Air tickets to Ho Chi Minh City remain scarce, expensive after Tet

Many high-demand routes are sold out, forcing passengers to take connecting flights or accept steep fares.

On the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City route, one-way fares for several days after the seventh day of the Lunar New Year (February 23) festival range from over VND5 million (US$191) to VND8 million ($305), at times nearing VND10 million ($382).

The shortage of tickets and high prices are expected to persist at least until after the 10th day of the Lunar New Year festival, as demand from workers, students, and employees returning to the city remains strong, despite airlines increasing capacity, adding late-night flights, and optimizing fleets.

A representative of Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport said post-Tet travel pressure is concentrated at the domestic terminal.

However, reallocating airlines and passenger volumes between terminals has helped spread traffic more evenly across time slots, easing congestion at check-in and baggage claim areas.

“The operation of Terminal T3 has helped Tan Son Nhat maintain stable operations during the peak period when tens of thousands of workers return to the city at the same time, reducing the risk of prolonged congestion seen in previous years,” the representative said.

Over 1,000 flights a day at Tan Son Nhat

Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Monday handled 1,038 flights and served 171,022 passengers, slightly down from the record of nearly 178,000 passengers on the previous day. This marked the fourth consecutive day the airport had operated more than 1,000 flights.

Monday statistics also showed a clear imbalance between arrivals and departures, as travelers continued pouring back into Ho Chi Minh City.

There were 104,149 arriving passengers on 521 flights, compared to 66,873 departing passengers on 517 flights.

The domestic terminal alone recorded more than 73,000 arrivals returning to the city after the holiday, which officially ended on Sunday.

Meanwhile, at the international terminal, about 31,000 passengers arrived and 30,000 departed.

Nguyen Van Hoa, 28, from Quang Tri Province, said he had booked tickets before Tet but still could not secure his preferred flight time.

Fares were much higher than usual, but delaying his return would affect his work, Hoa added.

“The airport was quite crowded, but check-in and baggage claim were faster than I expected,” he said. “However, waiting for a taxi took a bit longer.”

Phu Quoc sees surge in air, sea arrivals

Phu Quoc International Airport on Monday reported handling around 767 flights during the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, bringing domestic and international tourists to the island, up 46 percent year-on-year.

Local authorities also recorded about 423 ferry and high-speed boat trips transporting passengers from the mainland to the island.

Total arrivals to Phu Quoc during the Tet holiday exceeded 366,000, including more than 92,000 international visitors.

Despite the surge, neither the port nor the airport experienced prolonged congestion, as the authorities strengthened traffic control and restricted vehicle access to ferry terminals to prevent traffic jams.