is the low season, airlines proactively adjust flight schedules to send planes for repair and maintenance to prepare for the peak Tet holiday.

Regarding the reduction of flights and price increases, the department is reviewing. "Any new price increase of an airline must be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority. Normally, airlines have 8-12 different prices. We will review whether they have registered for adjustment among the 8-12 prices," he said.

Regarding the issue of cutting flights and increasing ticket prices, Vietjet representative said that from October 2, the airline will add 3 flights per day on the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route. However, Vietjet representative said that it is not yet possible to confirm whether the increased flights will reduce ticket prices.

According to Tuoi Tre Newspaper