"I often take the K192 train from Guangzhou to Chengdu. The total price is 466 yuan for a hard-berth, but now a plane ticket for this trip is only 400 yuan!" said Mr. Deng with surprise. Deng is a businessman who works in Guangzhou's Tianhe district.

November is an "off" season for the aviation business. With fewer travelers and the influence of the financial crisis, some airfares are down to only 20% of their original price.

According to staff of the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, the air tickets reduced by 80% cover flights from Guangzhou to Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an and Haikou. Some of the airfares are even lower than train fares. A Guangzhou to Wuhan plane ticket is only 190 yuan after the reduction. After a surcharge of 150 yuan for fuel and 50 yuan for airport construction, the total price of the ticket is 390 yuan, 38 yuan less than a hard-berth train ticket.

The low prices are also affecting international flights, such as Guangzhou to Singapore, Bangkok, Los Angeles and Paris, with some tickets half the normal price.

These special tickets are in small numbers though, said an insider from the airport. And travelers who want to get low price tickets should choose flights that depart at about 7 or 8 in the morning or after 9 in the evening.