Malaysians Face Skyrocketing Airfares and Limited Transport Options as They Rush to Secure Tickets for Chinese New Year Reunions in 2026

As Chinese New Year approaches in 2026, Malaysians working in Singapore are facing a growing challenge: securing affordable tickets to return home for the festive season. With airfares skyrocketing and alternative transportation options rapidly selling out, many are left scrambling to make last-minute travel plans, only to face steep prices and limited availability. The surge in demand for flights and buses, driven by the need to reunite with family for reunion dinners and celebrations, has led to a dramatic increase in ticket prices—sometimes as much as six times the usual rate. As travelers race to secure seats, those who plan ahead are finding themselves with more favorable options, while last-minute planners struggle to cope with the financial strain and lack of choices.

Securing a ticket to return home to Malaysia during Chinese New Year has become a challenging annual task for many Malaysians working in Singapore. As the holiday approaches, airfares skyrocket, and other modes of transport quickly sell out, making it increasingly difficult to secure a seat for the much-anticipated reunion dinners and celebrations.

Logistics executive Tan Yik Xuan, 26, is one such traveler who understands the importance of early planning. To ensure he could return to his hometown of Ipoh, Tan secured his return ticket in October 2025, four months before the Chinese New Year in 2026. The price he paid was approximately S$630 (RM2,174), a hefty sum but one he knew would guarantee him a seat during the busy travel period.

By early January, airfares for return flights from Singapore to Ipoh, for travel between February 14 and 19, had surged to between S$822 and S$1,222 (RM2,834–RM4,216), marking a staggering increase of up to six times compared to the previous week, when fares were as low as S$124 to S$191 (RM428–RM659). With Chinese New Year falling on February 17 and 18, many Malaysians are returning home for the reunion dinners on the eve of the festival, leading to the skyrocketing prices.

Airfares to Kuala Lumpur, another popular destination during this period, are seeing a similar trend, with prices ranging from S$420 to S$1,245 (RM1,449–RM4,290). This is compared to the more affordable rates of S$99 to S$345 (RM342–RM1,190) available in the week before, from February 7 to 12. For flights to Penang, prices between February 14 and 19 have risen to between S$628 and S$1,049 (RM2,166–RM3,620), up from the more reasonable range of S$107 to S$469 (RM369–RM1,618) just a week earlier.

Both Singapore Airlines and its budget counterpart, Scoot, have reported strong demand for flights during this peak travel period, although they have refrained from releasing specific booking numbers. With such high demand, alternative modes of transportation, including buses, have also seen a price surge. A round-trip bus ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur for travel between February 14 and 19 now costs between S$89 and S$276 (RM307–RM952), compared to the more affordable range of S$51 to S$153 (RM176–RM527) just a week earlier. Similarly, bus fares to Penang are now priced between S$198 and S$370 (RM683–RM1,277), while tickets to Ipoh have risen to between S$214 and S$330 (RM738–RM1,139). Just one week prior, tickets to Penang were priced between S$83 and S$133 (RM286–RM459), and trips to Ipoh ranged from S$71 to S$104 (RM245–RM359).

Malaysian bus operator Causeway Link has anticipated a surge in demand and has plans to deploy additional buses to accommodate the heavy volume of travelers. However, the operator has not disclosed any specific ridership numbers.

For those seeking more affordable travel options, insurance agent Lim Cin Min, 27, has chosen a budget-friendly approach. Instead of booking an expensive direct bus, she plans to take a Causeway Link bus from Woodlands Checkpoint to Johor Bahru and then transfer to another bus at Larkin Sentral for her journey home to Batu Pahat on February 13. This alternative will cost her around S$8 (RM28), a stark contrast to the S$40 (RM138) she would pay for a direct bus during the festive period. Lim also added that she prefers handling the immigration process on her own rather than dealing with long queues and potential delays.

For others, the launch of the first electric train service (ETS) between Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur on December 12, 2025, has made rail transport a more popular option. However, demand for these tickets has been overwhelming, with ETS tickets from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur for travel between February 13 and 16 already sold out. The same is true for the daily Johor Bahru–Ipoh service between February 11 and 22, which has also sold out, except for designated wheelchair spaces. Similarly, tickets for the ETS route from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth, for those heading to Penang, are unavailable during the peak period. The Keretapi Tanah Melayu Shuttle Tebrau, which connects Woodlands Checkpoint to Johor Bahru Sentral, has also sold out for travel between February 13 and 15.

Among the few who managed to secure a ticket is data analyst Justin K, 29, who booked his return trip from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru for February 24 in December 2025. He said that by extending his stay beyond the peak travel period, he was able to avoid the full brunt of the ticket rush. For the outbound leg of his journey, Justin will fly to Kuala Lumpur on February 14 after failing to secure an ETS ticket. His AirAsia one-way ticket cost him S$230 (RM794), more than double the usual fare. In contrast, his ETS ticket, booked months earlier, cost him just RM110 (S$35), including a festive surcharge of RM20.

As Chinese New Year nears, Malaysians in Singapore are facing skyrocketing airfares and dwindling transport options, making it harder to secure tickets home. Early planners are able to secure seats, but last-minute travelers are left facing inflated prices and limited choices.

With such high demand and soaring prices, travelers are increasingly forced to plan well in advance to secure affordable transportation options during the festive period. Those who fail to do so are left to contend with inflated prices and limited availability, making the journey home to Malaysia during Chinese New Year an expensive and increasingly stressful experience.

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