YuropFlyer

As you're apparently (see your point 2) on two different tickets (otherwise, you will get your VN boarding pass on your UA checkin), interlining won't be possible. Pick up your luggage in T3, take the bus, checkin in T2 again.

Yes, printed eticket/confirmation will do. Quite some people won't have their boarding pass yet when on separate tickets. Especially as you can stay up to 96 hours in PEK "in transit". Don't worry about that.

Borderline crazy. No, actually totally crazy.

Please keep in mind what you'll have to do in those 2 hours: (expected possible time in minutes in brackets)
Get off the plane(2-10), walk to immigration (1-5), queue (hopefully not for you!) for TWOV procedure (0-20), take the train to main T3 arrivals (5-8), wait for luggage (2-20 - however should be close to 0 if there had been a delay before.. see later), walk down to bus level (5), take bus to T2 (15-25), go to checkin for VN (5)...

Now, given that you've to wait for your luggage, we can calculate the time pretty much accurate. Roughly 30min from airplane at the gate till you get the luggage, and roughly another 30min till you reach the VN counter in T2 (depending on how fast the bus is driving off, it's one every 10min during the day) - that means, you take 1 hour to get to the VN checkin.

VN checkin in PEK closes 50min before departure. That means you're cutting it VERY close, and any delay will make you miss your flight. And you're apparently unfamiliar with PEK..


As said above, every 10min during the day (or when it's full), comfortable ride, roughly 15min driving time, I've taken it plenty of times, nothing wrong with it.

PEK is fine for transferring, obviously changing Terminal is NOT very easy (but neither so at quite some big airports) but as long as you've a *A connection in T3 (or ST in T2) it's pretty good, best Chinese (mainland) airport to do so actually.

mh3265a

Thanks all who have posted. Forgot about the UA change in interlining bags. The flight is entirely on the same ticket so UA should interline the entire way through.

I will have the print out of my entire itinerary but hope for the online check-in just to be EXTRA safe.

Also seems the bus works but just need to be patient and it may be packed.

The key is that my EWR-PEK flight is on-time or I'm screwed.

Appreciate everyone's input. I'd change this itinerary but was up to the host of this trip so hoping for the best....

EmailKid

On the bright side, this is sCO flight, so your chances of being on time is much better than with sUA plane (ex ORD and SFO).

YuropFlyer

Well, with one ticket you'll be some-kind-of-protected (might still mean a 24-hrs stay in Beijing in case of missconnect) ... also, they'll most probably print your BP Ex-PEK already in EWR, so you CAN (and should) push ahead in PEK if there is a queue at the 72hrs transit desk if your plane is slightly delayed.

And, one more thing, with a valid BP (but you missing the cut off time of 50min at VN CI) and arrival, say 40min before departure at T2, I would just bring your big luggage with you through immigration and security check in T2 (again, push forward with your BP) - they will be able to put your checkin luggage somewhere in the plane.. it's not nice, it's not what you should do, but if they're selling you such a connection on one ticket, it's partly their fault if that's the outcome..

But again.. if all goes fine (ie, timely arrival) you should have roughly 10-15min to spare for the CI process..

Good luck

mh3265a

I hope you're kidding. UA #89 has been over an hour late most of this week. It was over 6 hours late yesterday.

I've had reliability issues on both pmCO and pmUA flights. EWR is always a hard place to connect b/c of delays but still hoping for the best.

I'm confused by this. Why would I need to bring my check-in luggage with me? Shouldn't the luggage be checked directly onto the VN?

YuropFlyer

Your luggage won't be checked through in PEK. So you'll have to pick it up (in T3) and bring it to VN (in T2) - their counter closes 50min before departure. You'll most probably have your boarding pass already. If you're slightly delayed, you'll not reach their counter 50min (or earlier) before departure, but have a boarding pass. You can therefore go for the gate, but with your checkin luggage. And make your flight (asking the GA/FA to store your luggage at CI/when boarding the plane) instead of spending 24 hours in PEK..

moondog

I've had to resort to this drill on several occasions... not pleasant, but it works. Just be advised that it's necessary to part ways with liquids than aren't in really small containers.

warakorn

Why bus?
The Beijing Metro (Airport) has direct rail connection between Terminal 3 and Terminal 2.

If you encounter a strict UA gate agent at EWR you may be denied boarding due to a missing China visa. You may apply for a 24/72 transit visa at PEK airport, however, you need to prove you have a flight leaving China within 24/72 hours. It will be hard to prove if it is clear in EWR (due to a delay) that you miss the VN flight. The chinese immigration agent most likely wont issue you the 24/72 transit visa, if the VN flight on the itinerary has left already or is closed.
I assume you do not have a China visa, since you wrote:

moondog

1. Taking the aex between terminals seems like a waste of y25 to me, given that is not appreciably faster than the free busses
2. China doesn't issue transit visas on arrival to many nationalities, but does offer visa free transit
3. Twov privileges are granted based on scheduled arrival/departure

mh3265a

I just re-read the United website and it says "Customers traveling to the U.S., China (except Beijing) and India, who are connecting to a domestic flight within any of those countries or to another international destination, must claim their luggage upon their arrival to the first port of entry and re-check it with the connecting airline."

I would seem that, at least, in Beijing my baggage should check all the way thru to the VN flight.

YuropFlyer

Full agree on the terminal transfer. Taking the Airport Express between the Terminals is pretty much the worst thing you can do. Just take the bus.

There is no risk about TWOV being "denied" in case your incoming flight was so late that you already missed your connection IF you're booked on one ticket. Now, IF you've booked two tickets, and your incoming flight is delayed, it might get interesting!

First of all, let's assume that you've booked an arrival at 3pm, departure at 7pm, transfer from T3 to T2 (ie, doable) - however, your incoming flight is delayed for 7 hours at it's origin, ie you'll clearly miss your flight Ex-PEK, and since it's two tickets, you won't have any kind of rebooking protection.

Would the authorities at your origin airport let you board the plane? If the Visa check is done at CI, and by then, the plane is still on time, you might be green lighted.. what would Chinese authorities do, if you show up at 10pm in PEK with a flight booking for 7pm? Let you in, tell you to rebook once landside? Or force you on the spot to book a valid ticket out of China within the TWOV period? Especially if your ticket Ex-PEK was non-flex, ie it's gone..

Might be interesting..

EmailKid

I've had issues with both as well, but when it comes to longhaul, sUA has left me stranded for a day so many times I've lost count

I've done much, much better with sCO. YMMV of course

mh3265a

Soooo, did the UA to VN transfer from Term 3 to Term 2 in PEK. A few observations that I wanted to follow-up on:

1 - If your bag is tagged all the way to HAN on VN you don't need to pick-up the baggage in PEK. It will transfer all the way through to the final flight. I got a lot of different answers on this point but all bags tagged to their final destination will transfer seamlessly on an international-to-international flight

2 - Had to get a 72 hour visa when I arrived in PEK. Tried to go thru the "transit" desk but they said I needed to fill out a 72 hour visa form

3 - I got lucky and had an additional 20 mins because our flight was ahead of schedule. But 2 hours is the BARE minimum needed to make this transfer work. Having to go out thru customs to get the bus to terminal 2 stinks and then to have go thru security and immigration in terminal 2 is no fun. Luckily terminal 2 isn't too busy around 2:30/3pm in the afternoon.

All in all not a bad experience but not one that I'd want to repeat. They really need to move that terminal 1-2 transfer bus inside security to help reduce transfer times. Makes no sense to go out and then come back into security area.

moondog

This bus already exists.

mh3265a

Really? Then how come I was not allowed to use the transfer desk to access that bus?