Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, an apparatus, and a system for forwarding data in a communications system. The implementation of the method includes: A data forwarding device forwards a data packet from a source end to a destination end by using a low-speed channel; during a procedure for forwarding the data packet from the source end to the destination end by using the low-speed channel, the data forwarding device receives a control command sent by a service processing node, where the control command is used to indicate that the data packet of the source end does not need to be forwarded to the service processing node; and the data forwarding device forwards the data packet from the source end to the destination end according to the indication of the control command by using a high-speed channel.