Lets Tallinn that again! Can you transit Helsinki airport in 20 minutes flat?
In this 200 Tier Point Adventure:
- 155 Tier points to go (because my mathematical skills are as bad as my grammatical skills)
- To the Heathrow area
- The Holiday Inn Ariel, London Heathrow
- To Heathrow, Revisiting the Cathay Pacific Lounge
- AY3126 London Heathrow to Helsinki in Business Class
- Can you transit Helsinki airport in 20 minutes flat?
- AY107 Helsinki to Tallinn
- Another walk around Tallinn… and an iPhone 7
- The Hotel Ülemiste
- Back to Tallinn Airport, Tallinn Airport Lounge
- AY118 Tallinn to Helsinki (ATR72-500)
- A quick visit to the Finnair Non-Schengen Lounges
- AY831 Helsinki to Heathrow in Business Class with an A350
- A Train adventure home
- Silver: Done.
If you ever look at the back of a Finnair boarding pass (as well as being cute on the outside), they have a recommendation of 49 minutes to transit between gates at Helsinki-Vantaa airport (Non-Schengen to Schengen).
Data: Finnair – https://www.finnair.com/fi/gb/information-services/at-the-airport/finnair-ticket-office-and-transfer-service-desks
If you’re getting lost in the airport, there’s a helpful map on the back of your boarding pass too!
Except in 30 minutes, our ATR would be loading up and heading out.
With the arriving A319 pulling into the furthermost Non-Schengen gate, that just made this battle a little tougher than it needed to.
Let’s go!
Thankfully, there were about six mileage runners on this flight connecting to Tallinn, so the chances of us not going were lower than normal.
Charging points? Check.
But that was no excuse to dawdle through the airport – it was a hurried rush to clear the airport.
Somewhere this direction.
Expensive Moomins are expensive.
For speed purposes, I knew the smart gates were probably not a good idea when entering the Schengen zone (with the state of my passport… nothing is really a good idea). Therefore, I cleared the Schengen Zone border using a manned booth.
Unsurprisingly, I passed all the other mileage runners who used the smart gates.
Sometimes, technology isn’t the fastest thing to use – a pair of human eyes are far quicker getting a thing done. Besides, I think Helsinki customs have probably seen more than their fair share of British passports with this bargain fare.
Down this way. Stat!
From there, it was through the Schengen waiting area, turn right and head down to the bottom, where the Finnair Gate 22 lounge is – passing all the duty-free shops on the way.
Art.
Sadly, with such little time this trip, there’s no time to review the lounge. You can find the review here if you have 45-minute transfer or more…
Turning for the gate area we thankfully made the gate with time to spare – as the gate agent was working out how to board an unaccompanied minor.
Annnnd breath.
It gave the tier point runners time to breath for a couple of minutes before our boarding passes were scanned.
With the scans, we headed downstairs to the bus loading area.
Almost time for the bus!
And it was good timing too – because five minutes later – the bus turned up to take us top the plane.
With everyone aboard (along with a few stragglers, the bus headed off to the Turboprop stands where the ATR72-500 was waiting for us.
Exiting the bus and heading for the waiting plane, I was all of a sudden glad that I had the foresight to have leggings on, as well as my tracksuit bottoms. That cold air blast – you could feel it.
Next: AY107 Helsinki to Tallinn.
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