Nguyen Tran Hieu, an employee of a company specializing in providing online flight and hotel booking services, has traveled many times close to the holidays and shares tips for booking flight tickets and hotel rooms close to the date for the upcoming September 2nd holiday.
Hunting for bad flight times or transit tickets
Flights departing before 6am or after 10pm often have empty seats at cheaper prices. Ms. Mai Anh (Hanoi) said that she searched for a round-trip ticket from Hanoi to Da Nang on the day of departure but the price had already reached 6 million VND. Then, she switched to a flight departing at 5am and returning at 11pm, reducing the total cost to nearly 3.5 million VND. For those who are flexible with their time, this is an option worth trying.
Booking flights at bad times or transit times helps save costs and has a higher chance of having empty seats.
In addition, if not too urgent, travelers can choose to fly transit instead of direct flights, which is both easier to book and saves costs. A small note: check directly the airline's website because sometimes they still have single seats that the booking application does not show.
Take advantage of last minute deals on the app
Booking platforms such as Agoda, Booking, Traveloka or Airbnb all have “last minute deal” sections. Many hotels and homestays will release vacant rooms to fill them at lower prices than usual. In crowded places such as Da Nang, Nha Trang or Vung Tau, if large hotels are full, tourists can switch to mini hotels, homestays or hostels, which are both economical and easy to book. If traveling in groups, renting a serviced apartment on Airbnb is also a flexible solution.
If you know how, tourists can hunt for last-minute deals on booking apps.
Mr. Tuan (HCMC) 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 promotion. Previously, when traveling with a group to Da Lat during the holiday, he was also able to rent a serviced apartment, although the price was a bit higher than usual, it was still comfortable.
Flexible destination selection
Da Lat, Phu Quoc or Ha Long are often crowded and expensive during the holidays. If it is too late to book tickets, consider less crowded destinations such as Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku... Not only are rooms easier to find and tickets cheaper, visitors can also avoid the crowds and still have a memorable vacation.
Dalat is always a hot spot during holidays, ticket and room prices increase, and rooms can easily sell out if visitors do not book early.
Nguyen Tran Hieu (HCMC) and his girlfriend went to Da Lat on September 2nd last year, witnessing the scene of vehicles lining up in long lines on Tran Hung Dao Street and the night market area. Learning from experience, this year he chose to go to Mang Den and Pleiku to avoid traffic jams, and at the same time have time to leisurely sightsee and enjoy the 4-day holiday.
Book tickets and rooms in a "patchwork" manner
In case it is difficult to find a good round-trip ticket, travelers can book two different legs on different airlines, for example, going with Vietjet, returning with Bamboo. This way is sometimes much cheaper than buying a round-trip ticket on one airline.
The same goes for accommodation. Some places are only full for 2-3 days of the holiday. Tourists can split up to stay in a large hotel for a few nights, then move to a homestay or smaller motel if they have difficulty finding a room for all 4 days.
Another tip for hunting for tickets or rooms is to book individually by segment or by day instead of booking a whole trip.
There are many groups on social networks that rent or transfer rooms and tickets at the last minute. Many people, for a number of reasons, may transfer tickets or rooms at a cheaper price than booking directly. This is a good opportunity for tourists to get a surprise deal if they are quick.
Always check the information carefully before booking.
Even when time is tight, travelers should still carefully review the cancellation, ticket exchange, or refund conditions to avoid risks.
During peak times, the market often sees fake hotel fanpages or accounts, taking advantage of the time before the holidays and the rush of customers to trick them into paying their deposits. This situation has been around since last year, but the number of victims of these fake pages is still increasing. Therefore, tourists need to be vigilant by only booking through reputable applications or official websites, looking up hotel and homestay information on other platforms and requesting clear invoices and receipts.
Tourists need to be careful with booking traps from fake pages, especially during the holiday season.
Another situation that can easily happen during peak season is that a room has been sold to many people. To limit the risk, visitors should call the hotel directly to confirm the room status and booking information, and record it as evidence in case of an emergency.
Traveling during major holidays like September 2nd is often more difficult due to high prices and limited services. However, by being flexible in flight times, destinations and accommodation types, and taking advantage of booking apps and online communities, tourists can completely find suitable accommodation and flight tickets even when booking close to the date. The most important thing is to keep a relaxed spirit, because a memorable holiday comes not only from the destination, but also from how you enjoy the journey.
