PEK has a huge space set aside for security channels and I cant ever remember experiencing long waits, even flying during the New Year period.

The only time issues arise is due to the belligerence of passengers who are not regular flyers, try and profile people in the security lanes and avoid any with elderly Chinese women and/or guys dressed in Farah slacks and slip on shoes.

To be honest mate, with the crap booze on CA and all the horror stories about PEK, I think you should consider an alternative destination ;)

Things indeed have changed at PEK - was on SQ801 dep 00:10 - took 45mins to get through security check on Mon night 17th - it was a nightmare - every bag opened / checked - just cannot believe the bottles and tubes that people still have in their carry-on.

And not only PEK security checks now greatly enhanced - I arrived into NKG at 21:20 on 11th - I hold APEC Card and was held up for 15 mins as about 5 immig agents attempted to satisfy themselves that I was indeed the same person pictured in my pp and on APEC Card - yes I may have put on a few lbs and got a tad greyer since pics taken but never a blink previously.

Also ALL bags into NKG xrayed - never seen this before either - so YES my experience this visit to China indicates security clearly enhanced - but of course YMMV.

I went through yesterday. LOTS of security. No water allowed on the plane. All bags thoroughly checked. Had to show my passport 5-6 times. Long lines. Tight security at Tianamen Square, also. Had to show my passport there.

If you were on a flight to the US, PEK doesn't allow water bottles on-board. If you weren't...ouch.

Anything you purchase after security is okay unless you happen to encounter a search at the end of the jet way (this procedure applies to many, but not all, US bound flights).

Ah, good to know. Yep, I've taken the DL flight to NRT too and those last-minute security checks left me 矿泉水-less.

There have absolutely been no changes at T2 domestic, neither this Monday nor this Thursday.

PEK/SHA, etc. - your ** passports/travel documents and visas (and recent stamps) might get a little extra exam lasting 15 seconds longer than before - and matching your photo, which is appropriate at all times, IMO.

Other security measures are and had always been "behind the scene" that you don't see, and smile as you are likely on multiple CCTV being watched, for your protection and fellow pax. If you are a French citizen with passport, you might be flagged for secondary if you don't even acknowledge "Bonjour" ;) Got the idea.

Relax & enjoy the trip.

Currently in the lounge waiting for our flights from T3. Lots of announcements asking people to go straight through to security due to long queues, but actual procedures were identical to all previous visits...and if anything, went through more quickly than usual..

tb

Thank You and everyone else for your first hand accounts

What about arrivals?

I remembered the last time I passed through PEK, everyone has to go through the red channel and those with luggage cases were not scanned but only those who used boxes etc were scanned. Is it still the case?

Have a KUL-PEK flight coming up on 28 Mar on MH318.

Is the Green Channel available for a 0630hrs arrival and how strict are they?

IME, the PEK T3 Channel thing is more like "everybody walk through in one vague unified cattle drive, and Customs will pull out the people whose baggage they want to scan." Yes, boxes will definitely pique their interest and increase chances of having to stop and get scanned. So will the appearance of having way too many bags for the number of people in the traveling party (like, one person traveling solo with 6 big suitcases). Having a (white) foreign face decreases chances, at least it always has up to now. I have never noticed strictness or laxity correlation with time of arrival. In 10+ years of PEK arrivals, first at T2 then since 2008, T2 and T3, at all sorts of hours (including the flight you will be on), I have only been pulled over once--when bringing back two boxes with table lamps purchased in Thailand--but Customs official just queried me then and let me go without scanning.

I still find that NRT's security is still more efficient than PEK.

And this is related to the topic at hand.....how?

FWIW - my experience over last few years is that if you are foreigner (westerner) and you arrive into PEK or PVG bw about 8am to 8pm or so then you will probably have your baggage xrayed. Seems early morn and later night the customs guys are not that interested - if they were actually there at all.

If I arrived during those hours sometimes I was bringing faulty parts back into country that I needed to get back to our manufacturers for assessment - I would try to avoid xray like the plague - but sometimes just could not.

2 weeks ago I deliberately arrived NKG as they never xray baggage there and I had a very large suitcase full of parts - well at least they did not until MH370 went missing - low and behold nt Mar 11 ALL bags xrayed at NKG.

I honestly think as result of MH370 you will see vastly increased security into / out of China. As with ALL things in China -you should always expect the unexpected - it is after all the land of complication and contradiction!