Connecting / airport transit inside PEK Beijing Capital
#406
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,820
Welcome to FT, vtski!
I'll attempt to spare you of "lingo" in this post, but the lingo you see here honestly isn't that hard to decipher (e.g. if you see an airline code that you don't recognize, simply plug it into Google).
1. Your plan seems okay to me, as outlined, but if pulling off the return without hassle is a top priority, you might want to consider an overnight connection; this would have the added benefit of giving you a chance to see Beijing
2. But, Air China has two flights to Los Angeles, so if the 9p doesn't work out, they would protect you on their afternoon flight the following day
3. On the outbound, you would need to clear customs in Beijing, which necessitates picking up your bags
4. Business class doesn't entitle you to many special favors in either direction
5. Following are better routes between Los Angeles and Guangzhou
-China Southern (NONSTOP)
-Eva or China Airlines via Taipei
-Korean via Seoul
-Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, though the return portion of this is a little dangerous if you fancy a reasonable connection
In closing, I want to reiterate that your original plan seems reasonably sound to me; just don't bet the farm on pulling off the return because if you happen to experience an 8 hour delay on Guangzhou Beijing, you will obviously miss the 9p flight from Beijing to Los Angeles.
I'll attempt to spare you of "lingo" in this post, but the lingo you see here honestly isn't that hard to decipher (e.g. if you see an airline code that you don't recognize, simply plug it into Google).
1. Your plan seems okay to me, as outlined, but if pulling off the return without hassle is a top priority, you might want to consider an overnight connection; this would have the added benefit of giving you a chance to see Beijing
2. But, Air China has two flights to Los Angeles, so if the 9p doesn't work out, they would protect you on their afternoon flight the following day
3. On the outbound, you would need to clear customs in Beijing, which necessitates picking up your bags
4. Business class doesn't entitle you to many special favors in either direction
5. Following are better routes between Los Angeles and Guangzhou
-China Southern (NONSTOP)
-Eva or China Airlines via Taipei
-Korean via Seoul
-Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, though the return portion of this is a little dangerous if you fancy a reasonable connection
In closing, I want to reiterate that your original plan seems reasonably sound to me; just don't bet the farm on pulling off the return because if you happen to experience an 8 hour delay on Guangzhou Beijing, you will obviously miss the 9p flight from Beijing to Los Angeles.
#407
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,950
1a. On the outbound LAX-PEK-CAN, you will need to claim your checked luggage at PEK. After clearing immigration, take the train from T3-E to the baggage carousels. As you enter the baggage hall, look to your left and slightly behind you. There is a corridor leading to "domestic connections." Go there after claiming your luggage. If you exit customs the other way, you will be in the arrivals hall. This then means that you will need to find the check-in desks for domestic flights upstairs. It's a hassle, but not a major one, because either way, you still need to go through security screening in the same general area of T3-C.
1b. On the return, you can check your luggage all the way back to LAX. At PEK, your flight will come into either T3-C, T3-D, or a remote pad. Whichever way, follow signs for "international connections," and eventually you will be funneled to the immigration hall underneath T3-E.
2. Signage at PEK is excellent.
3. Other than the diplomatic level, IIRC there are no special queues for business visa holders and certainly not people traveling business class.
IMO, many of the horror stories about PEK stem delays that expose the shortcomings of interlining between two airlines. Those are minimized when you are traveling on one airline, and especially CA, since PEK is its major base and has ample resources, such as staffing and other facilities, for service recovery. Good luck!
Last edited by sinoflyer; Apr 19, 2016 at 2:11 pm Reason: emphasis
#408
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 9
Welcome to FT, vtski!
5. Following are better routes between Los Angeles and Guangzhou
-China Southern (NONSTOP)
-Eva or China Airlines via Taipei
-Korean via Seoul
-Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, though the return portion of this is a little dangerous if you fancy a reasonable connection
5. Following are better routes between Los Angeles and Guangzhou
-China Southern (NONSTOP)
-Eva or China Airlines via Taipei
-Korean via Seoul
-Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, though the return portion of this is a little dangerous if you fancy a reasonable connection
Welcome to FT!
IMO, many of the horror stories about PEK stem delays that expose the shortcomings of interlining between two airlines. Those are minimized when you are traveling on one airline, and especially CA, since PEK is its major base and has ample resources, such as staffing and other facilities, for service recovery. Good luck!
IMO, many of the horror stories about PEK stem delays that expose the shortcomings of interlining between two airlines. Those are minimized when you are traveling on one airline, and especially CA, since PEK is its major base and has ample resources, such as staffing and other facilities, for service recovery. Good luck!
#409
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 353
#410
Join Date: May 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Morning Calm, Marriott Plat., Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 297
I am thinking of booking a ord-pek-icn where ord-pek is on AA (arrives in T3) and pek-icn is on KE (T2).
Would 2 hours be enough to do this transfer? Thank you for your opinions.
Would 2 hours be enough to do this transfer? Thank you for your opinions.
#411
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,820
#412
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,115
I am looking at ORD-PEK-BKK on HU. They have a good business class fare (just under $2100 rt ai).
It involves a 90 minute connection at PEK but at T2 and not T3 according to my research. Is the correct and if so is it doable?
It involves a 90 minute connection at PEK but at T2 and not T3 according to my research. Is the correct and if so is it doable?
#413
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,820
#414
Join Date: May 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Morning Calm, Marriott Plat., Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 297
#416
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,442
Connections in PEK on same ticket, same airline (and obviously thus same terminal) aren't much of a problem in general. I'd plan a bit extra time (not just the MCT) as obviously there are more pleasant airports to get stuck, but if there isn't really any other option available, it's something I'd pick without too much worry.
#417
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171
Connections in PEK on same ticket, same airline (and obviously thus same terminal) aren't much of a problem in general. I'd plan a bit extra time (not just the MCT) as obviously there are more pleasant airports to get stuck, but if there isn't really any other option available, it's something I'd pick without too much worry.
T3 is totally out of the way from T2 and T1. If there is no airside transfer (I don't know if there is), it is very time-consuming passing through immigration twice and security once and travel between the terminals several km apart.
#418
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,820
#419
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,442
Same airline does not always mean the same terminal, but if on the same ticket, I think the passenger should be protected.
T3 is totally out of the way from T2 and T1. If there is no airside transfer (I don't know if there is), it is very time-consuming passing through immigration twice and security once and travel between the terminals several km apart.
T3 is totally out of the way from T2 and T1. If there is no airside transfer (I don't know if there is), it is very time-consuming passing through immigration twice and security once and travel between the terminals several km apart.