Originally Posted by ProleOnParole

Should be, if your luggage is tagged to the final destination at check-in. CA themselves would also attach a green "transfer" tag to such bags.


I'd say no, unless you're lucky. My last transfer experience at PEK, intra-T3 on CA, 3h 50' scheduled layover:

• 30' (T-3:20) Delay on touchdown
• 15' (T-3:05) Bus from a remote stand
• 60' (T-2:05) Queue to have your boarding pass stamped twice in both red and blue ink and be allowed to enter the transfer channel, apparently this cannot be automated with a boarding pass scanner and in the capital of a 1.2bn country there is only a single airport employee qualified to perform this demanding task, so hundreds of people just have to line up and wait
• Security lane for transferring passengers closed, which appears to be the usual way things work at PEK, have to join the regular line
• 45' (T-1:20) Queue to have your boarding pass inspected again with all the non-transferring passengers who have just entered the airport
• 30' (T-0:50) Queue for security theater
• 10' (T-0:40) Walk to the gate, partly in total darkness as lights have been switched off in that area of the concourse, fortunately the EK lounge sign and some advertisements light up the area a bit
• 10' (T-0:30) Wait at the gate
• Boarding starts
• 10' (T-0:20) Wait on the bus despite no-one else boarding with all the doors open to cool off a bit in the pleasant -6°C winter breeze and also sample the world-famous Beijing air (AQI 400)
• Bus driver suddenly shuts the door in the face of a single pax running to board the bus and, after some consideration whether to reopen it or not, decides to drive off
• 20' (T-0:00) Take bus to a remote stand that puts all the other remote stands to shame (except perhaps DXB), it feels the plane was parked off the airport premises in a nearby village
• Board an empty plane at scheduled departure time (T)
• T+0:30 Nothing happens whatsoever
• T+0:35 Most passengers arrive on another bus and slowly start boarding
• T+0:40 Still waiting for a couple of passengers
• T+0:45 Boarding complete
• T+0:50 Long queue for take-off
• T+1:10 About to take off

A lot of the issues at PEK seem to be systemic and stem from poor design. It's difficult to believe T3 has only been built recently as, despite the terminal building being huge as a whole, the queuing areas are an order of magnitude smaller than the number of people who have to use them: as a result, everything is cramped and ends up being a big disorganized mess. For some of the security lanes, the conveyor belts start just 1 meter before the X-ray machine, and before you reach it, you're expected to hold the tray with all of your belongings in front of you, as there's nowhere to put it. Compared to other airports, the transfer procedure also appears overtly bureaucratic and understaffed. It doesn't always have to take as much time as I described but even without a large queue it's a distinctly third-world experience.

I wouldn't recommend transferring at PEK to anyone unless the ticket price is 50% or less of the cheapest alternative that avoids flying through China but since you're already booked, here's how I'd try to make the connection:

1. Make sure you're one of the first to deplane.
2. Walk fast following the transfer signs.
3. Skip the transfers queue using short connection as an excuse (expect a lot of other people attempting just the same).
4. As for the second boarding pass check and security inspection, there are actually many queues, and you can save of a lot of time here if you spot the one that moves the fastest, and are quick to react to changing situation.
5. If any of the staff are trying to herd you into another, longer line that would make you worse off, just ignore their instructions.
6. Your best chance of making it is if your connecting flight is usually delayed, check it on www.flightstats.com.

Good luck!