International Air Travel Planning Council Bluffs IA

With all of the airline restrictions, terror alerts and travel warnings that have been issued in the last few years, even the thought of flying overseas can be a bit bewildering! The key to making your air travel as smooth as possible is to be thoroughly prepared before you step onto the plane. Here are some pointers to keep in mind as you plan for international air travel:

1. Planning your destination. When you're deciding when to travel, visit the U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings website. If the country to which you are planning to travel has a travel advisory or travel warning listed here, you may want to reschedule your trip for a time when conditions are not so volatile.
   
2. Buying your airline ticket. Once you've ensured that the country to which you are traveling is a safe destination, you'll need to purchase your airline tickets. Travel abroad can be very expensive, so you'll want to save money on your tickets if possible. There are several ways to get cheaper airline tickets. The first is to use an online service, such as Expedia or Priceline. Websites such as these provide discounted airline tickets, but they are usually completely nonrefundable fares. This means that the price of the tickets will not be refunded if you are unable to use them, even if you have a family emergency or are extremely ill. You also will not be allowed to exchange them for travel on another date. The exception is if the airline cancels the flight, in which case you will be rescheduled on the next available flight.
   
   Another option to consider if you're trying to save money is to fly coach-class, instead of business or first-class. Coach seats usually provide fewer amenities, such as no in-flight meals (they may be provided for an extra charge), no complimentary beverages beyond juice or soda, and no access to in-flight entertainment. Seats in coach are also smaller and closer together, so if you are taller than average, this may not be a good option for international travel, because some flights can last twelve hours or more.
   
   A final way to find less-expensive airline fares is to buy nonrefundable tickets, instead of refundable. Although they are called nonrefundable, changes are usually allowed. On Northwest and American, for example, you can change the date of travel and the outbound and inbound flight destinations, but not the name of the traveler. On Delta, you can change the date, routing or the traveler's name. Such changes on most airlines will cost about $200.
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Author: Tonya Sandersfeld