Asiana Airlines Beijing Review 2026: PEK Airport Guide
Discover everything you need to know about flying Asiana Airlines to Beijing in 2026, choosing between PEK and PKX, and booking hassle-free city transfers.
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Discover everything you need to know about flying Asiana Airlines to Beijing in 2026, choosing between PEK and PKX, and booking hassle-free city transfers.
Asiana Airlines Beijing Flight Review
Airport Guide & City Transfers
❣️Check Beijing Flight Discounts Here❣️
Hello, fellow travelers!
I'm Lily, a travel blogger with a passion for exploring the Greater China region.
For my latest trip to Beijing, I flew with Asiana Airlines,
departing from Seoul Incheon (ICN) and arriving at Beijing Capital Airport (PEK),
and returning from Beijing Capital to Seoul Gimpo (GMP).
Today, I'm sharing my real, firsthand experiences covering:
How much flights to Beijing cost right now,
Which airport is better: Capital or Daxing,
and the most stress-free ways to get from the airport to downtown Beijing! ❣️
What You'll Find in This Guide ✔️ Tips for Choosing Your Beijing Airport ✔️ Current Beijing Flight Prices ✔️ Asiana Airlines Flight Review ✔️ Beijing Airport to City Transfers |
Beijing is currently served by two major international airports.
These are Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
and the newer Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX).
If you're planning your first trip to Beijing,
you might be wondering which one to fly into.
Capital Airport (PEK) is much closer to the heart of Beijing
and hosts a wider variety of international legacy carriers.
Often referred to as "Shoudu" Airport locally,
you'll recognize it by the airport code PEK.
Because it offers excellent proximity to major tourist hubs
like Wangfujing, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Sanlitun,
it remains the go-to choice for most international tourists.
On the flip side, Daxing Airport (PKX) is a massive, newly built facility.
The amenities are incredibly modern and pristine,
and the terminal itself, designed by world-renowned architects,
is famous simply as a stunning piece of modern architecture.
However, because it's situated quite a bit further from downtown Beijing,
I personally found Capital Airport to be vastly more convenient for a sightseeing-focused itinerary.
I flew into Capital Airport for this trip,
and honestly, I'd choose it again without hesitation for my next visit.
I booked my flights well in advance back in March.
At that time, before recent fuel surcharge hikes,
I was able to snag round-trip tickets
for anywhere between ~$190 to ~$250.
However, fuel surcharges have crept up recently.
Checking prices for the late July 2026 peak season,
most fares are hovering around the ~$290 to ~$320 range.
Still, flights to Beijing are generally more affordable than flying into Shanghai,
making it a great city to lock in as soon as your travel dates are set.
Since demand for the Beijing route is consistently high,
I highly recommend booking your tickets the moment your itinerary is confirmed.
I usually use Trip.com for my flight bookings,
but I recently noticed Traveloka running some great flight promos,
so it's definitely worth cross-checking for better deals.
Here are the links I use
to compare prices between the two platforms.
Check Beijing Flight Discounts Here
👉🏻Beijing Flights - Compare on Trip.com
👉🏻Beijing Flights - Compare on Traveloka
I ultimately found the best price on Trip.com
and booked my tickets there.
For this adventure, I flew with Asiana Airlines.
My outbound flight was OZ333,
and my return flight was OZ3365.
As expected from a full-service carrier, despite the short 1-hour and 45-minute flight time,
an in-flight meal was served.
However, we hit some incredibly rough turbulence along the way,
so the flight attendants had to collect the trays within just 5 to 10 minutes.
They were so apologetic and worked incredibly hard to clear everything safely.
The turbulence was so intense, you really couldn't blame them!
We departed from Incheon and landed at Beijing Capital T3.
Be warned: the walking distance upon arrival is surprisingly long.
Capital Airport's Terminal 3 is absolutely massive,
meaning you have to catch an internal airport transit train
just to get to the immigration hall.
If it's your first time flying into PEK,
you might expect to hit immigration right after stepping off the plane,
but you definitely need to factor in the extra time for the train ride.
My flight that day was actually delayed,
so I arrived at the airport a bit later than planned.
Add the train transfer
and the wait at immigration on top of that,
and I was feeling pretty drained by the time I got out.
For my return trip, I flew from Capital Airport to Gimpo Airport,
which made heading home much easier than landing at Incheon.
However, departing from Capital Airport is a process.
Between the self bag drop,
clearing security,
taking the transit train again,
and navigating to the concourse, it takes much longer than you'd expect.
Asiana's boarding gate was located at the absolute far end of the terminal,
so it was a very, very long walk.
Even though I was walking at a brisk pace,
40 minutes flew by just getting from security to the gate.
Because of this, if you're departing from Capital Airport,
I strongly recommend arriving at least 3 hours before your flight.
There are three main ways to get from Beijing Airport to downtown:
✔️ DiDi (Ride-hailing)
✔️ Airport Express Train
✔️ Private Airport Pickup
For this trip, I opted to book a private airport pickup service.
Since I booked my flights through Trip.com,
I was able to apply a discount to the airport transfer,
making the price surprisingly reasonable.
Honestly, right after landing,
I was already pretty exhausted just from the long walk and train ride inside the terminal.
The thought of navigating a new city,
hunting down the designated DiDi pickup zone,
or dragging my bags to the Airport Express
just felt like too much of a hassle.
So, I went the easy route and booked a private transfer.
As soon as I walked out into the arrivals hall,
my driver was waiting right there holding a sign with my name.
He had already tracked my flight and knew about the delay.
I didn't have to worry about rushing or trying to contact anyone,
which gave me incredible peace of mind.
While DiDi might be the cheapest option,
if it's your first time in China,
the barrier to entry for using local Chinese apps can be a bit high.
And while the Airport Express is budget-friendly,
it can be incredibly cumbersome if you're traveling with heavy luggage.
With a private airport pickup,
you simply meet your driver
and get whisked straight to your hotel door.
If it's your first time visiting Beijing, I truly believe it's the most comfortable choice.
I especially recommend a private transfer
if you're traveling with older parents
or arriving on a late-night flight.
I've basically become the unofficial spokesperson for airport pickups at this point...
❣️Book Your Beijing Airport to City Private Transfer Here❣️
Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) is closer to central Beijing and has many national airline routes, offering good accessibility to major tourist attractions such as Wangfujing and the Forbidden City. Daxing Airport has clean facilities, but it is further from the city center, so Capital Airport is mentioned as more convenient for tourism-focused trips.
When booked in March before the fuel surcharge increase, prices were in the mid-~$160s to early ~$200s. As of late July, due to the fuel surcharge increase, many prices are in the late ~$250s to early ~$270s.
The departure process at Capital Airport takes a long time, including self-bag drop, security check, train transfer, and moving to the boarding concourse. Asiana's boarding gate is at the far end, so even moving quite quickly, it can take about 40 minutes. Therefore, arriving at the airport at least 3 hours in advance is recommended.
There are three ways to get from Capital Airport to the city center: DiDi, Airport Express, and airport pickup service. For first-time Beijing travelers, those traveling with parents, or those arriving on a night flight, an airport pickup service where a driver waits with a sign is recommended as the most comfortable option.
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