How to Book a Ticket for an International Flight

Is Buying an International Flight Ticket the Same as a Domestic Flight?

There’s no need to feel nervous about buying a plane ticket for an international flight. The process is exactly the same as buying a ticket for a domestic flight.

However, there are some steps you can take that may help you score a better price on your ticket or which may result in a better itinerary for your international vacation.

If you read almost any article about buying plane tickets, one of the most common pieces of advice is making sure that you clear your cache each time you search online for your tickets.

Many people believe that flight search websites like Google Flights will track you and show you higher prices, once the algorithm notices that you’re searching for a particular flight.

The search engine knows you need the ticket, so they might as well make as much money off you as possible, or so the thinking goes. It’s actually just a myth. You can visit other websites and usually notice that the ticket is the same price everywhere, unless one website or another has as ale going on.

The most important thing to remember here is that it’s not the algorithms or cookies that might get you the lowest price. It’s the comparison shopping and searching you’ll do. Let’s discuss some of the steps you’ll want to take when researching, deciding on, and purchasing your ticket for your international vacation.

(note: some of the links here are to websites with which I am an affiliate, and your purchases help fund my website!)

The Best Place to Buy an International Ticket

In the distant past, one of the only options for buying a plane ticket was walking up to the ticket counter at the airport. Another option was using the services of a travel agent.

Interestingly, many airlines actually charge you extra when you show up to the airport without a ticket. They definitely want you to buy your ticket online and without any help from one of their customer service agents, because it’s cheaper for the airline.

In virtually all cases, using the internet is the best way to buy an international ticket. You’ll either purchase your ticket from a large website like Expedia, which allows you to search for tickets from many airlines simultaneously, or you’ll make a purchase directly on the airline’s official website.

Some of these aggregate websites (the ones where you can perform one search and get many different listings) will actually have you click through to the airline’s website anyway, after you make your choice.

If you’re wondering whether it’s better to search on an airline’s website or via a group site, the answer isn’t one or the other. If you’re looking for a steal of a deal, the best option is to search everywhere. That awesome premium economy rate might show up on one site but not another, for reasons that are anybody’s guess.

One thing to remember is that not all aggregate websites actually pick up flights from all airlines. Southwest Airlines is notorious for keeping their flight data available only through their official website. Some websites will have options to click through to Southwest’s website, but you won’t really find any deals on Southwest without visiting their website directly.

After performing some research, you may find yourself settling on one or two particular airlines. You may even become familiar with their flight schedule after searching for a few weeks to get information on the average price for your tickets.

When it comes to the “best” way to search for an international ticket, “more is better,” and you should always check out at least a handful of different sites, just to see if there are any differences out there or deals offered by a particular website.

Are There Specific Days of the Week When Tickets are Cheaper Than Other Days?

Evidence suggests that booking flights on Sunday usually leads to the best prices and that flying on Wednesday also means getting the lowest fares, on average.

However, it’s tough to arrange an entire vacation based on the need to travel on Wednesday. If you’re absolutely and fiercely interested in saving money everywhere you can, from saving money on food to saving money on flights, you may want to arrange your trip to align with Wednesday travel.

However, don’t book your flights before you look at the rest of your costs, too. A vacation is much more than just flights, and you’ll encounter costs for everything you do, from guided tours and activities to food and ground transportation.

One reason you might want to look into flying on the weekend, even if the cost is slightly higher than a Wednesday, has to do with the number of tourists in a given area.

Consider that if you’re flying internationally, and it takes you a day or more to reach your destination (where you might even “lose” a day due to the international dateline) that flying on Wednesday might mean you don’t reach your destination until Friday.

When you arrive on Friday, you’ll probably want to engage in some light tourist activities, but nothing too stressful. What you’ll end up experiencing here though is a Saturday and Sunday where you might encounter a ton of tourists.

Is saving money on an airline flight that departs Wednesday worth having to book activities on a weekend? If you’ve already put together a likely itinerary, do some research on the number of tourists you might see in a particular area.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what day you arrive. You’re going to encounter tons of tourists because it’s high season or the location is just super popular.

However, if you can manage it leaving on a Saturday, or even a Sunday, means you can enjoy much of the start of your vacation on weekdays where tourist activity might not be too significant.

Explore Domestic Airports at Your Destination

Don’t just focus on the international flights you’ll need to get from your home country to your destination. Also consider the option to take short domestic flights between the cities you’re visiting.

Obviously, it depends on the size of the country you’re visiting and whether you’re visiting more than one country or just a single country, but the small domestic flights or “puddle jumpers” can get you from point A to point B at an incredibly affordable rate.

When I traveled to Colombia, we visited three major cities: Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena. We could have taken a bus between each of these locations, or we could have even driven I suppose, but it turns out the easiest way to travel to these major sites around the country was by airplane.

The domestic flights we took were quite affordable and offered by little regional airlines. Just remember to make sure you buy your luggage allowance, too, if you checked bags on your main flights. Remember, too, that sometimes little airlines don’t even have enough room for overhead bags, so you might end up checking your bags anyway.

As you explore the domestic airports throughout the country, don’t forget to look at the flights from your home country to those cities. When I booked our trip to Vietnam, I originally had us flying into Hanoi, but I eventually switched things up and had us fly into Ho Chi Min City instead.

After we landed, we then took small planes from Ho Chi Min to Da Nang, and then to Hanoi a few days later (and then to Cambodia at the end). You may find that flying into an alternative city gives you more options for your itinerary, as well as timelines that are more amenable to the activities you want to enjoy.

Don’t Forget Your Visa, Passport, Or Other Authorization Documents

It’s safe to say you’ll definitely need a passport when you travel internationally, but don’t forget that you might need a visa, too.

Sometimes, you can’t even book activities, get flights, or secure hotel rooms without confirmation that you have a visa, so the process of getting one should start as soon as you know your dates. Visas are normally granted for a specific period of time, and sometimes you need to provide the exact dates you’ll remain in the country.

Remember, too, that you might not qualify for a “visa on arrival,” depending on the country you’re visiting. Sometimes, you can get your visa when you land, but usually, the ticket counter at your home airport won’t even let you on the plane if you don’t already have a visa.

If you fail to get your visa before you leave, there are some companies that will help you get a visa when you land. However, relying on these companies means paying a hefty fee to get the process done instantaneously.

The most affordable option will always be to apply for the visa as early as you can, just in case there are any hang-ups or lengthy approval timelines.

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