In Guangzhou, company clerk Gao Xin also said the ticket price was reasonable and added that he would take the high-speed train when he travels to Beijing.

"Air travel to Beijing will still be an option when time is tight, but the price of plane tickets should come down," he said.

For tour groups, a Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed train ticket costs more than an airline ticket , said Li Lang at the Guangdong branch of China International Travel Service.

The service may bring changes to business travelers, but for common tourists more significant changes may come in the future, Li said.

However, for long trips, especially those from Beijing to Guangzhou, many netizens said they still prefer to travel by air.

A survey by Sina Weibo, a micro-blogging website, showed 74.1 percent prefer to fly when they need to travel between Beijing and Guangzhou. Only 22 percent chose the high-speed railway. The survey polled more than 1,000 people.

Contact the writers at jinhaixing@chinadaily.com.cn and liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn

Xiang Mingchao in Zhengzhou contributed to this story.