Photo courtesy of VN Express

Vietnam experienced stable air travel during the Hung Kings Commemoration Day and the Reunification and Labor Day holidays (April 30-May 1), with bookings even and no widespread congestion. Despite fluctuating fuel prices, the Ministry of Construction introduced policies to ease fuel taxes and infrastructure costs, maintaining sector stability. This prevented broad ticket shortages during the period.

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The extended holiday break allowed travelers to plan ahead, balancing demand and easing peak-day pressures compared to prior years. Initially, booking rates on routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City were low, with available seats plentiful. Major routes, like Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, showed load factors between 20-40%, although niche tourist destinations saw occupancy above 90%.

Return travel demand increased towards the end of the holiday but remained moderate into major cities. Even with some routes, such as Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City, showing over 80% occupancy, the overall booking rates stayed manageable. Economy-class airfares ranged from VND3.6 to 4.2 million on the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route, reflecting a slight year-on-year increase due to higher operational costs.

Prices remained relatively high closer to the holiday. On April 29, economy fares from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang were VND2.7-3.2 million on Vietnam Airlines. Fares from Hanoi to Da Nang were between VND2.6-3.8 million on Vietnam Airlines. Further, fares for longer-haul leisure routes like Hanoi - Phu Quoc peaked around VND4.8 million.

Return leg prices spiked at the holiday's end. On May 3, Cam Ranh - Hanoi fares were VND3.9-4.2 million on Vietjet Air, with many economy seats already sold out. Similarly, Cam Ranh - Ho Chi Minh City fares stood at VND2-3.1 million, while Phu Quoc - Hanoi seats were mostly sold out.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · VN Express · 17 Apr 2026

2 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Vietnam experienced stable air travel during the Hung Kings Commemoration Day and the Reunification and Labor Day holidays (April 30-May 1),

I must run a different calendar !

A friend of mine who was scheduled to go to Vietnam last week canceled his trip because he said getting a visa was such an incredible hassle for him.

I've been there three times and I never need to go back. It has some beautiful sights, the food is good, and there are some nice people, but I ran into far too many people that reminded me of cold wet fish. No thanks.