Preparing for Your International Flight

Each year, millions of people worldwide make the decision to travel out of the country — some for personal reasons, others for business. Whatever your reasons for flying, you will find that international flights are not like most domestic flights, and you will need to prepare for an international flight differently.

The first  step is to arrange your basic travel documents.  Surely you will need a passport,  which your government issues as your identification document.  Most countries will require that your passport is  still valid 6 or 7 months after you complete your trip.

Traveling to another country also may require you to have a visa to enter it.  Visa requirements vary depending on your nationality.  Don’t hesitate to ask your travel agent if in doubt.  Or search the country’s website, which will normally have a page for visa requirements.  If online visa application is available, go ahead, apply and request an interview schedule if this is required.  This act can save you a lot of commuting and waiting.  Take note of visa processing fees and if they have to be paid ahead of time.

Nationals from ASEAN member-countries are not required to get visas to get these countries — Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnamm and Burma (Myanmar).  But the same nationals will need to acquire a visa to travel to the USA ahead of time, sometimes 3 months ahead.  They too need visas to enter Japan, Korea and India.

Once your national identification and entry documents are being processed and assured, you can start start searching for your flight tickets and booking your accommodations. Don’t forget your airport shuttle arrangements, since not all hotels provide shuttle service.  Consider too any arrangements for visits to friends or relatives in the destination country, possible tours, as well as the oft-forgotten plan for meals.

Some people start packing weeks ahead of their planned international trip. Airport security rules will only allow you to bring small containers (30 oz) containers of drinks, shampoo, gels, medication, lotion, mouthwash in a 1-quart resealable sea-through bags.  (We recently discovered a company that supplies your favorite toiletry brands in these approved travel sizes. Order them at traveltoiletrykits.com and get them delivered to your home or destination hotel.)  It is also important to note that all explosive and flammable objects are completely banned from airplanes, including your checked baggage.

You will also need to know the actual check-in luggage allowance unless you’re openly willing to be charged for excess luggage.  Your online booking engine or airline should give you this information.  If not, feel free to ask.  Most airlines have lowered their baggage allowances, and will charge extra for the 2nd bag. Some airlines, like United, will charge $15 for even the first piece of checked-in bag.

Familiarize yourself with the items that are banned aboard an airplane in the United States, you should also familiarize yourself with the bans enforced in the country that you will be flying to. This is extremely important because not all areas of the world are the same.  Essentially, this may mean that although a certain item may be allowed in your carry-on luggage in the Untied States, it may not be in another country. To prevent a problem from arising with airport security, you are advised to examine the most commonly banned items, throughout the entire world. Here’s a good support article on these items.

Try to  familiarize yourself with the international airports in which you will be flying in and out of.  You may want to print  or request a map of each airport, as well as familiarize yourself with all airport screening procedures.  Although airport security is heightened all across the globe, even in domestic airports, you will find that the security at international airport is more intense.

The security measures taken at each airport will vary depending on the preference of the airport in question. Despite the fact that specific airports can add in their own precautionary measures, there are some rules that be must followed. These rules often involve the proper screening of all passengers and bags. Since this screening may take some time, you are advised to arrive at the airport as early as you possibly can. For international flights, it is advised that you arrive no latter than three hours before your flight is set to take off. In the event that a problem should arise, three hours should give you enough time to, hopefully, get the problem straightened out.

Keep the above points in mind, so you can successfully prepare for your next international vacation or business trip.  When it comes to international travel, nothing is more important than the proper planning.