Your First Flight Abroad: The Airport, Step By Step

Before you leave home

Carry the original passport. A photocopy does not get you in: the CISF passenger guide says a photocopy of an ID card is not accepted for entry at airports. Delhi Airport says international passengers must carry a passport and check the visa rules of the destination first. Our visa guides are the place to start. Keep the ticket on your phone and as a printout, whichever your airline asks for. (Source: Delhi Airport first time flyer guide, CISF passenger guide)

Web check-in saves a queue, but the rules differ by airline. Air India opens it 48 hours before departure and closes it 2 hours before, and it is not available for codeshare flights. For international flights it gives you a confirmation slip, not a boarding pass. You get the boarding pass at the airport counter after document checks. Check your own airline's page before you assume the same. (Source: Air India international check-in)

Packing rules that catch people out

• One cabin bag. Delhi Airport allows one handbag or cabin bag on board. The size and weight limit is on your ticket, so check it there.
• Liquids, gels and aerosols: containers of 100 ml or less, all inside one transparent resealable bag, 1,000 ml in total. Essential medicines and baby food are exceptions. Carry the prescription.
• Not in hand luggage: scissors and knives of any kind, including Swiss knives, per the government list on Delhi Airport's page. Nail clippers and nail files are allowed in both bags.
• Spare batteries and power banks: cabin bag only, never checked. Air India's page allows spare lithium-ion batteries up to 100 Wh (lithium-metal ones up to 2 g of lithium), no more than two spares per person, each protected against short circuits: in a plastic bag, with taped terminals, or in a protective case. Power banks and spare batteries cannot go in the overhead bin, and the DGCA has banned one model outright, the MOBIKINS MK-PB-04 power bank. Battery-powered wheelchairs follow separate rules that allow larger spares, so read your airline's page if a parent uses one. Airlines set their own limits, so read yours.
• Lighters and e-cigarettes: not in either bag. The government list on Delhi Airport's page bans both in cabin and checked baggage, and Air India's list says the same. Leave them at home.
• Coconut and ghee: the rules are narrower than they look. A whole coconut goes in checked baggage, not the cabin. Dried coconut (copra) and crushed dry coconut are banned outright. Ghee and cooking oil are allowed: in the cabin under the 100 ml liquids rule, and in checked bags up to 5 kg per passenger. That is Air India's restricted-items table, which matches the government list on Delhi Airport's page; other airlines can differ, so check yours.

(Source: Delhi Airport security and baggage rules, Air India restricted items)

Step 1: Reach the airport and enter the terminal

Aim for at least 3 hours before an international departure; IndiGo recommends 4 hours. Delhi Airport gives the reason: security and immigration take time. Only ticketed passengers are allowed into the terminal. Have your passport and ticket or boarding pass ready at the door. Delhi's departure page says entry opens up to 6 hours before an international flight. (Source: Delhi Airport departure check-in)

Step 2: Check in and drop your bags

Find your airline's counter, or use a self-service kiosk to print your boarding pass and bag tags. If you checked in online, go to the bag drop. Delhi also has self baggage drop. If you missed web check-in, Delhi says kiosks work up to 1 hour before departure. Do not rely on that. Counter closing times are the real deadline: Air India's are 60 minutes before departure at Indian airports and 75 at Delhi.

Step 3: Immigration, then security

At Delhi, international passengers clear immigration before security screening.

At security, put metal items, belts, bracelets and jackets in a blue tray. Phones, laptops, tablets and smartwatches go in separate trays. You may be asked to take your shoes off. They go in a red tray. Delhi says to keep chargers, headphones and glasses inside a tray or case so they do not slide around the scanner.

DigiYatra is useful, but not for this trip: Delhi Airport's page says it currently applies to domestic passengers only. Delhi also has fast-track lanes for Trusted Traveller Programme members, including Indian nationals and OCI cardholders.

Step 4: Gate and boarding

Check the gate on your boarding pass and the screens, because gates change. Do not wander far. The CISF guide puts it bluntly: the airline may leave without you if you miss the gate on time. Air India closes its boarding gate 20 minutes before departure, and IndiGo says 25.

Our advice

Put the passport and boarding pass in one pouch worn on the body, never in the bag you hand over. If a parent walks slowly, book help in advance. We wrote down how: wheelchair assistance at Indian airports. If you are still choosing when to go, read how to choose the month.

Want a founder to walk through the first trip with you? Message us on WhatsApp.

Quick questions

How early should we reach the airport for an international flight? Delhi Airport advises at least 3 hours before departure; some airlines recommend more (IndiGo says 4 hours for international), so follow your airline. Air India's counters close 60 minutes before departure at Indian airports, and 75 minutes at Delhi.

Can we check in online for an international flight? Usually yes, but it depends on the airline. Air India's web check-in runs from 48 hours to 2 hours before departure and gives a confirmation slip. The boarding pass comes at the airport counter after document checks.

What can't go in hand luggage? Per the government list on Delhi Airport's page: scissors and knives, Swiss knives included, must go in checked baggage, while nail clippers and nail files are allowed in the cabin. Liquids must be 100 ml or less per container, in one transparent resealable bag, 1,000 ml in total. Spare batteries and power banks go in the cabin bag, not checked luggage, within your airline's limits.

Is immigration before or after security? At Delhi Airport, international passengers clear immigration first, then security screening.

Is a photocopy of the passport enough at the terminal door? No. The CISF passenger guide says a photocopy of an ID card is not accepted for entry at airports. Carry the original.

Can my parents use DigiYatra on an international flight? Not at present at Delhi. The airport's page says DigiYatra currently applies to domestic passengers only.