Air, rail fares surge as Lunar New Year 2026 travel demand peaks
DNO - With less than a month to go before the Lunar New Year, Vietnam’s transport market has entered its annual peak season, marked by soaring airfares and tightening seat availability.
On many domestic routes, especially between Ho Chi Minh City and northern and central provinces, airline tickets are increasingly scarce and priced at elevated levels, reflecting a sharp surge in holiday travel demand.
As reported by VNA, according to market surveys, round-trip economy-class airfares for the Ho Chi Minh City-Ha Noi route during the Tet period from February 14 to February 22 range from around VND7.2 million to VND7.5 million (US$290-300), depending on the carrier.
Business-class fares have climbed even higher, reaching nearly VND19.6 million on certain flights. Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, Vietravel Airlines and Sun PhuQuoc Airways all report strong bookings, with limited remaining supply on peak travel days.
Compared with off-peak periods, domestic airfares during the Tet holiday have increased by approximately VND1 to VND1.5 million per round trip, while some routes have seen prices double.
Despite airlines announcing additional flights to ease pressure, demand continues to outpace supply. Vietnam Airlines has added around 60,000 seats, equivalent to nearly 300 extra flights, while Vietjet Air has introduced roughly 390,000 additional seats through almost 1,800 supplementary flights.
With passenger volumes expected to rise sharply, airlines are also urging travelers to take advantage of online check-in services to avoid congestion at airports.
This Tet season, biometric technology and the national digital identification system VNeID are being deployed at self-service kiosks at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai airports, aiming to streamline procedures and reduce waiting times.
Rail fares rise, seats fill fast
Rail transport, traditionally a popular option for long-distance Tet travel, is also experiencing strong demand, with ticket prices increasing by 5 to 10 percent compared with normal periods.
On the Ho Chi Minh City-Ha Noi route, ticket prices range from around VND2 million for soft seats to VND3.4 million for first-tier sleeper berths in standard compartments.
The most expensive option, a first-tier soft sleeper in a four-berth cabin, reaches approximately VND3.75 million per one-way trip, while VIP sleeper cabins are priced at up to VND7.35 million per berth.
Round-trip train fares on the north-south axis now average between VND4 million and VND6.8 million, depending on seating class. Other popular routes are also seeing high prices and fast-selling tickets.
On the Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang line, fares range from VND1.5 million to VND3 million per one-way trip, while Ho Chi Minh City-Quy Nhon tickets cost between VND729,000 and VND1.5 million.
Industry figures show that the railway sector has already sold approximately 227,000 seats out of a total 384,000 available for the Tet period, nearly 60 percent of total capacity.
With travel demand expected to intensify further as the holiday approaches, both air and rail passengers are being advised to book early and plan flexibly to secure suitable journeys during Vietnam’s busiest travel season of the year.