havall

A few notes about my Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 transfer experience in Beijing (PEK). I was typing these notes as events were unfolding so I apologize for the somewhat unorganized nature of this "report."

Prior to getting to the airport in Pusan, I called both Korean Air and United, and both airlines confirmed that my bags will be interlined all the way through to Chicago. In Pusan, Korean Air issued my boarding passes for both PUS-PEK and PEK-ORD flights, and again assured me that my bags would be checked-in all the way through to Chicago (i.e., no need to pick them up in Terminal 2 and then re-check with United in Terminal 3 in Beijing).

As a side note, in PUS, I was not allowed to access Asiana's lounge (despite my *G status and a same-day Star Alliance boarding pass). I have no status with Korean Air, but I did get access to their lounge in PUS based on the purchased cabin. In any case, after experiencing both within the past few months, I have to say that Asiana's Pusan lounge is nicer and also better stocked, but the difference is not meaningful.

My flight from Pusan departed roughly on time (door closed at 7:55 am, pushed off the gate at 8:02 am; took off at 8:09 am) and landed in Beijing at 9:05 am. It took another 15 minutes to get to the gate and get the door open (luckily, no bus-from-plane-to-terminal transfer this time). (As usual, they did not have "blue" forms on the plane, only "yellow" forms, which made me think that I should stock up on a few of these in PEK for future transfers in China.) I was one of the first people to leave the plane, boarding passes and the e-ticket print out in hand, pacing to find that one presumably not very well marked place that would issue me my 24 hour transit stamp. Turns out that right at the end of the gate bridge there was a person wearing Air China tags holding UA850 signage...

The person rushed me to the International Transfer Service Counter that actually wasn't all that hard to find (I was there by 9:25 am, with one more person being helped at the desk, but two available attendands). At the desk, they seemed mostly concerned with my luggage tags. I stood there not really knowing what was going on for 30 minutes. There was literally no one else besides the two of us. The whole section of the terminal seemed dead. The desk is co-operated by Air China (handling Korean Air, Aeroflot, Air Koryo, IranAir, SaipanAir, Veietnam Airlines, AZAL, Jeju Air, PIA, Vladivostok Air, Garuda Indonesia, Swift Air, and American) and Beijing Aviation Ground Services Co. Ltd. (handling British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Air France, ST Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Hongkong Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Emirates, SriLankan, Philippines Airlines, Etihad, Delta, JAL, Air Astana, and El Al Isreal).

The other person was also trying to get to UA850 and was at the desk for an hour already by the time I showed up (allegedly), but did not have his United boarding pass, so they were trying to figure out how to get him one in Terminal 2. At around 9:55 am he became somewhat aggressive, swearing and taking pictures of everyone. Around that time, the desk people wrote out his boarding pass by hand on an empty Air China boarding pass stock and at 10:00 am, they decided that we won't be filling out any forms or getting any stamps but instead will get to use the airside transfer service. I still had to go through an empty but staffed side immigration area and a very strict security screening (I had to take out my spare contact lenses from the bag...). By 10:10 am we were on the airside bus from Terminal 2 directly to Terminal 3-E, by 10:22 am I was at T3-E, off the elevator, right under the T3-E first class lounge. I was at the lounge at 10:25 am. (Certainly not my favorite airline lounge in Asia, but works just fine. When I got to the lounge there was pretty much no food because breakfast ends at 10:30 and there is a break before lunch service...)

The PEK-ORD flight was on time, with boarding scheduled for 11:15 am.

The bottom line is that I was committed and at least somewhat prepared to make the "standard" Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 transfer, and with enough luck on my side, maybe I would actually be able to make it, but I never had to.

I used to connect in Beijing to Asiana flights, which are also in Terminal 3, but after schedule changes, only Korean Air flights work for me for same day connections. Similar story for connecting to Pusan through Shanghai. I can technically fly to Incheon directly from Chicago on Asiana, but that flight lands at 4 am and the connecting flights to Pusan are from Gimpo, which is a much longer ride than the Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 shuttle ride in Beijing (and taking KTX with checked-in luggage is also not ideal).

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments!

meducate

Hey all,

I have flown through PEK several times but only as a transfer point to CA within China when originating in the US.

If I am flying NKG-PEK-IAD with CA transferring to UA, will I need to pick up my luggage in PEK and then recheck it for the connecting flight to IAD, or does it go through directly to IAD?

Many thanks!

YuropFlyer

As much I'm aware, this is a connection that still requires pickup and recheck. But you'll see upon checkin in NKG. They'll tell you if it's to be picked up in PEK and rechecked, or if checked through. Or basically their computer will tell them what to tell you.

Enjoy NKG, a wonderful city!

meducate

Thanks! I am hoping that it can be checked through but as you say, you never know until you get there!

RockinRon

Transiting PEK for the first time this week and it sounds like we'll need to go from T3 to T2 to catch our Air China flight to Xi'an. We are coming in on UA 851 and the entire ticket is on 016 stock with the final leg being a codeshare. Does anyone know if we will need to take our luggage with us to T2 or will it be like transit in a US airport where we claim after customs and re-check immediately? Any help would be appreciated.

fumje

Are you sure you depart T2 from PEK? I believe it will be T3.

Assuming true, you will go through passport control in T3E, take the train to to the main terminal (two stops [ed. two 'stations', but one actual stop]), collect your bags, recheck them / get BP from transit desk if needed, go through transit security, and head back to T3D. It will be substantively similar to claiming / rechecking in the US, except for the setting.

RockinRon

I'm not sure which terminal we are departing from as I can't find solid information. I'm hoping the process is as easy as you describe. We've allocated a long layover to deal with possible delays on the inbound and the joys of transiting.

I appreciate the help!

*UPDATE*

As soon as I say this, I found the flight on Air China's site and it is T3. Sounds like we should have an "easy" connection - famous last words.

fumje

Note do not exit the baggage claim hall where most do, look for the transit passage (situated about 200 degrees / 8 o'clock from where you enter the hall). Not a huge deal if you do, but the security line will be longer.

dulcamara

I'm seeing good P fares RDU-HKG, but they connect via PEK. Can one get from UA to CA in two hours? Any recent experiences with this?

My understanding is that I do not need a visa to transit PEK. Is that right?

Kmxu

jsloan

Can you? Yes, they're both in the same terminal and you can bypass immigration.
If everything's on time, and the document check / security line isn't too bad, you have enough time.

PEK has some of the worst delays in the world. A quick perusal of the flight stats shows that SFO-PEK has actually been more-or-less on time for the last month; EWR-PEK has been more than an hour late three times this calendar month; IAD-PEK, one extended delay in the last month; ORD-PEK, three, including a diversion.

If you miss your connection, you're in a foreign country without a visa waiting for re-accommodation. How's your Mandarin?

Repooc17

Ni hao

krispykrme

sinoflyer

I agree with previous posters who say that outbound to HKG via PEK is usually ok with a 2 hour connection, because the PEK-HKG sector is the one more prone to delays. On the return trip to the U.S., however, if the only option is to connect in PEK, I'd be more comfortable with a cushion of 4 hours.

brp1264

Yes, it's do-able.

If you have a delay in the first flight, be prepared to be met by an agent that makes you run to the security check and then get to your gate for your next flight only to find out that one is delayed as well.