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Nguyen Tran Hieu, an employee of a company specializing in online flight and hotel booking services, who has traveled many times close to holidays, shared tips for booking flights and hotels last minute for the upcoming September 2nd holiday.
Hunt for flights with inconvenient departure times or transit routes.
Flights departing before 6 AM or after 10 PM often have available seats at more affordable prices. Ms. Mai Anh (Hanoi) recounted that she searched for a round-trip ticket from Hanoi to Da Nang at the last minute but the price had already reached 6 million VND. She then switched to a flight departing at 5 AM and returning at 11 PM, reducing the total cost to nearly 3.5 million VND. For those with flexible schedules, this is a worthwhile option.
Booking flights during off-peak hours or transit times can save money and increase the chances of finding available seats.
Additionally, if you're not in a hurry, you can choose a connecting flight instead of a direct one, which is easier to book and more cost-effective. A small note: check the airlines' websites directly, as they may still have available seats that aren't displayed on booking apps.
Take advantage of last-minute deals on the app.
Booking platforms like Agoda, Booking, Traveloka, and Airbnb all offer "last-minute deals." Many hotels and homestays will release available rooms at lower-than-usual prices to fill vacancies. In popular destinations like Da Nang, Nha Trang, or Vung Tau, if large hotels are fully booked, travelers can opt for mini-hotels, homestays, or hostels, which are both more economical and easier to book. For group travelers, renting serviced apartments on Airbnb is also a flexible option.
With the right approach, travelers can snag last-minute deals on booking apps.
Mr. Tuan (Ho Chi Minh City) shared that just one day before the holiday, he was still able to book a homestay in Nha Trang for 850,000 VND/night instead of 1.4 million VND thanks to a last-minute discount. Previously, when traveling in a group to Da Lat during a holiday, he also rented a serviced apartment, although the price was slightly higher than usual, it was still comfortable.
Flexible choice of destination
Da Lat, Phu Quoc, or Ha Long are often very crowded and expensive during holidays. If it's too late to find tickets, consider less crowded destinations like Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku… Not only are accommodations and tickets easier to find and cheaper, but travelers can also avoid the crowds while still having a memorable vacation.
Da Lat is always a popular destination during holidays, with ticket and accommodation prices soaring and rooms easily selling out if tourists don't book early.
Nguyen Tran Hieu (Ho Chi Minh City) and his girlfriend visited Da Lat last year during the September 2nd holiday and witnessed long lines of vehicles on Tran Hung Dao Street and in the night market area. Learning from that experience, this year he chose to go to Mang Den and Pleiku to avoid traffic jams and have more time to leisurely enjoy the scenery and the four-day holiday.
Booking tickets and rooms in a piecemeal fashion.
In cases where it's difficult to find good-value round-trip tickets, travelers can book two different legs of the journey with different airlines, for example, flying with Vietjet on the way there and Bamboo Airways on the way back. This method is sometimes much cheaper than buying a round-trip ticket with just one airline.
The same applies to accommodation. Some places are only fully booked for 2-3 days during the holiday. Tourists can split their stay into larger hotels for a few nights, then switch to homestays or smaller guesthouses if they have difficulty finding rooms for all four days.
Another tip for finding tickets or accommodations is to book individual segments or days instead of booking an entire trip package.
Many groups on social media now offer last-minute room rentals or ticket transfers. For various reasons, people may be able to resell tickets or rooms at cheaper prices than booking directly. This presents a great opportunity for travelers to find unexpected deals if they act quickly.
Always double-check the information before placing an order.
Even when time is short, travelers should carefully review the cancellation, ticket change, or refund policies to avoid any risks.
During peak seasons, fake hotel fan pages or accounts often appear on the market, taking advantage of the rush and rush of customers to scam them out of deposits. This situation has been occurring since last year, but the number of victims of these fake pages continues to increase. Therefore, tourists need to be highly vigilant by only booking through reputable apps or official websites, checking hotel and homestay information on other platforms, and requesting clear receipts and invoices.
Tourists should be wary of booking scams from fake pages, especially during the holiday season.
Another common problem during peak season is that a single room may be sold to multiple people. To minimize risk in this situation, travelers should call the hotel directly to confirm room availability and booking details, and record the call as evidence in case of any problems.
Traveling during major holidays like September 2nd is often more difficult due to high prices and limited services. However, with flexibility in flight times, destinations, and accommodation types, and by utilizing booking apps and online communities, travelers can absolutely find suitable accommodation and flights even at the last minute. Most importantly, maintain a relaxed attitude, because a memorable holiday isn't just about the destination, but also about how you enjoy your trip.
