Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

Airfare discounts from Shanghai have increased to 20-40 percent with the Spring Festival around the corner, and passengers are advised to purchase tickets at official outlets in order to be avoid being cheated, today's Shanghai Morning Post reported.
According to the routine, air tickets are likely to be  full prices two or three weeks before the Spring Festival.
However, 50 percent or more airfare discounts are offered at street fliers, aiming to cheat passengers, said an industry analyst with the Shanghai Consumers' Rights Protection Commission.
"At first, they cheat passengers by promising more discounts than the official air-ticket sales outlets, and then ask the buyers to pay more money by claiming the air-tickets are in short of supply," the analyst explained. Therefore, the passengers have to pay more money, as they are anxious to return to their hometown, he added.
Passengers should book air-tickets two weeks or one month in advance at the official sales outlets, he suggested.