Map of Buenos Aires

Excited to go on a holiday? Well, traveling has its own magic, I guess! Planning a travel trip comes with quite a lot of challenges. Right from choosing the best airline, booking flight tickets to scoring hotel deals, organizing a holiday trip is certainly not easy. With the kind of options around, it can be quite perplexing for most of us to choose the best international airline in order to enjoy comfort and convenience. What’s more, one also has to look at one’s budget when it comes to choosing an airline. So, here we have carefully compiled this list to help you narrow down the choices and make the final call.

Figure out your needs/requirements

Begin by analyzing your needs. For instance, budget plays a major role in deciding the kind of airline you will fly with. If you are ready to shell out more bucks, consider luxury airlines. Let’s say you plan to travel to South East Asia, consider Singapore Airlines. You can enjoy the best ever luxury with its Airbus 380 aircraft which includes VIP cabins, personal suites etc. Then you can also consider US Airways Envoy Suite, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa first class cabins etc. On the other hand, if you are on a shoe string budget, consider low cost carriers or budget airlines. The choice of an airline also depends on where you intend to fly.

Read airline reviews

Before you book those expensive flight tickets, take some time out to read passengers’ reviews. Sites such as airlinequality.com are quite helpful. It will help you have a better idea about an airline’s services, facilities, staff behavior and much more. Moreover, you can post your reviews here to help fellow passengers.

Seats

Next, you also need to have an idea about an airline’s seats. If you plan to take a long haul flight, go for an airline that offers comfortable and spacious seats. Look out for leg room especially if you are more than 6’1. Not having enough leg room can be quite annoying. You can check out sites such as SeatGuru to choose the most appropriate seat in your flight.

Types of flights

You must also find out the kind of flights an international airline offers. For instance, you can have an option to take a Non Stop’ flight or Direct’ flight. Prices vary for both of these. So, never assume these to be the same. A non-stop flight takes you directly from point A to point B. On the other hand, if you are taking a direct flight from point A to point B, the flight will land at point C in between to drop and pick up passengers. If you are on a long journey you can also ask the airline whether it offers flights with layovers. For instance, if you are flying to a destination in Hawaii, you might have some hours of layover at the Honolulu airport. During the layover you can rest for a while and even explore the nearby places.

Safety

This perhaps is one of the most important things you need to consider before choosing any airline. Go for an airline that is more inclined towards passengers’ safety. In recent years, air accidents have reduced drastically but still it makes sense to choose an airline that has an impeccable safety record. Take a look at the world’s most and least safe airlines, here. Federal Aviation Administration or FAA regularly comes up with its own list of airlines including their safety compliance levels. Furthermore, IATA or International Air Transport Association makes it compulsory for its members to submit safety checks at regular intervals. You can consider the following when it comes to deciding the safety of an airline

– Licensing
– Air navigation
– Safety records
– Operations
– Airworthiness

– Look out for discounts, travel deals

While choosing an international airline, check out their websites for any travel deals. Many even come up with last-minute deals which helps save a lot of money. It’s better to go for combined deals including flight tickets, car rentals and hotel rooms. Many airline websites offer last-minute discounts and even protect you against a fall in flight price.

In-flight facilities

Take a look at in-flight amenities offered by the airline. In case these matter to you the most, it’s advisable for you to go with a luxury or premium-class airline because budget airlines compromise on flight facilities to offer flight tickets at reduced prices. Therefore, you will have to keep in mind which facilities are complimentary and which ones are payable. Look out for in-flight entertainment, especially when you are taking a long haul flight.

Baggage weight limitations

Most people never bother to check out the weight restrictions regarding luggage and end up paying more. Weight limitations differ from airline to airline. For instance, certain airlines allow you to carry only one baggage free of cost whereas some might allow two.

Punctuality

Besides considering the above points, do have a look at an airline’s punctuality. You would never want your flight to be canceled or delayed. Check out FlightStats.com for getting complete information including statistics about an airline’s performance and cancelation. Besides this, it also helps you get information about flight delays, routes, dates, time and weather updates as well.

Airline Policy

Make sure to look at the airline’s policy before you book a flight ticket with it. Find out about loyalty programs, frequent flyer programs etc. These can be very helpful, especially, if you plan to travel frequently. Furthermore, find out about their rebooking and cancelation policies. Some airlines ensure that their customers experience minimum hassle as possible. Go for airlines that actually have customer-friendly policies.

So, next time you are confused about which international airline to choose, consider these tips. These will help you make the right choice. Bonne Voyage!