International flight beginner tutorial

Denis Lins
Aug 22, 2017 · 5 min read

I’ve recently flown internationally for the first time, as part of my relocation from Brazil to Canada. But no matter how much you prepare for it, there are still many hidden things that nobody tells you, and that’s not even counting the many things that can go wrong. In this post I’ll try to bridge this gap, so that you can worry less about your flight, and more about your trip.

Documentation

Do not forget to bring your travel documents. Here’s a list to help you:

  • Passport
  • Flight tickets
  • Hotel reservations
  • Any supporting travel documents

Money

Always bring a good international credit card with you, as well as a good amount of money that's accepted in your destination.

A credit card is good for emergencies, food and beverages. Also, you may have layovers in different countries, and they may not accept the money that you have. Remember to unlock your credit card to international charges before travelling, and keep in mind that international billings may incur additional taxes and/or fees.

Despite the credit card being more versatile, you should always bring some money with you. As well as the obvious reasons, the immigration officer may require you to have some money on you as a condition of your entrance.

Seats

It’s actually pretty simple: the middle seat sucks, the window seat sucks a bit less, and the aisle seat sucks the least.

I have only flown in economy, so that's kind of expected. However, the seats usually really aren’t that comfortable, and that can be annoying, especially in long flights.

You should always try to book an aisle seat. You can get up without bothering or waking up anyone, and it also has a bit more room for your legs, although you should be careful not to be in the way of people crossing the aisle. Be advised that aisle seats may be a bit more expensive.

Also, seats located on the wings are less affected by the movement of the plane, making them more comfortable and more suitable for people with motion sickness.

Check-in in advance

There’s usually no reason for not doing this. It saves you time and keeps you away from trouble. Some airlines will also provide a line just to dispatch bags for people who already checked-in.

Unless you absolutely can’t do it, make sure to check-in before going to the airport.

Arrive early to the airport

You’ll probably want to dispatch baggages, since it’s an international flight. Most international flights will close baggage dispatching an hour before the flight, so make sure you arrive at least half an hour before that to make sure you can dispatch yours.

You can probably get away being a bit late if you don’t have baggages to dispatch, but I can't confirm it. Also, if you haven’t checked-in yet, make sure to arrive even earlier, at least two hours before your flight, as the check-in also closes an hour before.

Unless you don’t have to dispatch baggages, I recommend you aiming to arrive to the airport 3 hours before your flight. This way, you can safely have a few setbacks and still board on time.

Remember: it's better to go duty free shopping with your spare time then to miss your flight.

Bring something to do

Chances are you’ll have some layovers or will have to wait for something at some point of your trip. Therefore, remember to bring something to do with you.

You can bring a book, download a movie into your computer/tablet/smartphone, sync some offline music to your phone, whatever. Also, don’t forget to put chargers in your carry-on. Most airports will have electric sockets available for people to charge their devices.

Luggage

You can usually dispatch two big bags, weighing 23 kg each. If you can, I’d recommend weighing your bags beforehand, since the fee for baggage overweight is usually very high. In my case, an American flight, it would cost me $100 to dispatch an extra bag, but $200 to dispatch an overweight bag.

You can usually also bring two carry-on items, such as bags and briefcases, and purses are not considered. If you do bring two, remember to stow one in the overhead bin, and put the other one below the seat in front of you.

Remember that there are limits to the size of both dispatched and carry-on bags, and that the baggage policy changes according to your airline and your flight, so I’d suggest you to confirm these. This information is usually easy to access in the airline’s website.

In general, unless you’re dispatching boxes or items different than travel bags, you shouldn't need to worry.

Layovers

Layovers are usually pretty simple. You’ll get off of the plane and follow the airports signs until you reach the immigration booth and after the departing area. Remember to always go to the direction stated in the “connection flights” sign if you come across an intersection, and when in doubt, go with the flow.

Also, remember that you and your carry-on will have to go through the x-ray again, and that it may delay you considerably, as there’s usually only one line for the entire terminal.

Baggage claim during a layover

Remember to always ask before departing from your home airport if you have to claim your bag during a layover. If you don’t, you’ll end up worried and lost, as I was. If you do have to claim your baggages, don’t forget to check them right after you land. Same reasoning as always: the sooner, the better.

Immigration

When arriving to your destination or during a layover in another country, you probably will have to go through immigration. Airports are designed to don’t let people get away from it, so if you ever feel lost, don’t worry: you’ll get there.

At immigration, unless you have a problem with your documentation, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. You’ll have to wait in some form of line, until it’s your turn. When that happens, just be calm, and let the officer drive the conversation. He/she will ask you for your documents, as well as some questions, of which you’ll have to answer honestly and clearly.

After going through immigration, just follow the signs until you arrive at the departing area, and then proceed to the x-rays.

Conclusion

This post is intended for first-time international travellers, and contain basic instructions designed to help them have a safe and enjoyable trip. I hope I achieved this with this post. I’m happy to help!

That said, I’m not an expert, and I shouldn’t be trusted like one. Any instructions in this post should take this into consideration.

If you believe you can add or correct something in this post, please leave a comment in here and I’ll update the post as soon as I can.

Happy travelling!

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