All quiet at Terminal 2

Poor old Terminal 2 at Beijing's Capital Airport.

It was relegated to second class status once the Norman Foster designed T3 opened in spring 2008 and all the major domestic and international airlines moved their services over to the shiny, new terminal.

T2 has become a terminal backwater. Serving a few domestic airlines and the slightly bizarre 'SkyTeam' alliance of KLM/Air France, Aeroflot, Delta, Korean Air and Alitalia and a host of lesser known carriers I feared the worst on a recent flight to Seoul.

But what a great surprise - the place is empty. Check-in, immigration and security in minutes. Walk to the gate..just a few steps. And on the way back I was off the plane and in the car in 15 minutes. Maybe the old terminal doesn't have the glitz and elegance of the new T3 but in terms of convenience - no contest.
another busy night at the restaurant

Beijing airport express

Beijing's airport express train line opened in early August. For 25RMB (2.5Euros) you can take the 30 minute journey from inside the airport to downtown and connect with the rest of Beijing's rapidly expanding subway system. It is one of three new subway lines opened in Beijing before the start of the Olympics.

Since the city terminal is only a 10 minute walk from our apartment we gave the train a go when we came back from London last month. All was smooth until we arrived at Dongzhimen station with three large suitcases and realised there were no lifts from the station concourse to street level. Questions to a staff member soon attracted a crowd of station staff, police and curious passers-by. Apparently there was a lift for disabled passengers but it only went up as far as a mezzanine level. Since we were not visibly disabled and, more importantly I think, it meant someone allowing us back through the ticket barrier - we couldn't use it. A kindly policeman offered to carry one of heavy bags up the stairs and eventually we made it home.

Surely no-one can design a airport train terminal without lift access?
Airport express train station at Beijing's new, Norman Foster designed, Terminal 3. The temperature under this glass canopy must have been 50C during August. It was like a sauna but with luggage.