I didn't have any checked-in luggage.

Check-in, not gate, closes one hour before departure. I think that is because of the long security lines in PEK T3E.

You should be fine with about 2 hours in transfer if both are on same ticket. However, if the arriving flight is late, which does happen, it can be tight.

To update my post on the madhouse for transit passengers at T3, they've now closed the small, separate security checkpoint for transit passengers and instead just thread transit passengers into the main security checkpoint. That seems to work well and has eliminated the madhouse bottleneck. Don't know whether it's a permanent or temporary change, though.

But it is still quite a long wait! Funny how passengers can see the exit-immigration officers' computer screens quite clearly!

I'd say it's still an immigration check, just that it could be (but not necessarily) delegated to non-immigration officers (e.g. Air China employees). They still scan your passport and stamp your onward BP.

Hi. I have a question about an international-domestic connection. I'll be arriving on UA 807 into PEK at 15:40 and departing on Air China 1309 at 18:00 for Guangzhou. Obviously, I'll be entering China here, so customs and immigration. I think I need to pick up checked bag and re-check, right? I presume this is a reasonable connection, but thought I'd ask. I'm star gold and travelling business on UA and first on Air China, if that matters (any preferential immigration/customs lanes?). Any other advice re: lounges, etc.? UA 807 arrived at E51 yesterday.

I think you will arrive at T3E and depart at T3C, but I suggest you check. As long as you are departing in T3, I think you have enough time. As I pass through immigration as a Chinese national, I could only observe what happened to the foreigners' side. That line is sometimes long and slow. I think there is a ABTC lane, but I never get to use my ABTC card in China.

If I haven't mixed up the PEK terminals, CA has at least a business and a first lounge next to each other. When I was there last time, I was with two colleagues. Colleague A used his priority pass card to get into the first lounge. I used my CA Gold to guest Colleague B into CA business lounge. Colleague A came back to join us, but the business lounge was so packed we couldn't even find two adjacent empty seats. I ended up leaving Colleague B in the business lounge, and joined Colleague A in the first lounge (I also have priority pass). The first lounge was busy, but not as bad as the business lounge. The lounges were just crowded.

Thanks. So I won't dilly dally, at least til I'm through immigration.

It was working fine last week.

When transiting to a domestic flight, if you have our boarding pass and your luggage is checked through, you do not need to pass immigration and go to the main hall. You can access domestic gates from the luggage carousel area.