If it is the first time you will get on a plane, you need to read these international flights travel tips. On the other hand, if you already have experience travelling by plane, I will still share some tricks to help you save some money on your next trip.
However, do not forget that you can always enter the "Services" section of this website to find out, for example, about visa policies, you have to choose the country you will go to. Now, let's start this post by answering this question: what is the best way to book international flights?
Tips for booking international flights
Would you like to know what is the best way to book international flights? I am sure you do.
If you plan to travel outside your country, the first thing you look at is the price. Everyone has their way of looking for cheap flights. I also have my method and routine, which I will share with you if you do not know how to find cheap international flights.
Activate price alerts
Price alerts are a very useful tool that search engines offer you. You can activate it for the days and destination you want to fly to, and you get alerts when prices change. You save yourself from being constantly glued to the computer looking for prices.
Buy roundtrip flights separately
Sometimes it is cheaper to buy the round trip separately. You can buy each journey with whoever offers you the best prices.
Search engines usually give you combinations of several airlines when you do a round trip search. However, finding cheap flights in this way is more efficient if you search for each route separately.
Be flexible with your flight's dates and times
There are no better travel tips for international flights to finding cheap flights than to be flexible in your days and schedules. Travelling when everyone else does, on certain eve dates or during vacations, will inevitably force you to pay much more than if you travel before or after those dates.
Fly outside of the high season and if you don't have that flexibility, try to enter a margin of several days or even a week in your searches concerning your ideal travel dates. The one day difference can mean significant savings.
The same goes for the time. Flights at unpopular times, usually early or late, are cheaper because they are less in demand. It is up to you to assess the sacrifice involved in flying at these times with the savings you can get.
Consider alternative destinations
How to find cheap international flights? Well, if you do not have flexibility with the dates on which you can go on a trip, you may have no choice but to be flexible with your destination. To not go crazy looking for alternative destinations, several interesting tools can help you narrow your search—for example, Google flights, Skyscanner, etc.
Consider stop-over
If you are flexible with dates, times and destinations, you can also be flexible with the route, and you have the complete combo to get the best flight deals on the market. The price difference for some routes with direct flights can be big.
Some destinations allow you to make a one-day stop-over, achieving significant price reductions, allowing you to visit another city.
One of the most common routes is to fly to Southeast Asia from Europe through Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates. Sometimes spending a whole day in Dubai paying for a 4 star hotel plus the day's expenses is cheaper than making a stop-over of a few hours.
If you are going to fly to a distant destination, think very seriously about buying travel insurance for your vacation. A medical mishap can be very expensive. It is better to prevent and travel without worries.
When is the best time to book cheap flights?
The tips for international flights and travel that I can give you about when is the best time to book cheap flights is to first consider the destination you chose and the time of year.
The normal thing is that the sooner you buy the flight, the better prices you will have, although this does not always happen since prices fluctuate with supply and demand. However, here are more tips for booking international flights:
- The best time to buy cheap flights for domestic flights is usually 6 to 7 weeks before departure.
- The worst times are usually during the last week before the flight.
- It is best to buy them as far in advance as possible for international but short distance flights. Prices start to rise from 8 to 9 weeks before the flight.
- For international but long distance flights, the best time to get cheap flights is usually between 5 and 8 months before the flight.
Packing tips for international flights
Continuing with our international flights travel tips and tricks, now let's talk about packing.
To pack, the first thing you should do is evaluate the luggage type and select the best one depending on where you are going and how many days will be there. Also, keep in mind all the transport are you going to take, the season, etc.
Take note of these packing tips for international flights to know what to pack in your luggage and travel with peace of mind and safety.
Select the correct cloth
As I mentioned before, it is essential that after knowing the destination of your trip, you know how many days you will be on board, the season and investigate the place's climatic condition. Also, you should know what kind of activities you plan to do, for example, if you travel to the mountains to ski, or to the mountains in spring to do trekking, or maybe you will just go to an island with beautiful beaches to sit and enjoy the summer sun.
Once you have all that information, choose your clothes. Don't forget that comfort is very important, so place clothes on the bed to match. Do not forget your shoes, it is best to always have your trainers ready to walk without problems, and a pair of flip flops always comes in handy.
Electronic equipment
Nowadays, electronic equipment such as tablet, iPod, laptop, camera, and phones are part of our travel kit, so some international flights travel tips are that you do not forget to put their chargers in your suitcase. Also, is important to pay attention to your destination's plug. Still, my advice is to have an international adapter in your bag (just in case), and an external battery is always welcome.
To avoid any damage, the electronic things should be packed properly. Usually, all those elements are safer inside our handbag, but if all together, they are too heavy, you can add some equipment inside the hold suitcase, just pay attention to where and how you will place them. The best thing is to put them in the middle, on top of some clothes and then cover them with more clothes. In this way, the electronic staff will be protected.
Here we could also include headphones, front light, locks, etc.
Basic first-aid kit
An important international flights travel tips and tricks is to carry a small first-aid kit in case you feel bad along the way. If you have liquids in it, read the airline instructions carefully to determine how much liquid you can have in your hand bag. Otherwise, you can separate by placing analgesic, antihistamines, antibiotics for headaches or if you take specific medications, in your handbag and the rest such as mosquito spray, scissors, sun cream, moisturizer in case of sunburn, in the suitcase that will go in the luggage hold.
Also, remember to put the small liquid bottles (they should not be made of glass) and creams in a plastic container to avoid accidents. On the other hand, it will be a good idea to make a place for a small/medium-sized grooming kit containing a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, soap, alcohol gel, etc.
Money and documents
Definitely, you should carry your credit/debit cards. Anyway, it is always good to have some cash in your pockets, but only what is necessary, for example, to pay for the taxi from the airport to the hotel.
Also, you must verify the required documentation and have them to avoid problems when travelling. One of the best travel tips for international flights is placing the passport, ID card, flight tickets, etc., in one place. You can place them in a folder that should go in your handbag.
These international flights and travel tips will help you know what to bring in your travel suitcase. Now you just have to discover the best flight prices that suit your needs and pack your luggage. And have a nice trip!