Nguyen My from Hanoi said she has been checking the status of her upcoming flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo for April multiple times a day.
Having already spent heavily on airfare and concert tickets, she remains unsettled by unverified reports circulating online about widespread flight cancellations.
“I checked from morning to night, on both airline websites and booking apps, just to make sure the flights are still there,” she said, noting that the lack of official announcements has done little to ease her concerns.
Thu Thuy, who had booked a flight from Hanoi to Nha Trang for April 12, learned about her flight cancellation without any formal notification from the airline.
She made the discovery on March 24 while checking the airline’s website and seeing that tickets for her flight were no longer on sale. After multiple attempts to contact the airline, she was told the flight had been canceled and was offered a complimentary change.
The experience has made her more cautious about booking trips too far in advance.
Travel agencies say such anxieties are beginning to affect demand.
Hoang Nghia Dat, chairman of travel agency MayTrip, noted that while there has been no official confirmation of cancellations on routes to Japan, some customers have opted to cancel tours as a precaution.
Around 20% of his customers are delaying payment decisions, and bookings for May have dropped by half compared to previous levels.
Pham Anh Vu, deputy general director of Du Lich Viet Company, emphasized that recent rumors about mass flight cancellations to Japan are unfounded, as no official notices have been issued by airlines.
However, disruptions have occurred in certain segments.
Some charter flights, such as routes from Hanoi to Lanzhou and Fenghuang Ancient Town in China, have been canceled or adjusted due to pricing negotiations with carriers.
Nguyen Ngoc Tung, director of Danh Nam Travel, said his company has not altered itineraries for China tours, though prices for new bookings departing from April may rise by VND1-2 million.
Previously booked group tours are largely unaffected thanks to airline support policies.
In Asia, jet A-1 fuel prices now cost US$204.94 per barrel, a 136% surge compared to last year’s average, according to the International Air Transport Association.
The sharp increase in fuel costs is causing disruption to the global aviation industry.
Since April 1, several major carriers in Asia have increased fuel surcharges.
In Vietnam, airlines plan to increase fuel surcharges on domestic routes between April and June.
Ticket prices on key routes such as Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City could rise to VND4 million ($152), while Hanoi-Phu Quoc fares could become even higher.
Carriers also plan to drop some domestic routes and reduce frequencies from April, prioritizing the Hanoi-Da Nang-Ho Chi Minh City and routes that serve essential political and economic functions.
Some airlines have already suspended late-night, off-peak and low-demand services.
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