Originally Posted by
Vahan Hovhannisyan
Does anyone here have experience with SOF-LHR-HEL-JFK trip with an overnight stay in HEL and a visa requirement to enter Schengen and USA? I'd like to learn about online check-in experience - were you able to check-in for any of these segments online? If not, were you able to get the visa checked in LHR before an immediate turnaround in SOF? Does BA require a visa check before check-in for a Sofia to Schengen/Finland trip?
I have read stories in other threads, but none seem to have had a visa requirement (only covid doc checks, which seem to be "hackable" in the app). I also didn't see any stories when they failed to check-in and missed the flight. Does this ever happen?
Assuming it's a single ticket BA will check all your documents at the port of departure. Before pandemic it used to be possible to get docs checked before attempting b2b - not sure how it works now, but I'd assume it should be possible. Remember, if you have no visa/right to enter the country where you attempting to do the b2b, BA won't let you board the plane - back to back is seen as a trip there, even if you just want to do an immediate turnaround at the gate. Since you're asking about Schengen visa, I'm assuming you don't hold UK/EU passport.
When transferring at HEL from LHR to JFK there's no need to enter Schengen - you'll stay in the non-Schengen part of the terminal.