Six mainland airlines will start 24 round-trip flights between the mainland and Taiwan on Jan. 29.

The flights will be between three mainland cities and two Taiwan cities. The three mainland cities are Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The two Taiwan cities are Taipei and Kaohsiung.

Six Taiwan-based airlines will also conduct 24 flights cross the Taiwan Straits during the Chinese New Year holidays. The first flight, by China Airlines, will leave Taipei at 4:05 a.m. Jan. 29 and arrive in Beijing at 8 a.m. It will leave Beijing at 11 a.m. and reach Taipei at 3 p.m.

China Southern Airlines has offered an 800-yuan (US$97) one-way airfare from Guangzhou to Taipei. Its cheapest round-trip airfare is 1,380 yuan, while the most expensive is 2,980 yuan.

The economy class round-trip fare between Shanghai and Taipei offered by Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern Airlines will be 3,600 yuan, while flights between Beijing and Taipei will cost 3,800 yuan.

China Southern Airlines has announced that anyone flying from Guangzhou to Taiwan will be offered free flight from any Chinese city to Guangzhou.

"We'll also offer free flights to any mainland city from Guangzhou to those returning to Guangzhou from Taiwan on our flights," said a China Southern Airlines source.

Those living near Guangzhou and traveling to Taiwan to celebrate the Chinese New Year will be given a complimentary flight from Guangzhou to Hainan or Guilin by China Southern Airlines.

Editor: Catherine