PVG Terminal 2, PEK Terminal 3
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008Some photos of my trip from PVG to PEK to come back to the States.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) – Terminal 2
Airbus A330-200
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) – Terminal 3
Boeing 747-400 Combi
I was expecting Beijing Airport’s new Terminal 3 to be a lot more impressive. It was big, but that was it. All the stores were clumped into one area and there were only a couple cafes along the way to my gate. I didn’t get a good look at the outside, but I didn’t like the interior architecture and overall look.
I’m guessing they wanted to mix modernity (cool, muted colors) with a traditional Chinese color scheme (warm, saturated colors), but it all just turned out ugly. That’s what happens when designers aren’t given creative freedom. Also, they seriously needed to turn up the AC. The place was hot.
Pudong Airport’s new Terminal 2 (which I just realized opened on the same day as PEK’s Terminal 3) looked much better, at least from the inside. Again I didn’t get a good look at the outside. The check-in area was nothing special, but the halls to the flight gates felt very comfortable and had many stores along the way. It felt like SFO, actually.
By the way, to anyone who takes Airport Bus Line 1 to PVG, note that the bus stops at Terminal 1. Air China is at Terminal 2 so you’d need to take the shuttle that goes between the two. This can be a pain if you have a lot of luggage.
One last thing I want to mention: the lady at the PVG information desk who told me where to find the Terminal Shuttle spoke fluent English and was very friendly. When I left, she smiled and said “have a nice day,” and that actually did put me in a nice mood. Unfortunately the Air China lady at the check-in counter was a bitch. The flight crew was friendly though.
Anyway, some more pics below. Enjoy.