Flight tickets to Phu Quoc suddenly drop in price, becoming incredibly cheap after the holiday.

Some routes are as expensive as Phu Quoc.

With just over a week left until the April 30th - May 1st holiday, our reporter's observations on the afternoon of April 18th show that airfares to popular tourist destinations have cooled down on some routes, while on others they have unexpectedly become expensive or only available on inconvenient flight times.

Specifically, the hottest topic recently has been the price of Hanoi - Phu Quoc flights (departing April 29th, returning May 3rd), which were previously sky-high, causing many tourists to "flee," but then suddenly dropped sharply. From 8-10 million VND/round-trip ticket (including taxes and fees), it is now only around 5-6 million VND, a decrease of 15-20%.

Instead, the Hanoi - Nha Trang route is more expensive than Phu Quoc, maintaining a price of 6 million VND/round-trip ticket, and even reaching 7 million VND for flights at convenient times.

Airfare for some routes during the April 30th - May 1st holiday is as expensive as Phu Quoc (Illustrative image: Hoang Ha)

In addition, flights from Hanoi to Da Nang still cost 4.6-5 million VND; flights to Quy Nhon are fully booked with Vietnam Airlines, leaving only afternoon flights from other airlines at 3-3.2 million VND per leg; and flights to Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen) remain expensive with only one return flight available, costing up to 6.8 million VND for a round trip.

From Ho Chi Minh City, if tourists travel to Phu Quoc on April 29th and are willing to fly at 6 PM, flights with Vietravel Airlines and Bamboo Airways cost 2 million VND per leg; for the return flight at 7:10 AM, the price is more affordable, only 1.2 million VND, and flights with convenient times cost around 1.8 million VND.

For flights to Da Nang, airfare ranges from 1.6 to 2.9 million VND per one-way trip, with significant differences depending on the flight time; return flights cost 1.8 to 2 million VND, with more options available.

For the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route, only one flight is available on the outbound leg, with the lowest price around 1.5 million VND and the highest 2 million VND; the return flight is 1.5 million VND.

According to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, although approximately 41,000 additional seats were provided on flights from Hanoi to key tourist destinations during the peak days of April 28-29, the booking rate for many routes on April 29 reached nearly 100%, such as Hanoi - Hue (100%), Hanoi - Tuy Hoa (93%), and Hanoi - Dong Hoi/Quy Nhon (over 96%).

A similar number of seats were added from Ho Chi Minh City, but the occupancy rate on the routes to Quy Nhon, Phu Quoc, and Tuy Hoa also exceeded 80%.

Tourists can save on travel costs by avoiding popular destinations or choosing to leave early and return early, or by flying at inconvenient times (Photo: Flamingo Redtours).

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority has issued a document requesting airlines to consider increasing flights on routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City during the April 30th - May 1st holiday, but as of this time (April 18th), no airline has taken any action.

A representative from an airline shared that passenger demand on the route during the April 30th - May 1st holiday remains unchanged. Even if they increase flights to lower airfares, it wouldn't increase the number of passengers; it would only reduce revenue.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoan, General Director of Flamingo Redtours, commented that airfare, which accounts for 50-60% of tour costs, has now increased by up to 200%, even 400%, bringing this cost to 70-80%, causing tour prices to rise by 20-30% compared to normal. This affects customer demand for travel, with a significant decrease in numbers for previously popular destinations. Customers are shifting to overseas destinations and places without direct flights.

Choose the 'golden' time to travel, and get super cheap flight tickets.

Meanwhile, after the April 30th - May 1st holiday, airfares suddenly drop. Especially in May, when children are preparing for their end-of-year exams, taking advantage of this period for travel offers cheaper airfares and hotel rooms. By the end of May, when demand increases, prices for these services become expensive again.

For example, the price of a round-trip air ticket from Hanoi to Phu Quoc, if you travel on May 4th and return on May 7th, choosing a flight departing at 6:30 AM and a return flight at 9:10 AM, would only be slightly over 2.2 million VND.

Alternatively, a trip from Hanoi to Da Nang, departing on May 1st and returning on May 4th, would be similarly inexpensive, but it departs in the afternoon at 2:50 PM and returns late at night at 11:05 PM.

Airfare for the Hanoi - Phu Quoc route (excluding taxes and fees) in May has suddenly become very cheap (Screenshot).

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director of AZA Travel, advises that instead of traveling during the peak of the festival, April 28-29, and returning on May 3, tourists can choose to travel earlier, from April 26-27, and return earlier, April 30-May 1. Or they should travel much later, avoiding the holiday period altogether.

For example, a round-trip airfare from Hanoi to Nha Trang (departing April 26th and returning April 30th) costs only around 2.7-3 million VND per person, less than half the price of traveling during a holiday.

Furthermore, according to Mr. Dat, for popular flight routes, instead of choosing flights with convenient times, flying in the morning and returning in the afternoon, if passengers are willing to travel in the afternoon, or even late at night, and return in the morning, they can still find reasonably priced tickets. Along with booking hotels that aren't too expensive, passengers can also save a considerable amount of money.

Additionally, travelers should avoid crowded routes such as Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Tuy Hoa, Da Lat, etc., and choose less crowded routes instead.

Mr. Dat cited an example: if flights to Da Nang are exorbitantly expensive, Hanoi residents can fly to Chu Lai (Quang Nam) and then take a taxi from there to Hoi An or Da Nang. The fare for this route is more affordable and less congested.

Alternatively, instead of flying to Tuy Hoa, travelers can choose the Quy Nhon route, which has more flights and is therefore easier to choose from, and then rent a car to travel to Phu Yen.

Airfare on the Hanoi - Can Tho route is also very cheap, the service is reasonable, and it's a great opportunity to experience the Mekong Delta. This is also a good option to avoid destinations that are expected to be overcrowded during holidays.