Beijing Capital Airport

Beijing Capital is the worst airport. Staff non-helpful. To get connecting flights I had to go through security twice which had huge lines and slow service. Worst part - smog inside! I have never experienced air pollution inside a building before. It was dirty and run down and the experience made me never want to return.

16 Years traveling to Asia and Beijing Capital is the worst airport I have had the displeasure of experiencing. Stuck for 7 hours in this place. Had to go through 2 passport controls just for a transfer. Finally when you get to the other side it looks nice and modern and clean but first you discover it is nearly impossible to connect to their wifi. You have to give a bunch of info like phone number, ID etc. Then if you are lucky enough to connect it is very slow and soon dies and wants you to re-register. Useless. Tried to find and ATM finally asked at the info desk and was told no ATM. I go to currency exchange to change a little money so I can eat. Told their is a 60 yuan service charge. Then ripped off on the exchange rate and after $30USD got 124 yuan. Just barely enough for a cup of coffee 37, small pizza 74 yuan, exchange 60 yuan. Left me with about 14 yuan which could buy me nothing. So in the end 1 coffee and 1 small pizza = $30USD. The went off looking for a power supply so I could work on my laptop and of course nothing. On top of all of this it was feeezing inside. All the shop workers were wearing long long jackets with scarves to keep warm understandably so. With just a long sleeve shirt I had to do laps around the airport to try to stay warm. The coffee helped warm my hands a little and the pizza shop was heated. And the final kicker I go into the washroom and the attendant follows me in there. It stunk of cigarette smoke and he shows me a lighter in a gesture to ask me if I smoke. Never again will I step foot in Beijing airport.

Departures area was very clean and appeared to be well maintained, but that's where the good story ends. The board showing the flight number - check in counter number is a jumble that keeps jumping around and you're not entirely sure if you're going to the right counter until you actually find it. We almost headed to the opposite side of the terminal, but thankfully watched it a little longer and got the right counter. On our way there we were approached by a young man that wanted to "help" us find our way. They used to have these people in the old terminal and they would prey on people who hadn't quite figured it out for themselves yet. First they lead you astray and then extort you for money to get you back to where you should be, meanwhile you were probably pretty close to where you wanted to be already. Do not give these people a chance. If you do need help, try a uniformed security official or just try another check in counter. The actual check in counter area was basically a free for all. They have the barriers set up to steer people into a queue but it is largely ignored with passengers coming from every which way and just butting in wherever they please. The airline officials did absolutely nothing to get things organized or keep any kind of a flow going. A ridiculous mess. Security screening? Don't worry, they got lots of it. Problem is, it's about as efficient as the check in counters. Like another reviewer said, empty your pockets and dump anything that looks at all like anything electronic into the tray. Once through security, there's a bunch of duty free shops, but if you want something to eat or drink, you're better off doing that before you leave the city if you have the time as there isn't much to choose from. All in all, a terrible experience and I hope I can avoid the airport in the future. I would rather make my connections elsewhere even if it takes more time or more connections.

I flew through Beijing Airport while transiting to Shenyang to visit my relatives who live in China. The lines at Beijing are pretty horrendous, I was lucky to get to a short line because I am a Chinese citizen - the foreigner lines were ridiculously long. The signage in the terminal is decent but could be improved as the Chinese to English translations aren't the greatest. The terminal was completely clean as far as I could see, there were no obvious dirty spots anywhere. The seating in the terminal can again be described as average. The food and shopping selection was below average but there were nevertheless some choices. The staff were probably the worst thing at the airport, they spoke very rudely and were arrogant.

✅ Verified Review | Very poor facility, service, staff at Beijing Capital Airport. We arrived at 630am in morning and realized we had left something on the flight. We told the shuttle bus driver right away in hope of finding it ASAP. But along the way, we asked at least 8-10 people, most of them barked at us to move along to somewhere past customs. We get shuffled along, to the point of obtaining a temporary visa so we can get to the lost and found department at drop off area of the airport. The whole process took 2 hours because of line ups and getting the wrong directions. This is already 'fast' because I speak a little bit of Chinese, but I cannot imagine any foreign guests' frustration from navigating this place. This airport is built within the last decade, but is poorly designed and maintained. Charging stations only have 1-2 outlets each and so far apart, so my friends are sitting 20 feet apart trying to get our phones charged. Free wifi is advertised, but the login is complicated and doesn't work without asking for the access code. And the speed is ultra slow. Washroom stall doors says pulled but there is no handles. The hanging hooks says a max weight of 2kg (which I considered as little for travellers with bags). This airport seems very big, but for both of the transit flights I landed in the middle of nowhere and had to take the shuttle in the cold (this can be inconvenient for travellers going to hot countries and not prepared for this at all). As I waited for my next flights, at least half of the gates are empty so I don't understand why they can't land at these spots connected to the gates. The heating system is really bad inside. I'm sitting here for another 3 hours waiting for my connecting flight in my winter jackets and I can feel the chill down my back. Overall, if Beijing wants to be recognized internationally as a welcoming host and developed city, this has to be changed.

✅ Verified Review | Whereas Beijing is a beautiful airport, it can be a disaster if you have to be transiting, especially when you have to change terminals: in this case, you have to pass through the immigration, using a special lane in Terminal 3 for 72 hours transit visas. In my case, the queuing lasted 70 minutes, upon which a relatively unfriendly officer sent me back to get a confirmation for the airline as the ticket printout I had was not perfectly readable, so a loss of more than 2 hours in total. On the way back, in Terminal 2, I was lucky as the waiting was limited to 15 minutes. In any case, a short connection when changing terminals is unrealistic. Queuing for security in Terminal 3 is also quite chaotic, as they keep opening and closing lanes. Another problem when changing terminals is that you have to check in again and if you have a long waiting time, you have to wait for the counter to open, which means that, if you fly business, you cannot use the lounge long before the flight. In addition, there are practically no seats close to the check-in counters. I live in Thailand, must go regularly to Mongolia and I would advise anyone flying fro SE Asia to Mongolia to transit through Seoul. Tip: If you want to keep yourself amused, go to the Air China business lounge, and try to find a working socket; this will make your day.

✅ Verified Review | I transferred from KLM to China Eastern in Terminal 2 at Beijing Airport. Terminal 2 is quite old and is a bit of a shame for a capital airport. (T3 on the other hand is beautiful, modern and very representative for Beijing.) T2 is relatively compact making walking distances short. Queues at immigration where not very long and immigration process was quick. As at most Chinese airports, baggage needs to be reclaimed when passengers arrive on an international flight and continue on a connecting domestic flight. After passing customs, hold baggage needs to be checked-in again. Be aware, this entire process including immigration takes time. In case of short connecting times (2 hours or less), try to travel with hand luggage only. Check-in area is crowded and old-fashioned, alike the rest of the terminal. Queues at security were long, and space for unpacking and packing was limited. Airside F&B and retail is OK. Although the average rating of T2, I would recommend this airport especially when travelling through Air China's Terminal 3, which architecture is fantastic. I haven't visited T3, but I have seen the building's exterior and the interior pictures I have seen look great.

✅ Verified Review | At Beijing Capital airport, Business Class (and First Class) passengers don't have exclusive security checks, which are irretrievably stringent in the first place. Never mind even though I took an Air China flight, the cart driver refused to take me to the lounge, whose sockets are dysfunctional. Never mind the miserable food supply. Never mind the long walk to the gate and no separated passport checks. Welcome to PEK.

Pray you get terminal 3. Terminal 1 was around in the 1970s while terminal 2 was built in the 2000s - and I still can't tell them apart. For most international travel you will be using terminal 3 which is well designed and run if you are able to put up with the usual mainland China issues, departure gates can be a long walk from the train/passport control so you may need to run if in a hurry if not the retail areas are quite nice and you can get a drink and a bit of food without difficulty, though I would recommend eating after check in and before boarding the train as those restaurants are nicer.

✅ Verified Review | This airport is one of the worst I have encountered and I have flown more than 500 flights. The Transit is impossible to negotiate as they route you back through security before you can get on your next flight. The flights are never on time and the security services are not well trained, you literally run through the airport to try to make your connecting flight. I had a brand new FAA TSA Approved Powerbank removed from my checked in luggage. When I arrived in Johannesburg my bag was missing due to the above. What training do these luggage inspectors get to identify what items are prohibited in checkin luggage, my guess is they get no training, beware if you have a FAA TSA approved Powerbank. A really poor experience, I won't be back any time soon.