Western Mongolia - Mongolia - page 535

Korean Air ( in UB 011-317 100; www.koreanair.com )
MIAT ( in UB 011-333 999; www.miat.com ) Mongolia's national airline has brought its
safety practices for international flights to near-Western standards. Online booking is
available through its website. On international flights, MIAT allows 30kg of baggage for
business travellers and 20kg for economy travellers.
Turkish Airlines ( in UB 7585 9999; www.turkishairlines.com )
EN ROUTE TO MONGOLIA
Flying to Mongolia usually requires one or two stops en route and you are likely to
spend some time in either Bĕijīng International Airport (PEK) or South Korea's
Incheon International Airport (ICN). Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport
(SVO) and Istanbul's Ataturk Airport (IST) are possible stops if you are coming
from Europe. Here is what you need to know while in transit:
» Your luggage weight is determined by the airline with which you begin your jour-
ney, not any middle segment or final segment. So if you are flying from overseas it
doesn't matter that MIAT's baggage allowance is only 20kg; you can bring as much
as your original flight allows. This applies only if you check your baggage all the way
throughto Ulaanbaatar. If you pick up your luggage midway through the journey
you will be subject to luggage restrictions when you check in with MIAT or Air Ch-
ina.
» If you have an onward ticket, most nationalities can now stay in China for 72
hours without a visa. Luggage storage is available at the airport in Bĕijīng for about
Y30 per bag. Terminal 3 also has a tiny hotel on the arrivals level where you can
stay in between flights (rooms start from Y100 per hour). The airport is open all
night. A free shuttle bus connects Terminal 3 and Terminal 2. Free internet is avail-
able but to get a password you need to scan your passport at one of the machines
on the departure level.
» If you want to pop into Bĕijīng for a few hours, take the Airport Line light rail
(Y25), which runs every 15 minutes to Dongzhimen subway station.
» Incheon airport is amazingly transit-friendly. It has a comfortable lounge with big
sofas where you can sleep, free internet, free showers and even free city tours that
can last from two to six hours! The airport also has a hotel, see www.airport.kr for
details.
» When leaving Mongolia, if you are catching a connecting flight, you must be able
to show proof of your onward ticket at the counter in Ulaanbaatar and in Bĕijīng (so
have a print-out handy). If you cannot show an onward ticket and you have no visa
for China, you won't be allowed on the flight.