Domestic airlines, plus road and railway transport service providers, are offering their extra services to their customers to meet the growing travel demand over the upcoming Tet Festival.

The city’s inter-provincial coach station.

In detail, Vietnam Airlines has added 1,956 flights with a total of around 650,000 seats, up 40% compared with normal days.

The low-cost carriers Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific have had extra more than 1,000 and 1,014 flights respectively with a focus on routes between Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi, Da Nang, Vinh, Hai Phong, Hue and Phu Quoc.

The flight frequency on domestic routes during the peak period is expected to rise by between 8% and 10% in comparison with the same period last year.

Mr Ha Mai Anh, a representative from Vietjet Air, advised air passengers to use online and kiosk check-in services at Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat and Da Nang airports in order to reduce time for waiting in the airport before departure.

In addition, passengers are advised to follow baggage regulations to avoid paying extra charges due to their overweight or oversize luggage.

Passengers standing in line to purchase tickets at the city’s inter-provincial coach station.

As for rail transportation, from 23 January - 22 February, Vietnam Railways will operate additional 15 pairs of trains in addition to 5 pairs of trains on the Thong Nhat (North-South) route, and 5 pairs of trains travelling on the Ha Noi-Vinh, Sai Gon-Quy Nhon, Sai Gon-Nha Trang, and Sai Gon-Phan Thiet routes.

Before and after Tet holiday, there will be more 10 pairs of trains on Thanh Hoa-Sai Gon, Vinh-Sai Gon, Dong Hoi-Sai Gon, and Nha Trang-Sai Gon routes.

Especially, a pair of trains coded SE25 and SE26 between Quang Ngai and Ho Chi Minh City, and the other coded SE21 and SE22 between Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City will run during the Tet Festival.

In a bid to meet the increasing travel demand of passengers, a total of 553 coaches will operate to transport passengers from the city to northern and central highlands localities between 25 January and 4 February. 

From 2 - 4 February, another 214 coaches will depart from Da Nang to the cities of Hue, Dong Ha and Quy Nhon, and the provinces of Quang Ngai and Quang Nam. 

After Tet, there will be 89 coaches in total to carry passengers from the city to southern localities.

Moreover, there will be more coaches to transport passengers from the city to mountainous areas in Quang Nam Province, including Dong Giang, Nam Giang, Tay Giang, Tra My, Hiep Duc and Phuoc Son.

Currently, 36 ticketing counters at the city’s inter-provincial coach station are selling tickets for Tet.  The prices of tickets have gone up by between 20% and 60% against normal days.