Mar 12, 2017, 2:05 pm
Connecting / airport transit inside PEK Beijing Capital
Aug 29, 2017, 9:16 pm
#511
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: LTN
Programs: Aeroflot Bonus, British Airways Executive Club
Posts: 463
Guess what happens if you miss a connection in Moscow that only has a 3x weekly flight.. at least in PEK you can go explore the city.
Bad stuff happens, getting a diversion happens round the globe.
Guess what happens if your flight is a bit late to land at most German airports? You'll be diverted to some regional 24hr open airport.. if you're unlucky (non-Schengen) you're "locked up" over night there.. won't happen in PEK. Does happen in FRA, MUC...
If you're flying on a "thin route", and really hitting all the unlucky spots, then yes, sometimes you just take the short straw. Doesn't have to do much with PEK, though. Flying int-int or int-dom via PEK never is an issue. Dom-Int, while I'd advise to get a longer layover, also never failed for me.
Delays and diversions are part of worlds flying. Nothing that PEK has exclusively booked. Flying this week through PEK, and MUCH more afraid of something going bad on my further connection in HKG due to their frequent typhoons..
Bad stuff happens, getting a diversion happens round the globe.
Guess what happens if your flight is a bit late to land at most German airports? You'll be diverted to some regional 24hr open airport.. if you're unlucky (non-Schengen) you're "locked up" over night there.. won't happen in PEK. Does happen in FRA, MUC...
If you're flying on a "thin route", and really hitting all the unlucky spots, then yes, sometimes you just take the short straw. Doesn't have to do much with PEK, though. Flying int-int or int-dom via PEK never is an issue. Dom-Int, while I'd advise to get a longer layover, also never failed for me.
Delays and diversions are part of worlds flying. Nothing that PEK has exclusively booked. Flying this week through PEK, and MUCH more afraid of something going bad on my further connection in HKG due to their frequent typhoons..
Although HKG - PEK is considered Int it shares airspace with dom routes which is prone to massive delays, and the airspace of PEK is saturated to the extent that a few hours of thunderstorm causes knock-on delays of domestic flights for a few days!
This does not happen on long-haul routes to Europe though.
Aug 31, 2017, 9:20 am
#513
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
Right - that flight is likely to be on time so long as it departs wherever on time. They let the long haul inbounds land. Indeed, the 90m transit is likely to be more because the flight to Chengdu inevitably will be delayed.
Oct 22, 2017, 6:12 pm
#516
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
Oct 28, 2017, 10:48 pm
#517
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: IAD
Programs: Delta AmEx Gold, United MileagePlus Explorer, Former Delta Silver Medallion & United Premier Silver
Posts: 121
Nov 20, 2017, 6:40 am
#518
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: Yes, I belong.
Posts: 361
I’m looking at a reward flight XIY-PEK-SIN in January. My preferred itinerary departs XIY at 1930 and gives me 2.5h to transfer at PEK. Both flights are with Air China and we’ll have checked luggage.
Is this a realistic time to transit DOM>>INTL? Also, what is the exit procedure?
The other option would be flying China Eastern XIY-HKG, departing at 1000, then having the reward flight start there, with a 4-5 hr layover at HKG. This would mean separate tickets with airlines not in the same alliance, which could mean trouble if there’s delays. Plus, I’d much prefer the extra 9 hours in XIY.
Thanks in advance!
Is this a realistic time to transit DOM>>INTL? Also, what is the exit procedure?
The other option would be flying China Eastern XIY-HKG, departing at 1000, then having the reward flight start there, with a 4-5 hr layover at HKG. This would mean separate tickets with airlines not in the same alliance, which could mean trouble if there’s delays. Plus, I’d much prefer the extra 9 hours in XIY.
Thanks in advance!
Nov 20, 2017, 12:59 pm
#519
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: Yes, I belong.
Posts: 361
I’m looking at a reward flight XIY-PEK-SIN in January. My preferred itinerary departs XIY at 1930 and gives me 2.5h to transfer at PEK. Both flights are with Air China and we’ll have checked luggage.
Is this a realistic time to transit DOM>>INTL? Also, what is the exit procedure?
The other option would be flying China Eastern XIY-HKG, departing at 1000, then having the reward flight start there, with a 4-5 hr layover at HKG. This would mean separate tickets with airlines not in the same alliance, which could mean trouble if there’s delays. Plus, I’d much prefer the extra 9 hours in XIY.
Thanks in advance!
Is this a realistic time to transit DOM>>INTL? Also, what is the exit procedure?
The other option would be flying China Eastern XIY-HKG, departing at 1000, then having the reward flight start there, with a 4-5 hr layover at HKG. This would mean separate tickets with airlines not in the same alliance, which could mean trouble if there’s delays. Plus, I’d much prefer the extra 9 hours in XIY.
Thanks in advance!
Nov 20, 2017, 2:24 pm
#520
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,454
Easy. You can do this connection.
For such connections there is a "shortcut" in PEK T3. Luggage will be checked through. I would say your chance of making this connection are well above 95%. I would do it myself
For such connections there is a "shortcut" in PEK T3. Luggage will be checked through. I would say your chance of making this connection are well above 95%. I would do it myself
Nov 20, 2017, 5:15 pm
#521
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
I am aware of the shortcut for international to international transits. Where is that domestic to international shortcut? How does it work?
Nov 21, 2017, 12:44 am
#523
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: Yes, I belong.
Posts: 361
If there isn’t one, I’m sure FT’ers would still like to know some DOM>>INTL transit times. If there’s a thread moderator, maybe they could post a wiki/sticky?
Nov 21, 2017, 6:23 pm
#524
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,454
When arriving domestic, just before you reach the baggage claim area there is a way inside the terminal clearly marked as "international transfer". It has a few requirements listed (luggage checked through or no luggage, already received BP (or can get it there)
I never had such dom-int connection in PEK, but I heard from first hand experience that it works well when on CA-CA connection.
Just as with the shortcut for baggage recheckin on INT-DOM it doesnt save you a lot of time, but makes life easier. Basically if they check your luggage through at point of departure, you are good for this in PEK.
Nov 21, 2017, 7:54 pm
#525
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
When arriving domestic, just before you reach the baggage claim area there is a way inside the terminal clearly marked as "international transfer". It has a few requirements listed (luggage checked through or no luggage, already received BP (or can get it there)
I never had such dom-int connection in PEK, but I heard from first hand experience that it works well when on CA-CA connection.
Just as with the shortcut for baggage recheckin on INT-DOM it doesnt save you a lot of time, but makes life easier. Basically if they check your luggage through at point of departure, you are good for this in PEK.
When arriving domestic, just before you reach the baggage claim area there is a way inside the terminal clearly marked as "international transfer". It has a few requirements listed (luggage checked through or no luggage, already received BP (or can get it there)
I never had such dom-int connection in PEK, but I heard from first hand experience that it works well when on CA-CA connection.
Just as with the shortcut for baggage recheckin on INT-DOM it doesnt save you a lot of time, but makes life easier. Basically if they check your luggage through at point of departure, you are good for this in PEK.