A kinetic theory analysis is used to study the ultra-thin gas flow field in gas bearings. The Boltzmann equation simplified by a collision model is solved by means of a finite difference approximation with the discrete ordinate method. Calculations are made for flows inside micro-channels of backward-facing step, forward-facing step, and slider bearings. The results are compared well with those from the DSMC method. The present method does not suffer from statistical noise which is common in particle based methods and requires less computational effort.