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The aviation market is witnessing a sharp price increase in the days leading up to the 2026 Lunar New Year. On the main North-South routes, ticket prices are starting to approach their highest levels, making owning a ticket to return home or travel during Tet a difficult financial undertaking.
Faced with increasing financial pressure, people's travel trends are becoming increasingly diverse. Instead of the "I must fly at all costs" mentality, many tourists and migrant workers are proactively calculating and finding ways to optimize costs to balance their budgets during this year's Tet holiday.
Accepting the long-term option to preserve the budget.
For large families, the cost of round-trip airfare during peak season can reach tens of millions of VND, a significant expense in their overall Tet holiday budget. Therefore, combined travel options are becoming an effective solution.
Instead of flying directly to their destination at exorbitant prices, many people opt for a more fragmented travel experience. Combining intercity buses and trains not only reduces financial pressure but also provides memorable journey experiences.
Faced with increasing financial pressure, people's travel patterns are becoming increasingly diversified.
Many passengers, instead of booking flights from Ho Chi Minh City or Can Tho to northern provinces at prices sometimes exceeding 4 million VND per way, have opted to fly to transit points such as Tuy Hoa or Da Nang, and then continue their journey by train. Although the travel time is longer and requires good physical fitness, for many, this is still a completely worthwhile trade-off. Proactively planning and booking train tickets early through online platforms also makes the journey more convenient and reduces the pressure of travel during the already hectic days leading up to Tet.
Instead of choosing expensive air travel, many families prefer a combined train and bus route to save costs.
Flying on off-peak days: The "Arrive early - Arrive early" formula.
One of the golden rules when buying cheap airline tickets is to take full advantage of price differences between different flight times and dates. During Tet (Lunar New Year) 2026, the price difference between peak days (December 28th and 29th) and the days before can amount to millions of VND per ticket. Customers who are self-employed or families with young children can consider taking time off from school early to avoid peak periods and book tickets in advance.
While flights back to hometowns are always sold out, return flights to major cities like Ho Chi Minh City are seeing record low prices.
Practical experience shows that shifting your travel plans back home about a week earlier than the official holiday allows travelers to access much more affordable prices, usually around 2.5 million VND for a one-way trip from South to North. Similarly, on the return trip, choosing to go back to work as early as the 4th or 5th day of Tet is also a smart decision.
Leverage technology to optimize your journey.
To have a budget-friendly trip, travelers should take advantage of price comparison tools, sign up for airline notifications, and use cashback features on banking apps. Additionally, considering using private transportation for short or medium-distance journeys is also a worthwhile option, giving families complete control over their time and reducing plastic waste from public transport services.
Tet is a time for family reunions, but that joy is even more complete when we don't have to face post-holiday financial worries. By changing traditional travel habits and being flexible in choosing transportation and timing, you can make celebrating Tet easier.
The aviation market is witnessing a sharp price increase in the days leading up to the 2026 Lunar New Year.
