Air tickets still up for grabs despite surging demand

Local airlines still have air tickets available at their websites and ticketing offices nationwide though a number of booking agents and passengers have complained about scarcer seats on domestic flights, particularly those to tourist sites in summer.
Truong Thanh Vu of Air Mekong acknowledged full seating occupancy on the private airline’s flights on certain days, but stressed many flights still had seats just hours ahead of departure.
There remain tickets at airmekong.vn for customers to buy at VND1.035 million (US$50) for a single flight from HCMC to Phu Quoc on Friday and the service back this Sunday.
Passengers can make bookings for other busy routes. The website at www.vietnamairlines.com still has tickets for flights between HCMC and Danang this weekend, with prices starting from VND1.2 million (less than US$60) for departure from HCMC and VND1.35 million for the return trip on Thursday afternoon.
Tickets have been sold out for Jetstar Pacific’s services from Hanoi to Nha Trang on Friday and the other way on Sunday at website at jetstar.com. However, passengers can find seats on this budget carrier’s flights on the other days, with fares from VND1.75 million, for the daily service it resumed months ago.
Jetstar Pacific told the Daily on Thursday that it had seen a surge in passengers on flights from the north to tourist sites in Nha Trang and other parts of central Vietnam in recent years.
Websites of the three carriers show promotional and economy-classed airfares had already booked mostly on Fridays for departure and Sundays for return, as well as flights on convenient hours for tourists to check in and check out at the hotels at their destinations. But, there are still options for passengers to make if they can arrange their summer vacations weeks before departure.
In a recent announcement, Vietnam Airlines said guests always found it difficult to buy tickets on Fridays and Saturdays. However, seats on the other days are abundant and cheap.
Vietnam Airlines said it operated 1,350 more flights between HCMC and Hanoi, and from these two cities to tourist attractions from July 1 to August 15. With these additional flights, the national flag carrier can make 1.6 million seats available in the period, up 21% compared to normal periods and 12% over the same period last year.
Air Mekong now operates 36 flights a day, at least two more than in normal schedules, in anticipation of a 30% increase in demand for air travel. The carrier will add three weekly flights to the Hanoi-Dalat schedule from August 3. Jetstar Pacific now offers some 40 domestic services a day, and is unable to increase flights as it is making full use of its aircraft.