Vietnamese Tourists Upset by China Flight Cancellations

Doan Linh Chi booked return tickets to Qingdao with Shandong Airlines for April 12.

But one week before, she was told both flights were canceled.

The airline said to postpone until May because all April Qingdao services were canceled.

She couldn't cancel her hotel, so she waited for a refund and paid extra to book on Shenzhen Airlines. She had to pay VND300,000 to change her flight.

The new flight had an 11-hour layover, shortening her Qingdao trip by a day.

Chi's experience shows a trend annoying Vietnamese tourists traveling to China.

Travelers complain about last-minute cancellations and changes on Chinese forums and social media.

Travel companies say disruptions cause major difficulties before the summer holiday.

Flight problems between Vietnam and China started in March with cancellations and reduced flights until June.

A travel company said Sichuan Airlines canceled 12 HCMC-Chengdu flights in May and June.

Juneyao Air cut nearly 20 HCMC-Shanghai flights in June.

Pham Anh Vu said Chinese carriers to Lijiang, Shanghai, and Chengdu reduced schedules by at least 50% from April.

They blamed rising fuel prices.

Since April, his company changed departure dates or destinations for a dozen tours.

It suspended tours to Lijiang and Zhangjiajie due to unstable flight schedules.

Nguyen Ngoc Tung said 90% of charter tours to China were canceled, especially on new routes.

But services to Beijing, Shanghai, and Jiuzhaigou had fewer disruptions.

Luu Thi Thu said the Hanoi-Fenghuang charter route saw all flights canceled in May and June.

Airlines consolidated passengers and imposed higher fuel surcharges to cope with rising fuel costs.

Charter tours are vulnerable because they rely on Chinese subsidies.

As costs rise, those subsidies are no longer enough.

The latest cancellations in April targeted international routes to Southeast Asia and Japan.

Rising tensions pushed crude oil prices higher, forcing airlines to reduce operations.

More than 50% of China-Japan flights were canceled in March.

In China, the domestic cancellation rate reached 15.1% by mid-April. The rate was high.

Airlines introduced fuel surcharges, but they covered only 20-30% of fuel expenses.

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