Tet holiday travel out of HCMC proving difficult as airlines are booked

Holiday travelers hoping to fly out of Ho Chi Minh City during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday are fast running out of options as tickets to many locations have already been sold out.
Flights on Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, were fully booked two months ago. The same situation is true of fights from Ho Chi Minh City to central Da Nang, Hue, Vinh and northern Hai Phong.
Meanwhile, there are only a few tickets left to fly with Jetstar Pacific on similar hops but customers have no chances to choose their date or class.
Quang, a man living in Tan Phu district of Ho Chi Minh City said that he tried in vain to book a ticket for a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to central Da Nang.
“I just think that it’s ok to book one month in advance to travel by air, just the same as for high-quality bus travel,” said Nguyen, a woman living in District No. 2 of Ho Chi Minh City. “But when I came to book air tickets from a travel agent in early October, I was told that all tickets had already been sold out.”
Airlines usually start to sell tickets for the Tet holiday from four to six months ahead of the festival, a representative from an air ticket sales agent said.
It is easy to understand why passengers cannot buy a ticket for the Tet holiday now, said the representative.
To deal with the situation, Vietnam Airlines said it may increase the number of flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi for the Tet holiday to meet demand if it remains high.
Jetstar Pacific said it has not come up with a plan to ease the situation. Customers who come late may have to choose other means of transport.
In contrast, air tickets for flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City are still readily available now. Customers will find it easy to buy tickets and choose their class. Moreover, they have chances to enjoy big discounts given by the airlines.