Agenda
● Tips for Finding Lower Cost Airfare
● Avoiding Mistakes
● Helpful Apps / Websites
● Passports / Visas
● Booking an International Flight Demo
● Q&A
Tips for Finding Lower Cost Airfare
● Flight Prices based on …
○ Inventory
and
advanced purchase
○ Day of week? Time of day?
○ Try to book at least 2 months in advance
● Day of Flight:
○ Flying on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday can be
cheaper (Friday and Sunday are most expensive)
● Decide if price or flexibility is more important
○ Consider change and cancellation penalties
○ Have Google monitor prices for you
● Get creative with routing!
○ Open jaw: DTW to London, then Paris to DTW
○ Fly out of a different airport!
■ Instead of DTW: Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto,
and sometimes even Windsor!
Tips for Finding Lower Cost Airfare
● Look for the cheapest flight to a country/region
○ Google Flights: Click on “Explore” tab
○ Kayak and Skyscanner: Search “Detroit to
Anywhere/Everywhere”
● Look into frequent flyer programs (earn benefits or
$ on flight and non-flight purchases)
○ Check out some of the best US frequent flyer
programs (free to join!)
● Look for student discounts (Student Universe)
● Get the most bang for your buck with free stopovers!
○ Iberia Airlines - Layover in Madrid
○ Turkish Airlines - Layover in Istanbul
● The 24 hour rule: full refund if you cancel within 24
hours of booking
○ Flights booked last minute may not qualify
○ Book directly with the airline
4
Found Cheap Airfare? Avoiding Mistakes
● Avoid mixed carrier tickets
● Be wary of booking through a third-party site
● Cheaper ≠ Better
● DIRECT ≠ NONSTOP
● Look closely at TOTAL travel times and itinerary
● Layovers
○ Make sure you have enough time to make connecting flights
■ At least 1.5 hours is recommended
○ The cheapest flights can have very long layovers
○ Look up layout of connecting airport
○ Factor in time for immigration/customs for certain airports
5
Avoiding Mistakes, continued...
● Research additional fees
○ Examples: baggage costs, seat selection, flight insurance, cost of
checking in at the airport vs. online
● Only book your flight AFTER final program plans have been
determined
● Bring a credit/debit card with you (preferably one with no foreign
transaction fees)
● Avoid lost luggage catastrophe: pack an extra set of clothes in carry-on
○ Consider getting an AirTag for checked bags
● Check to see what food options will be on flight
● Make sure name and passport info are correct
● Read all of the fine print!
Helpful Websites, Apps, Newsletters
● Google Flights, Skyscanner, Momondo, Kayak, and Orbitz
○ Don’t have student-specific discounts
● StudentUniverse: discounts exclusively for students
● Hopper: app that tells the best times to buy flights
● Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights): gives you email
alerts when there are cheap international flights
○ How to Find Cheap Flights in 2024
● Rome2Rio: discover alternative travel routes
Passports/Visas
● Make sure passport is valid at least six months after going abroad
● Assume you need a visa
○ IC Visas Page: How to apply, application requirements, visas for international students,
resources, FAQs
● When in doubt, contact the consulate or embassy
○ Calling is better, but limited hours. Email responses can take a while, so plan in advance.
● Some countries offer visa on arrival, so look up costs and currencies
● Make copies or take photos/email yourself:
○ Passport and visa
○ Passport picture
○ Flight information
How to book a
Flight Demo!
9
Upcoming Events
● Staying Safe & Healthy While Abroad
○ Thursday, March 7 from 5:30 - 6:30 PM
● Essential Travel Logistics for Students
○ Travel tips by region!
● Survival Language & Culture with the
Language Resource Center
● Exploring Culture & Respectful Community
Engagement
Click here for more info about
Global Wolverines
