GPS123

I will be flying to/out of PEK on UA.
How's the RCC lounge in PEK? Is there any *G lounge with shower facility at PEK?

Thanks.

1kBill

It's been awhile, but the last time I was there, it was a shared lounge and it was just awful. The whole airport was dismal. Do not go to the airport early just for the lounge.

chichow

One word: BLEAH!

seriously though. It is a contract run lounge shared by many airlines. Its a pretty bad worn down place e.g. sit down and sink so far into the worn seat that your hands are below your knees

Buster CT1K

I was there in 2002. I actually have good memories of it. Generous snack and drink selections. Comfortable seating. Better than the majority of domestic RCCs. Still, it is nothing to write home about, and no use going early to the airport for the lounge alone.

GPS123

OK, so the PEK lounge is bad. How about the airport facility? any duty free stores? restaurants? paid shower facilities?
This is my first time to PEK airport.

CApreppie

Use Search function and look for PEK lounge. Some more threads should come up. Search in the Star Alliance forum too.

Two lounges for *G. Air China and BGS lounge. Skip the China Airlines lounge.

chichow

think you mean Air China

KMHT FF

The BGS lounge is quite fine.

anacapamalibu

I have been in the PEK lounge for Air China a few times. Its quite big, there is a smoking enclosed booth, hard liquor, beer, various asian and western snacks, and I believe broadband access. I really don't like PEK as the airport is crowded, cramped, and full of con artists trying to rip you off. The airport feels like its 10 times olders than it is...hope they demolish and re-build it before the Olympics.

mattmacinnis

The BGS lounge has a superior food selection to a RCC. There's an excellent English-language newspaper selection, a nice fish tank, and reasonably comfortable chairs. If you walk all the way in, there's a small work area also available. There are a few TVs. I am referring to the F lounge, which is all I've visited -- but I suspect the C lounge is similar.

The airport itself has a few good stores (if I recall correctly, there's even a Ferragamo store now), as well as a very large duty free outlet. There are cordoned smoking areas (good if you're a smoker, even better if you're a non-smoker) and it's clean and reasonably well organized. The United check-in is all the way down to your right as you enter the check-in area. (There are exit formalities first.)

If this is your first time going through PEK, remember to leave time for customs and immigration on the return flight. You will have at least three separate forms to fill out for different check points, in addition to your boarding pass, visa, identification, etc. It's a horrible example of Chinese bureaucracy. (They ask you as you're leaving whether you have diarrhea, which is brilliant.) Getting into China is, quite significantly, much easier than getting out.

-m

P.S.: On entry, don't admit to having diarrhea.

CApreppie

Yep! Oops. I knew that. Both are pretty subpar carriers.

AADC10

They did rebuild it in anticipation of the 2000 Olympics. You should have seen the old terminal. It looked like the train station and the check-in facilities were completely inadequate.

The lounge is shared with Air China and it is rather dumpy. There are not enough seats before security and the restaurants and shopping are awful. The food court in the basement is expensive and not very good but it is cheaper than the equally bad upstairs restaurant.

Spend as little time there as possible.

anacapamalibu

I remember years ago my father flew to Beijing to act as a consultant to the
Chinese government for building the "new?" airport. After all was said and done the powers that be pretty much abdandoned all the consulting reports and gave the lucrative contracts to their relatives. Maybe that explains the current condition.

chichow

CI has some pretty new equipment and also on selected routes Connexion by Boeing. Hardly subpar

CApreppie

New airplanes don't mean a thing if they crash them. Look at their safety record--it's pretty subpar. I'd take EVA over China Airlines.