When I Travel The World

I have the return flight booked on BA from TLL-LHR which departs at 9.35PM and arrives into LHR at 22:40.

The BA flight to TLL leaves at 15:50 and arrives into TLL at 20:45.

Does anyone know if a same day turn would be possible and I could catch the same aircraft home ? Or would it take forever to clear immigration and make it back for the flight.

I would not be checking any luggage or anything.

bhbloke

Very easy in TLL as long as you get a proper gate.

Even if a bus to the terminal it's still simple enough.

When I Travel The World

Once I land do I need to clear immigration and go back through security or do I just go to the next gate ? Thanks for the help.

bhbloke

You shouldn't need to do any Passport or Security as you'll be at the end of the terminal where the non-schengen flights arrive.

As I've only arrived from Schengen countries, I'll let someone else confirm for sure.

corporate-wage-slave

There is a security check at TLL if non Schengen. It's a bit like Oslo, the arrival stream is on the upper floor, but there is a route down to non Schengen departures via this security check, which thereby avoids passports, not that is a big deal there. As with Oslo, I'm not entirely sure whether it will be staffed at that hour. Alternatively you can return airside after clearing Schengen and then security. The lounges are in Schengen, however. It's a very small airport, it will be do-able, and if on time or early a swift lounge visit will be possible. There are e-gates which can be used by EEA citizens with biometric passports.

When I Travel The World

Ok great news, so if that route to schengen departures is open it will be super quick, if its not open I just need to go through passport control very quickly and then security again and make my way back to the plane, depending on how early we arrived.

I look on their website and found this info also

Passengers have to go through passport control when arriving from or travelling to a country that is not a member of the Schengen Area (e.g. Egypt, Great Britain, Turkey, Russia etc.). Passport control is conducted by the Police and Border Guard Board. As of 2013, in addition to the regular border control, Tallinn Airport also uses an automated border control system. The latter can be used by passengers who are citizens of EU Member States or Schengen Visa Countries, are at least 15 years old, and hold a valid ePassport.

layz

Has it been confirmed whether the direct LHR-TLL will be 40 or 80 TP? Last time I checked the calculator it was showing 40 TP for CE but perhaps this was an error or does the distance come under a particular threshold despite being very close to HEL?

KARFA

Still showing as 40 TP. There is no defined threshold for short haul +. LHR-HEL is 80 but there is a joint business agreement with AY for that route which I think feeds in to TP earnings.

Valgamaa

The upper floor is where the border control is, and there is no way to any of the gates without passing through passport control. Once through there you can take the connections path back to the lower floor of gates without going through normal security, but this isn't always operational (presumably only for 'official' connections). Without this the only route is onwards to baggage claim and the exit.
Once on the lower floor you will then need to go through border control again to get to the non-Schengen gates.
I would anticipate needing to leave arrivals and return through security as I have rarely seen the transfer route open, if ever.
Two hours is till plenty to take the long route. Only in peak Summer does security take more than a few minutes, but do take the EU queues for passport control on arrival, even if the queue is longer - they are processed much faster so avoid the 'All Passports' booths as there tend to be lots of non-EU travelers on flights from London.

KARFA

Just to note, the OP has 50 minutes (well actually less than that since doors close 10-15 minutes before departure), and not 2 hours.

Valgamaa

Well spotted, I misread the OP, and saw 20.45 and 22.40 while typing my replay, making the wrong assumptions.
Given 50 minutes I wouldn't expect the connection to work at all, and I use the airport several times a week and exactly where I'm going.

KARFA

No problem. It was a little confusing how it was laid out in the original post and I had to re-read it a few times. I thought I better mention it in case it impacted on your advice - and it seems it does.

corporate-wage-slave

Can I dig a bit more into this? I certainly don't use the airport several times a week but I do know that if I'm one of the first off the aircraft then I'm landside within a few minutes. TLL is a small airport, it's only 250 metres long, so bearing in mind there is no baggage involved here, I would normally put this in the "very good" category for Back to Back. I haven't seen the transfer station staffed either, but there is a telephone on the ledge by the wall, so a bit like ARN or OSL I suspect you can get cleared there after waiting for the security staff to come around, but even walking to arrivals and back again is scarcely going to take 10 minutes. BA, unlike the LCC, need at least 25 minutes to turn an aircraft around.

Valgamaa

Sure, if you are coming from a Schengen country you can get through the airport very quickly indeed. If you come from the UK then there is no avoiding the border control, and that is a lottery. If you are first off the plane and first at passport control then your timing is correct, but if you aren't? I have spent 30 mins getting through passport control when there are lots of non-EU passport holders (Google 'Grey passport') and only a couple of boths open.
Add-in the fact that the plane may not be exactly on time, the need to complete boarding in advance of departure, and the timing looks rather tight. If it was a flight from/to Stockholm or Helsinki then I wouldn't hesitate. If it was over an hour then maybe, but if I really wanted to get home then not. You may be a bigger risk-taker, but there is no guarantee that this would work so it would be irresponsible to recommend this.

corporate-wage-slave

I think it's fair to say that the whole art of back to back travel is indeed an exercise in risk management, but thank you for reverting back with these comments, it allows people to make informed judgements.