Connection in HEL / recheck bags
 

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Arriving HEL on QR, then connecting on AY to AMS, two separate tickets. I will have checked bags. The scheduled ground time btwn flights is 2 hours. If QR is not able to combine both PNR's and check the bags all the way to AMS, I will need to recheck the bags in HEL.What will be the process in HEL after leaving the QR flight and getting the bags and recheck them on the AY flight? Will I need to go through immigration/customs, and essentially exit the airport to recheck in with AY? Or is there any method of remaining airside to get the bags and recheck them on AY? What are your thoughts on this ground time?

You'll go through immigration at HEL regardless since you're entering the Schengen area.

If you can get QR to interline the bag, you'll pass through immigration and can proceed to your onward gate. If you have to re-check, there's no way to do that airside--think about all the 102mL bottles and pairs of pliers that might be in your hold luggage :D Exiting customs, assuming you don't look interesting to the officers, consists of walking out a door with a "nothing to declare" sign. Then you're just another passenger checking in, then heading through security to the gate.

QR is willing to thru-check bags onto other Oneworld carriers when separate tickets are involved. QR is helpful in that way. And so I would just do online check-in for the AY flight to AMS and do passport control and security screening at HEL without going to baggage claim -- assuming your QR bag tag/claim check has HEL and AMS listed on it.

https://www.ausbt.com.au/qatar-airwa...-baggage-rules

If your hoping for AY to do the same as QR when connecting from AY onto QR using separate tickets, don't expect AY to be helpful -- mostly AY aren't.