Are you going on an international flight soon? It is exciting, especially if you don’t do it often. However, it also means that you will need more preparation; international flights are different from domestic ones and can be challenging if you’re not prepared.
There are many things that you would have to go through before you leave the country, from airport security to certain clearances. For most people, visas (or an ESTA) are also needed. Make sure to check your destination country’s requirements before booking your flight.
Keep the following things in mind while planning your trip to make the most out of your international flight.
Prepare for Flight Delays (or Cancellations!)
No one likes flight delays, but for one reason or another, be it bad weather or equipment failure, they could happen. However, you shouldn’t let a flight delay ruin your trip. Here are some ways that you can deal with these situations.
First, always get travel insurance. “But I’m only going for a week! What can happen in seven days?” A lot. Believe me, it’s always better to pay a little bit for travel insurance than have something happen to you on day 1 and spend thousands.
Second, when timing is crucial (for example, if you have connecting flights), check an airline’s on-time performance. Check historical data by flight number, and you can compare airlines or airports.
Third, you can also choose an earlier flight. While no one likes having to go to the airport at dawn, early flights aren’t affected by delays as much. This means it is much more likely to leave on time.
Finally, if your flight is affected, you might be eligible for compensation in certain situations like flight cancellations. In the European Union, for example, EU regulations state that you are eligible for monetary compensation if your flight is cancelled, even when you are provided an alternative flight. In the United States, other forms of compensation may be offered, such as hotel accommodations and ground transportation, travel vouchers, meal vouchers, and so on. Check out AirHelp if you qualify.
Find Cheaper Flights
Before booking your flight, check for cheap flights from other airlines. After all, who doesn’t want to save money on their travels if the opportunity presented itself? It can be done, but you have to know what to do.
For example, one of the biggest recommendations in budget travel is to avoid peak travel months. On average, the cheapest time of the year to fly in North America and Western Europe is usually January through May and September through early December. The more expensive times to fly are during holidays, like Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and mid-June through mid-August, for holiday and vacation purposes.
If you want to save money, you should also be willing to be flexible in certain regards. That means not having a particular date or time to travel, not paying for a seat, or even more extreme, not caring for the destination as long as it’s cheap to fly there.
You can use websites like Skyscanner and Google Flights to see the costs of flights worldwide from your closest airport. Search more than one date at a time as well because shifting the dates can alter prices. Make sure to use incognito search as well.
Consider Safety Hazards on International Flights
There are many safety hazards that you should be aware of when traveling on an international flight. One of the most common conditions that people suffer from on a long-haul flight is deep vein thrombosis.
DVT happens when blood flow is occluded in one area of the body. More specifically, this can affect your lower extremities. You are more susceptible to this when you are sitting down for extended periods of time. When the opportunity presents itself, get up and walk to keep the blood flow going.
Also, you should make sure that you have enough sleep so that your immune system is healthy. You can never assume the other passengers on the flight are all healthy, so take every effort to protect yourself.
Finally, Keep Documents Handy
You won’t be going anywhere without the proper documentation. Your passport should be on your person at all times, because you would need it leaving or arriving in a country.
Also make sure that you have the necessary visas, if you need it, as well as other supporting documents. Not having these on your person (e.g., hotel booking) may delay or even cancel your trip.
While you may not need all these preparations in order to have a good trip, keeping these things in mind will ensure you will have an enjoyable international flight.
When is your next international flight? Are you well prepared for it?
