Berlin, a city that emphasizes both culture and creativity, is not only a paradise for backpackers, but also an ideal destination for parent-child family travel. However, for many families, traveling with strollers, toys, spare clothes, snacks and emergency medicines, luggage has become the biggest challenge. Don’t worry! Choosing the right route and airline can make your family travel easy and orderly.
Ⅰ. Why is the choice of flight for family travel particularly important?
Family travel vs. solo travel: very different needs
Unlike solo backpackers, family travel often means carrying a lot of items, such as strollers, safety seats, diaper bags, and even light kitchen tools. Choosing a route that allows more luggage allowance, stable flight range, and considerate service is a homework that every parent must do well.
Direct flights first: reduce travel uncertainty
Transfers mean dragging children and large and small bags between airports, which greatly increases fatigue and emergencies. If possible, give priority to direct flights, and secondly consider transfer flights with reasonable transfer time and good service support.
Ⅱ. Recommended airlines: Traveling with children is no longer a challenge
1. Lufthansa
Flight features: As the national airline of Germany, Lufthansa offers multiple routes to Berlin, with two hub cities in Munich and Frankfurt. There are many flight time options and high punctuality, which is suitable for families to arrange flexible itineraries.
Family-friendly services: There is a “Family Check-In” counter to facilitate parents to check in quickly; the aircraft is equipped with a children’s entertainment system, small gifts are given, and some routes provide baby baskets.
Baggage policy: Economy class passengers can check in 1 piece of 23kg luggage, and infants and children can carry an additional stroller and 1 piece of checked luggage.
Recommended group: Families who are traveling abroad with their children for the first time and need more luggage allowance.
Booking platform suggestions: Trip.com provides a Chinese interface, which is suitable for domestic family users; KAYAK is suitable for comparing multiple airline combination tickets.
2. Emirates
Flight features: Need to transfer in Dubai. Although it is not a direct flight, the transfer facilities are excellent. Dubai Airport has a baby room, a children’s playground, and a fast lane.
Family-friendly service: There is “children’s priority boarding”. The plane is equipped with baby baskets, children’s headphones, interactive entertainment systems, and exclusive children’s meals.
Baggage policy: Economy class passengers can check in 2 pieces of 23kg luggage for free, and babies can check in 10kg of additional luggage, which is very suitable for families with a lot of luggage.
Recommended group: mid-to-high-end family travelers who value service quality and have a relatively abundant budget.
Booking platform recommendation: Kiwi.com supports combination ticket booking, and can flexibly choose different airlines for departure/return, which is suitable for long-distance travel combinations.
3. Turkish Airlines
Flight features: Transfer in Istanbul, the flight price is relatively affordable. The transfer service is complete, with childcare services and temporary accommodation arrangements.
Family-friendly service: Children’s entertainment facilities are complete, and baby baskets, small toys and independent meals are provided.
Baggage policy: 30kg baggage allowance in economy class; children can bring an additional stroller and one checked item.
Recommended for: Families with multiple children who value cost-effectiveness, suitable for users with limited budgets but need more luggage space.
Booking platform suggestions: eDreams often offers bundled packages and flight discounts, suitable for travelers who plan ahead.
4. Finnair
Flight features: Representative of Scandinavian airlines, connecting from Helsinki to Berlin, short connection time, comfortable aircraft, and gentle service.
Family-friendly service: Provides quiet areas, suitable for families traveling with small babies; children’s meals and entertainment facilities are relatively complete.
Baggage policy: Economy class checked baggage 23kg, infant additional baggage 10kg, children can bring a stroller.
Recommended for: Families with preschoolers who like the Nordic transit experience.
Booking platform suggestions: Use Trip.com’s one-stop package ticketing and baggage check-in insurance to facilitate Chinese communication.
3. Flight plan selection: Where is the most convenient place to start?
Family travel requires comfort and efficiency. Here are several preferred flight plans from major cities in Asia and Europe, suitable for reference by travelers with children:
From China:
Beijing, Shanghai and other first-tier cities have many direct flights or efficient transfer flights. It is recommended to choose Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi, Emirates Airline via Dubai, or choose Finnair to transfer to Berlin via Helsinki. All three have good family services and transfer efficiency, and you can choose to stay in the Middle East or Northern Europe for a short tour.
From Hong Kong/Singapore:
Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways are the first choice. Not only are the flights reasonable, but the transfer airports have complete parent-child facilities. For example, Dubai Airport has a parent-child rest area and amusement area, which are very suitable for transition and relaxation during long-distance flights.
From other European cities:
If the itinerary spans multiple European countries, you can choose Swiss Airlines (from Zurich) or Austrian Airlines (from Vienna) to Berlin. The flight segments are short and the service is excellent, which is suitable for arranging short-distance family island-hopping tours.
4. Practical booking platform recommendation: price comparison, package, Chinese service all in one place
Trip.com (Ctrip International):
The interface supports Chinese operation, one-stop integration of flights, hotels, and insurance, and flexible payment methods, especially suitable for family users who are taking their children abroad for the first time.
KAYAK:
It focuses on global flight price comparison services, and can view multiple airline combinations and baggage policies. It is suitable for family travelers who are flexible in time and willing to save money through price comparison.
Kiwi.com:
It is good at multi-stage transfer flight combinations, and comes with a “transfer protection” function. If you miss the subsequent flight due to delays in the previous stage, you will be compensated and replaced by a flight. It is the first choice for high-cost long-distance travel.
eDreams:
It often launches flight + hotel package discounts, and you can add discount codes when booking tickets on the official website. It is suitable for parent-child trips that plan early and pursue cost-effectiveness.
V. Insurance and luggage protection: key links that cannot be ignored
Flight delay and cancellation insurance: escort for the trip
For family travelers with children, flight delays or cancellations often have a chain effect, such as missed connections, messed up accommodation time, etc. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to choose travel insurance that covers flight delays and cancellations to ensure that you can get reasonable compensation and emergency support in case of emergencies. This type of insurance can generally be purchased when buying tickets, or it can be purchased separately. The earlier you plan, the more reassured you will be.
Baggage delay and loss protection: guaranteed at critical moments
Family travels with a lot of luggage, especially if the checked luggage contains baby products or special items, it will be extremely inconvenient if there is a delay or loss. It is recommended to choose an insurance plan that covers baggage delay or loss. Some insurances also provide temporary living subsidies and reimbursement of purchasing expenses, which can effectively alleviate temporary difficulties.
Recommended insurance providers: one-stop peace of mind
Currently, international travel insurance providers with good reputations include Allianz Travel, AXA Assistance and AIG Travel Guard. Users can check the additional insurance service when booking air tickets through the official website or third-party platforms such as Ctrip, Skyscanner, KAYAK, etc., saving time and worry.
VI. Summary of recommended groups and selection suggestions
Focus on comfortable experience: Recommended service-oriented airlines
For family travelers who value flight quality, Emirates and Finnair are the best choices. Both not only have spacious seats and rich entertainment systems, but also provide thoughtful services such as children’s meals and baby baskets, making long-distance flights easy and enjoyable.
Pursuing cost-effectiveness: a choice that is friendly to checked luggage
If you have a limited budget but a lot of luggage, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa are ideal choices. Both usually have a more generous baggage allowance and cover a wide range of routes, which are suitable for family users who travel with children and need to carry a lot of luggage.
Flexible itinerary arrangement: price comparison platform has an advantage
Users who like flexible arrangements can check the best routes of different airlines through Kiwi or KAYAK combination tickets. Even with multiple transfers, they can ensure smooth connections and reasonable prices.
Whether departing from Asia or Europe, as long as you choose the right airline and platform, traveling with children can be easy.
A successful family trip starts with a smooth takeoff. Choosing parent-child friendly airlines, reasonably planning luggage and insurance, and making good use of the advantages of various booking platforms can free you from the anxiety of “dragging luggage around” and truly enjoy the joy of taking your children to see the world.
Don’t hesitate anymore, leave your luggage to the service, leave your peace of mind to the route, take your family from the sky, and welcome the wonderful journey to Berlin!
