Flying with a toddler in the festival rush, from someone who works the airport side

quiet_sketch_71023 Sept 2026

Not a toddler parent any more (mine is 10 and swims more than she walks), but I've worked ground operations at Kochi airport for years and we move to Hyderabad early next year, so I've been reading here. The festival rush is about to start and every year I watch the same struggles at the counter, so here's what I'd tell a friend. 1. Check in online, but still come early. The queue that takes the time is security, not check-in. 2. Ask at check-in whether your stroller can go to the aircraft door. Policies differ by airline, so ask, don't assume. 3. Keep one small bag with everything for the first two hours: snacks, a change of clothes, wipes, one new toy. The big bag will be in the overhead locker exactly when you need it. 4. Most airports have a baby care room near the gates. Ask any staff member, we're happy to point. 5. If your child is melting down in a queue, tell the staff. Nobody can promise anything, but we would rather know. Happy to answer questions about the airport side. I can't speak for every airline.

5 comments

violet_compass_36023 Sept 2026
On point 2, when the stroller is taken at the aircraft door, do you usually get it back at the door when you land, or at the baggage belt? We lost twenty minutes at the belt once with a sleeping 2 year old on my shoulder.
- hazel_veranda_85103 Sept 2026
  It varies. Ours came back at the door on one flight and at the belt on the return with the same airline, so I now ask at check-in each time and plan for the belt.
pebble_piano_23133 Sept 2026
Thank you, this is very useful. We fly to Chennai for a family function in October with our little one and my older daughter. My worry is the bus from the terminal to the plane. Last time he screamed for that whole ride. Is there any way to avoid the bus, or is that decided by the airline?
moss_sketch_94353 Sept 2026
Snacks. More than you think. Ours ate the full box before boarding lol
amber_spoon_4123 Sept 2026
security tray with two kids, a stroller and a laptop was our worst 10 minutes ever. now one parent goes through first and the other hands everything over
citrus_hammock_46183 Sept 2026
Lovely of you to share this. When ours was small we mostly took the overnight train for family trips, Hyderabad to Tirupati and to Chennai. He slept, we slept, nobody had to fold a stroller in a hurry. Not possible for every trip, but for some routes the train really is the easier option.
- maple_harbor_814 Sept 2026
  Train is what we also do. My son is 5 and has autism, airport announcements and long lines are very hard for him. Does Hyderabad airport have any help or separate line for children like him? I didn't know whom to ask.