Originally Posted by
moondog
I wouldn't use them for an airport pick up because finding the driver could be far more annoying than waiting in the taxi queue (which seems to move pretty quickly these days).
But, I've been meaning to update this thread because my recent Beijing Uber experiences have generally been positive. Often, there are no cars nearby ,but when there are, this can spare you of having to battle others for a taxi.
Actually if you can speak/read Chinese, Di Di Taxi (滴滴打车) is very good, I tried it twice during a recent trip to Beijing, and both times during rush hour. The first time going from the Doubletree to Chaoyang Park at 17:45, got a taxi within 3 minutes with no extra fee on top of the fare, even though there was a taxi line in front of the hotel. The second time from Chaoyang Men to the Doubletree at 19:00, got a taxi within 5 minutes also no fees. It's great if you speak Chinese, and if you have an AliPay account you can pay with your phone. There is the option in the app to "sweeten" the deal for the driver by offering up to 20RMB tip too.