Asiana Airlines Beijing Review 2026: PEK Flight Guide

Flying Asiana Airlines to Beijing: My Honest Review

Airport Locations & How to Get to the City Center

❣️Find Discounted Flight Deals to Beijing Here!❣️

Hey there, fellow travelers!

I'm Nihao Lilly, your go-to Greater China travel blogger!

For this trip to Beijing, I flew with Asiana Airlines.

I departed from Incheon Airport (ICN) and landed at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK),

and for my return flight, I flew from Capital Airport back to Gimpo Airport (GMP).

So, how much do flights to Beijing cost?

Which is better: Capital Airport or Daxing Airport?

And what's the easiest way to get from the airport to the city center?

I'm breaking it all down based on my personal experience❣️

Tips for Choosing Your Beijing Airport Location

Beijing is served by two major international airports.

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK, 北京首都国际机场) and

Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX, 北京大兴国际机场).

If you're planning your first trip to Beijing,

you're probably wondering which one to choose.

Capital Airport is relatively close to downtown Beijing

and hosts a wide variety of major national carriers.

It's also known as Beijing Capital (or Shoudu) Airport,

and its airport code is PEK.

With great access to major sights like Wangfujing, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Sanlitun,

it's highly accessible to the downtown core,

making it the go-to choice for most tourists.

On the other hand, Daxing Airport is brand new,

so the facilities are incredibly modern and clean.

Designed by a world-renowned architect,

the terminal itself is a famous masterpiece!

However, since it's a bit further away from central Beijing,

Capital Airport felt much more convenient for a sightseeing-heavy trip.

I chose Capital Airport for this trip,

and I'd definitely choose it again for my next visit.

Beijing Flight Prices

I booked my flights early back in March.

Since it was before the fuel surcharge hikes,

I could find round-trip tickets from ~$160 to ~$205.

It was super affordable!

However, fuel surcharges have gone up quite a bit since then.

Searching for tickets during the peak travel season at the end of July,

prices were mostly in the range of ~$243 to ~$269.

Beijing flights are generally cheaper than those to Shanghai,

so it's a great destination to book without breaking the bank if you plan your dates early.

Beijing Flight Ticket Prices

Since flights to Beijing are always in high demand,

I highly recommend booking your tickets as soon as your travel dates are locked in.

I usually book my flights through Trip.com,

but this time around, Traveloka had some great flight deals and promotions,

and they actually turned out to be cheaper when I did a quick comparison.

Here's my personal tip:

I highly suggest comparing prices between both platforms to grab the best rate.

Beijing Flight Ticket Prices

👉🏻Check Beijing Flight Prices on Trip.com

👉🏻Beijing Flights - Check Prices on Traveloka

I ended up booking mine on Trip.com because they had the best rate.

My Asiana Airlines Flight Experience to Beijing

For this trip, I flew with Asiana Airlines.

My outbound flight was OZ333,

and the return flight was OZ3365.

Being a full-service carrier, they served an in-flight meal even though the flight was only 1 hour and 45 minutes.

However, the turbulence on the way there was so intense

that they had to clear our trays in just about 5 to 10 minutes.

The cabin crew kept apologizing profusely while clearing everything up—they had such a tough time.

But the turbulence was so wild that we completely understood why they had to hurry!

I departed from Incheon Airport and landed at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) Terminal 3,

and wow, the walking distance after landing was way longer than I expected.

Terminal 3 is absolutely massive,

so you actually have to take an intra-airport train

just to get to the immigration area.

First-timers might think they'll walk straight

into immigration right after stepping off the plane,

but in reality, you need to account for that train ride.

My flight was actually delayed that day,

so I landed a bit later than scheduled.

Add the train ride and the long wait

at immigration on top of that,

and it ended up draining my energy faster than I thought.

For my return trip, I flew from Capital Airport to Gimpo Airport,

and getting home from Gimpo was definitely so much easier than Incheon.

However, when departing from Capital Airport,

the whole process—from self luggage drop to security,

taking the train,

and heading to the boarding gate—takes quite a chunk of time.

Especially for Asiana... the gate was at the very end of the terminal,

so I had to walk forever.

Even though I was moving pretty fast,

40 minutes just flew by in the blink of an eye.

So if you're planning to fly out of Capital Airport,

I highly recommend arriving at least 3 hours before your flight.

Getting from Beijing Airport to Downtown

There are three main ways

to get from Beijing Airport to the city center.

✔️ Didi (Ride-hailing)

✔️ Airport Express Train

✔️ Private Airport Pickup

For this trip, I decided to book a private airport pickup.

Since I booked my flights through Trip.com,

they offered a bundle discount on the airport pickup service,

making the price incredibly reasonable.

To be honest, just navigating through the airport

and taking the shuttle train after landing had already drained quite a bit of my energy.

The thought of trying to locate the Didi pickup zone

or hunting down the Airport Express in a city I was visiting for the first time

felt a bit too overwhelming.

So, I went ahead and booked the airport pickup.

As soon as I walked out into the arrivals hall...

The driver was waiting for me holding a sign with my name on it,

and he had already tracked my flight status in case of any delays.

I didn't have to rush out or worry about contacting anyone,

which made the whole experience so stress-free and comfortable.

While DiDi is definitely the most budget-friendly option,

if it is your first time traveling to China

and you are not used to using Chinese apps, it can feel like a bit of a hurdle.

The airport train is also cheap,

but navigating it can be quite a hassle if you have heavy luggage.

On the other hand, with a private airport pickup,

all you need to do is meet your driver

and head straight to your accommodation,

making it by far the most convenient choice for your first trip to Beijing.

It’s especially recommended if you're traveling with parents

or arriving on a late-night flight.

I highly recommend booking a private transfer!

I'm officially the biggest fan of airport pickup services...

❣️Book Beijing Airport to Downtown Pickup Service❣️

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