BEIJING - Thousands of people wearing thick coats and clutching suitcases line up in freezing conditions at Beijing Railway Station in the hope of snagging a ticket home for China's Lunar New Year.

Xiao Chengjia, a 25-year-old postgraduate student, spent 5,200 yuan ($740) on an eight-day trip to Thailand in April. She booked her round-trip tickets 40 days before her departure from Shanghai, and enjoyed a 50 percent discount with the final price at 2,200 yuan.