How To: Fly Internationally with a Mission

1. Money 

- Plan for at least $15 per airport meal 

In America & Australia, so logically speaking most first-world countries, it is going to be hard to find a good meal to eat that is not at LEAST $15 USD. Knowing this will help you to prepare for expenses getting to the country outside of just the flight itself. Or, are you planning on purchasing snacks and drinks on the plane or in the airport between meals? Most airlines will allow you to take food with you, and internationally the package needs to be sealed if it is supposed to make it through customs. 

- Plan for more than the flights will cost

We can always have a budget for what flights cost, but that does not mean that we will find them at that price that we want them to be, especially if you wait too long before you purchase your ticket, such as a month before your leave or less, the price might change drastically. Normally there is a ballpark range of what could be expected for ticket costs, and to be on the safe side it is always wise to prepare for the more expensive end of the cost. 

- Plan for monthly expenses

When you are considering what to budget, think about the expenses that you are coming in contact with once you are in the country you plan on staying in. What does the cost of living look like? Will you be eating out daily? Are you driving (so vehicle and gas expenses)? Are you planning to purchase souvenirs for others? Are you paying for health insurance or other monthly expenses that you would still have if you were at home? On my trip I chose to still pay for my Spotify Premium plans, especially because with risky internet I heavily relied on the music that I had downloaded to keep me sane. These are all areas of finances that need to be considered before the trip is finalized. 

- Plan for the unexpected 

It is vital to have a supply of money, probably at least a few hundred, in a bank account that knows you are traveling internationally that you can tap into in case something happens. 

2. Before You Fly 

- Passport

If you have not gotten your passport yet, that is probably one of the first pieces of information that is vital to you getting from America to any other country, especially via plane. 

- Visas

Often, you will need at least a visitor visa to enter many countries. Check before you leave on what this looks like. Be aware, you will need a visa for each country you are in- even if you are in the airport, it is a good idea to get a visa. I contacted my organization to help me with this, and they were a great help. You will need to send your passport to an embassy so they can get it certified in your passport before you leave. However, some countries like Australia have an app you can download to set up a visitor visa. I was able to do that all from home a few days before I left. 

- Immunizations 

Some organizations or countries will not let you go into the country until you are up-to-date on your immunization. While still in your country, get that taken care of. Preferably a month or so before you leave. Quick care centers like Minute Clinic in CVS can give these cares to you. It helps if you have health insurance. 

- Bank Account

Let your bank know that you are flying outside of the country for the amount of time that you do. Even if you are using a debit card, not a credit card, they are likely going to identify your card as hacked if you purchase anything in the foreign country. Also let them know any other countries you will travel through- banks don't always make the connection on their own. 

- Ride from Airport (& Ride to the Airport)

Once you arrive, how will you get to where you will spend the night? Do you have a contact who is ready to pick you up? Do you have your hotel reservations already? 

3. Flights 

- What Websites? 

Kiwi.com or Google Flights are great websites to look at what prices are reasonable to expect, and what routes are probably going to be recommended to you. However, they are probably not the best prices to choose.

- Use a 3rd Party Source 

I used Expedia Cruises & my consultant had about a $200 rate for what I owed her. She helped me get flights that were at least a thousand dollars cheaper than if I did it myself, I am sure, so paying her $200 for her trouble was 100% worth it! 

- Download the Apps 

You will probably want to download the apps to make sure that you have the ability to sign in 24 hours before your flight takes off.  

- Consider Flight Insurance

Do you want to pay for travel insurance? Do you want to make sure that you are taken care of or your things are taken care of if you are traveling internationally? When I did so the missions organization, I went with required me to have something, and I am so thankful they did. I was able to pay about $70 for a month's worth of travel insurance through a 3rd party source via a quick Google search & reading the Ts&Cs before agreeing and signing. I did not need to use it, but it was so good to have. I also chose to get covered about a week longer than I was planning to be gone, just in case. 

4. Day of Travelling 

- What to Have Within Reach 

For sure make sure that you have your passport in reach. Make sure you have a pocket where you always keep it and make sure that it is close to you and not easy to be stolen. I normally have a purse that has inside pockets, and I like to keep it in there. My dad has got me hooked on carrying a binder with information in international airports as well. This binder contains maps of all of the airports I will go through, and whenever possible highlighted areas and arrows drawn to guide me where I need to go. 

- What Information to Know

KNOW YOUR AIRLINES. Are you flying Delta? American? Virgin Australia? Air Canada? Know the airlines you are taking. They will have their own letter code, and their logo should be by the gate that you need to go to. It will also help to have their mobile app downloaded on your phone if you have room. This will allow you to check in early, and it will notify you about gate or baggage claim numbers when those matter and are decided. 

KNOW YOUR BAGS. There are many bags that look similar. It helps to have a specific color tag that you have on your bag to help you easily identify it. Or chose a bag that not many people have: something with a ton of patterns. I had a purple and blue duffle bag that I placed a specific red handmade bracelet on, so I knew it was mine. However, I NEVER saw a bag like mine on my trip, even though I know I bought it from a store that was selling more than one of its kind. 

KNOW THE WEIGHTS. This is especially important to know when you are thinking about buying souvenirs to add to your bag, or when you switch between kgs and lbs. For example, on one flight I was allowed 50 lbs, but then on the next I was allowed 15 kgs. What did that mean for me? I did the math- I knew I needed to have less than 15 kgs, because if I had less than 15 kgs of course I had less than 50 lbs. Now, having too much weight has never been an issue for me in the past. If this is something that you are concerned of running into, know the different airline's policies for heavy bags. Oftentimes you can be charged $30-$50 more per bag even if you are a pound over. This happened to my sister once, and she was able to take out one item and put it into her carry-on, but that will not always work. 

KNOW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. You need to keep your passport on you at all times. That is one of the most important documents, if not THE most important document when you are traveling internationally. I was told to carry my social security card on me as I travelled internationally. I did, and I never needed it, but it was good to know that I had two pieces of identification on me during my time overseas. 

KNOW YOUR CONTACTS. If you are going to meet up with people in this other country, it helps to know names and contact information. If you find yourself in the country but unable to go through border crossing or unable to find your bags, or unable to call a taxi- or many other situations, knowing who to contact is vital information. This was something that I had recorded on the papers that I kept in my binder. I never needed to us it, but that is the point of being proactive in choices like this. It is better to be overprepared in this example. 

- What Information to Pay Attention To 

Pay attention to signs that tell you about gates. These will be posted all over the airports, normally in logical locations. If you miss one, that is okay; there are so many of them all around. If you know your next destination and your airline at all times, this will help you easily find the gate you need. You don't have to have the flight code memorized, but that would be helpful. The flight code information should be on your ticket as well, so you should carry that information with you. When you check in for your first flight, the gate should already be on your ticket. 

- What Time Goals Should You Have

Whenever possible, it is good to be at the gate at least half an hour before the plane leaves- that is normally when boarding begins. This means that you should want to have your bags checked at least an hour before your plane takes off- they often close the baggage drop off for your flight a hour from takeoff. If you make it an hour or so before your flight, and are able to drop off your bags, walking through the security should not take more than 15 minutes unless there is a long line of people flying that day. Talk to people who have travelled the same route to hear what they say about the population or airport traffic at said specific locations. 

4. Other

- Phone Plans

Remember, the phone plan that you are on in American only reaches the towers in America. Research before you go into another country what it takes to get a sim card and a new plan there. If you have a phone that has e-sim that is going to come in handy, but I was able to manage without. I went to Australia and Papua New Guinea, so the Australian airport (which is all where I stayed in country on this trip) had a daily rate that I could tap into, and the Papua New Guinea had a Digicel (one of the main phone plan companies) store inside the airport as soon as I arrived. I took the time to switch sim cards in the store, and then I was good to go once I loaded the sim card for the time I was in country. I don't know all countries policies and systems, but a Google search or asking the people who are in country where you are going, are going to be handy resources while you are planning your trip. 

- Currency/Exchange Rates

How much is the money you carry in your wallet worth in the country you are trying to enter into? Are there places that you can get this exchanged easily? You normally can do so in most international airports, but they normally have a high price you have to pay to use their services. Do you want to enter the country with some of their currency in your possession? Look into ways to do so, maybe even before you get to the airport. 

- What to Pack

There are two main categories of what to pack for a trip like this: your carry on and your suitcase. I will address them separately. 

--- CARRY ON: 

Obviously pack your passport. Most places will allow you to take two bags- a 'carry on' and a 'personal item' they call them. Most computer bags are the size of the personal item that they are referring to, and most carry-ons are the size of small suitcases that could fit in an oversized bin- not too much bigger than a backpack. As a child I always took a drawstring bag and it fit as a personal item, but I never had a carry on. This was especially helpful because I was responsible for carrying my stuff, so if little 10-year-old me was in charge of two small bags I'd get grumpy really easily. As an adult, I did not want to risk my computer being squished by other bags that they just throw around in my suitcase, so I kept my purse that held my computer as my 'personal item' on me. I also chose to take a backpack as my 'carry on' with a change of clothes (especially because of the culture change in-between destinations on this flight), my binder full of airport and flight information, room for my empty water bottle, earbuds, chargers, etc. I know that I easily could have managed with just my carry on and put my computer in there, and I almost even had room to take my computer out of the purse, put it in the backpack, and put the rolled up purse in the backpack if I ever wanted to. But, as an adult it was never too much. I kept all of my items close to me, and I knew that it was going to be okay. No one approached me or touched my items. 

Tip: If it makes you feel any better, as it did me, when you take off your bag and set it on the floor as you are waiting to board the plane in a seat, put your foot in between the strap of the bag or backpack. If someone tries to rip your backpack away, it tugs on your feet. Yes, they can still easily grab and run if they were really trying to, but it would be so much more obvious and it would give you and others around you more of a reaction time. I also want to let you know that this has never been an issue that I have actually had to deal with- and I have never seen it happen to others. There are always so many people around, and so much staff that anyone with malicious behavior will not be obvious about it. This is not something that you should ever really have to worry about in an airport. 

--- SUITCASE: 

I could go into a whole separate blog post about this, because packing is something I have loads of experience on and have opinions on. The best advice is to pack at least a week's worth of clothes, and pack items that can be mix & matched. It also helps to understand the cultural expectations of the country where you are going. I knew that in Papua New Guinea it was appropriate to wear a skirt or dress, so I packed a dress in my carry on and mostly packed dresses or skirts in my bag. However, I knew I would be active, and it would be the summer months while I was in country, so I also packed a fair number of shorts (I think 5 or 6). 

- Understand Where You Are Going

If I have not mentioned this enough, the culture as well as just atmosphere of where you are going is important to be familiar with, or at least research a little. Know what time of year it is- in the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are switched compared to the Northern. Know what measurements they will use there- will it help you to know your Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion? Are you prepared to know your bag weight in kilos or pounds? Are there any cultural expectations that you need to be aware of? It would even help to know some phrases at least in the language you are about to enter into- if not you might find yourself lost and in a sticky situation. Again, I was blessed in many of these areas. Because I had been to Papua New Guinea before, I knew much of the culture, and I knew enough of the language. It was also told that the people working in the airports of Papua New Guinea were expected to speak formal English, so language should not be an issue when entering the country at all. And, of course, Australians spoke English so that was a smooth transition. 

- Customs 

Again, it is hard for me to know what to expect in other countries, but from what I have seen America, Australia, and Papua New Guinea have a very similar system with similar "no-go" items.