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Ahoy, mileage runners! (Incl. immediate turnarounds)

Old Jan 23, 2019, 9:42 am
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This Wikipost is community-maintained and For Information Only. Note that not all information may be up to date and should be used at your own risk.

Safe - Immediate turnaround is easy, i.e. according to experience it is possible to reach departure gate quickly and without extra security check when doing same plane turnaround.
Intermediate - Immediate turnaround is doable, but requires e.g. extra security check.
Risky - Immediate turnaround not recommended. (See notes.)

TO KEEP THE WIKI AS COHERENT AS POSSIBLE, PLEASE USE "SAFE", "INTERMEDIATE" OR "RISKY" APPROPRIATELY! (I.e. no "Safe" for stations that require any kind of security or transfer check, not to mention going landside, etc.)

Immediate turnaround information for European AY destinations:

ACE: ?
AGP: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.) Details here from August 2022
ALC: Intermediate, Arrivals pour from jetbridge to "funnel pathway" which takes people to baggage claim, but one can look for "Transfer" signage and take escalator up to the gate area. No checkpoints.
AMS: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
ARN: Safe / Intermediate (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate, except gate 62 arrival pours to baggage claim. ATR flights may be riskier if one ends up with a bus gate.)
ATH: Intermediate at best
AYT: ?
BCN: No direct turnarounds due to operated by IB.
BER: ?
BGO: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
BLL: ?
BMA: Safe (Transfer door is before going to the terminal exit and boarding will not start before the incoming plane is empty.)
BRU: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
BUD: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
CDG: ?
CFU: ?
CHQ: Risky (To landside first and security needed. Long lines possibile.)
CPH: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
CTA: ?
DBV: ?
DUB: ?
DUS: ?
EDI: ? (Security check required for sure.)
FCO: Intermediate / Risky. Bus transportation can cause long walks.
FNC: Intermediate (Exit via baggage claim and reclear security, but should be doable if you exit among the first from the inbound flight. Mobile BP not available, obtain a BP from HEL.)
FRA: Safe (Even with the bus from stand you can make it.)
FUE: ?
GDN: Risky (Providing it is ATR by Norra, apron position, walking / bussing to the arrivals, queue security (can be very long), sprint upstairs to the gate.)
GOT: Safe / Intermediate(At least on tube arrival, after exit from the tube to the terminal area, turn around and you are at the departure gate. No info on possible bus gates though.)
GVA: ?
GZP: ?
HAJ: Safe (Arrival at departure gate)
HAM: ?
HER: ?
IBZ: ?
INN: Intermediate / Risky (To landside first and then security. No airside transit.)
IVL: Safe, arrivals pour into the gate area.
JOE: Intermediate (Exit via baggage claim and reclear security, but should be doable if you exit among the first from the inbound flight.)
JSI: ?
JTR: ?
JYV: ?
KAJ: ?
KAO: ?
KEF: ?
KEM: ?
KGS: ?
KOK: ?
KRK: Intermediate (AY rarely has a jetty position so bus, arrivals then go upstairs to departures for security, there is a fast track for OW elites - not well signposted - separate B/Pass scanner to the left)
KTT: ?
KUO: Intermediate (Exit via baggage claim and reclear security, but should be doable if you exit among the first from the inbound flight.)
LHR: Intermediate (Need to go via Flight Connections to reclear security, which may take time depending on the time of the day.)
LIS: ?
LIN: Safe, arrivals pour into departures.
LJU: ?
LPA: ?
LYS: ?
MAD: No direct turnarounds due to operated by IB.
MAH: ?
MAN: Intermediate/Risky, requires reclearing security.
MHQ: ?
MSQ: ?
MUC: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
MXP: Intermediate / Risky (Arrivals come into a different floor, transfer requires walking through a transfer point and distances are quite long.)
NAP: ?
NCE: ?
OSL: Safe / Intermediate (D gates pours directly to departures. E gates also pours to departure gate, follow transit arrow, automatic gate door will open during "normal" hours. IF door doesn't open go upstairs try the transfer security. Very rare reports of stand arrival with bus to exit, but should still be doable, security is usually fast and short distances.)
OUL: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
PFO: ?
PMI: ?
PRG: Safe (From arrivals walk up to departures to departure gate.)
PVK: ?
RHO: Risky (Arrivals pour to baggage claim, security check usually has long lines before you get to the departure hall.)
RIX: Risky. After deplaning, you walk to the terminal, but boarding is done with buses. My flight was delayed, and they started boarding before the plane was even there.
RMI: ?
RVN: Intermediate (Exit via baggage claim and reclear security, but should be doable if you exit among the first from the inbound flight.)
SPU: ?
SZG: ?
TAY: ?
TFS: ?
TLL: Risky (May have a remote stand arrival, when departing flight has been boarded into a bus with boarding gate already closed.)
TLV: ?
TOS: ?
UME: ?
VAA: Intermediate (Exit via baggage claim and reclear security, but should be doable if you exit among the first from the inbound flight.)
VBY: ?
VCE: ?
VIE: Safe (Arrivals pour directly to departure gate.)
VNO: Risky. (Departing pax board bus when arriving pax still deplaning. Connection corridor available but not sure how straightforward it is).
VRN: ?
WAW: Safe (Arrivals pour to departure gate.)
ZRH: Safe (When exiting the bridge, you are under the gates and there are inclined speedwalks that bring back to the gates upstairs.)

Immediate turnaround information for selected longhaul AY destinations:

DEL: Intermediate (There's plenty of time for the obligatory visit to the transit desk and security. However, you'll need a self-printed visa confirmation to show the gate agent at HEL.)
DOH: ?
DXB: Intermediate (Follow "connections" to security downstairs and after that go to transfer desk if needed.)
JFK: Intermediate (Generous time with the new schedule, but you'll need to clear US immigration so ESTA or visa is needed.)
NRT: Intermediate (OLCI and mobile BP works, no need to go landside. There's transfer security, though.)
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Ahoy, mileage runners! (Incl. immediate turnarounds)

Old Apr 30, 2016, 4:28 am
  #346  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat, ALL Plat, Scandic L2
Posts: 3,620
AFAICT, there is plenty of availability throughout the next 11 months. It's easy to find on Google Flights. For fanciful routings, you can input manually into ITA and deep link to AA.com.

Or were you asking for a DO date?
Courmisch is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2016, 5:06 am
  #347  
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Originally Posted by Courmisch
AFAICT, there is plenty of availability throughout the next 11 months. It's easy to find on Google Flights. For fanciful routings, you can input manually into ITA and deep link to AA.com.

Or were you asking for a DO date?
No, dates for cheap flights to SFO. Already finding many interesting dates, thanks!
SPBanker is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 7:41 am
  #348  
 
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And they're all gone - have a great Vappu
Courmisch is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 12:44 pm
  #349  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Helsinki-Vantaa APT, Finland
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My May 1st march in DEL turned to May 1st-no-march-in-Vantaa.

Originally Posted by lkrt
No visa required, right?
Visa is required. So I was as a "no go" to Delhi.
OH-LGG is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 12:47 pm
  #350  
 
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Originally Posted by OH-LGG
My May 1st march in DEL turned to May 1st-no-march-in-Vantaa.



Visa is required. So I was as a "no go" to Delhi.
I thought India allowed a VOA?
kauppias is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 12:59 pm
  #351  
 
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VOA is nowadays e-visa and without that or Visa, AY does not allow entry.

AY's point of view is that you are going to India regardless what you do at DEL Airport.

Ok, that was ok and now handled, ticket was changed very professional way.

But during this case at the gate I had the worst customer service I ever received from AY:
Very unprofessional and rude gate agent told me to get lost. Nice way to threat your own loyal customer.
OH-LGG is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 1:03 pm
  #352  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Originally Posted by OH-LGG
VOA is nowadays e-visa and without that or Visa, AY does not allow entry.

AY's point of view is that you are going to India regardless what you do at DEL Airport.

Ok, that was ok and now handled, ticket was changed very professional way.

But during this case at the gate I had the worst customer service I ever received from AY:
Very unprofessional and rude gate agent told me to get lost. Nice way to threat your own loyal customer.

I have only had good service from AY from Kajaani and onboard! Gate agents once ripped my passport and just shrugged it off! AY customer service thought 5000ay points made this okay! 👎
kauppias is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 1:09 pm
  #353  
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Yes the visa on arrival (where Finns where among the very few nationals included) was removed. AY made a pretty big thing about it back then, both on the web site and in e-mail to travellers informing that visa requirements had changed.
Perhaps the unproffesional gate agent OH-LGG met was thinking about that and though he/she was enforcing this new rule toward what he/she thought was an ignorant customer.

However, if this is Finnair new policy, then every airside transfer is at risk. If Finnair policy is that they won't allow boarding unless you hold a visa for the country in which the Finnair flight ends, then they are surely f***ed up.

IATA travel service, which Finnair links to for Visa questions says airside transit is allowed without visa. Indian embassy says airside transit is allowed without visa.
intuition is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 1:37 pm
  #354  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Originally Posted by intuition
IATA travel service, which Finnair links to for Visa questions says airside transit is allowed without visa. Indian embassy says airside transit is allowed without visa.
I did a query on that IATA travel service and the result is somewhat in contradiction with TIMATIC. IATA tool gave an ok for Finnish passport on Finland-India-Finland transfer.

On the other hand, in TIMATIC TWOV has been determined as following:
Transit Without Visa (TWOV): Passing through an international transit area of the airport in order to board a connecting (or to proceed by the same) flight, without entering the country (i.e. clearing immigration).

Unless stated otherwise, passengers wishing to TWOV must:
- be en-route to a third country (e.g. itinerary TYO-LON-TYO is not considered TWOV);
esledo is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 2:09 pm
  #355  
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I was also given OK on the routing with the requirement "hold onward boarding pass" and stay airside T3.

Yes, generally "en-route to third country" could be argued.
However, if I understand OH-LGG right: Finnair gate agent claimed it doesn't matter if you are en-route to third country or not. They will deny boarding AY21 if you don't hold visa to India, regardless of further travelling.

"This plane goes to India, therefore you must have visa to india. Case closed".

Last edited by intuition; May 1, 2016 at 2:14 pm
intuition is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 10:39 pm
  #356  
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Oh damn...

Good to hear this since I'm going in two weeks. Guess I have to get a visa then.
lkrt is offline  
Old May 2, 2016, 9:48 am
  #357  
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I sincerely hope that AY knows the rules for Chinese 72-hr visa free transit. I'll go to the checkin desk at HEL in good time to discuss it!
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Old May 2, 2016, 10:15 am
  #358  
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They have accepted CN TWOV in the past. The big question is if they understand what an airside transit is.
intuition is offline  
Old May 2, 2016, 11:29 am
  #359  
 
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Just over a year ago I transited in DEL without visa just fine. That was with a connection to 3rd country though.
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Old May 2, 2016, 11:47 am
  #360  
 
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Finnair knows the Chinese TWOV very well, at least worked for me last November. It is useful to process it well in advance at the gate because it will take some time when they enter the data into the system and if you only start doing it while boarding then you will block the line and also have to wait a bit.

In China, they only approved me the amount of hours which was close to my real transit time - not the full 72 hours.
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