My Order of Operations for International Travel Bookings

I have a big trip to Asia coming up in just a few months. Believe it or not, I don’t have everything booked yet! While I booked my first flight almost a year ahead of the trip, I’ve been slowly piecing together all the parts over the last several months. For big international trips that I book with miles and points, this is how I prioritize my travel bookings:

Step 1: Book the big flight across the pond

This is the most important flight to book first. It’s the longest flight and the flight I’d like to book in Business class or Premium Economy. I usually have a window of days for my ideal departure, and then I let award availability dictate the exact day of travel.

For this long flight, I look for award flights from multiple cities in the USA to multiple cities/countries across the pond. My last two flights to Asia both departed from California. For my upcoming trip to Thailand, I snagged Business class from San Francisco to Singapore with miles. It’s important to start searching for these big flights as soon as they are released, 11 to 12 months ahead of your travel dates.

Step 2: Book return flight across the pond

My next step is booking the return flight across the pond. This allows me to narrow down my exact days of my trip so I can plan everything in the middle. Again, ideally I will find Business or Premium Economy award flights for this long distance flight.

Step 3: Book accommodations for multi-night stays

If I know I’m going to stay in an area for multiple nights, I like to book accommodations well in advance, especially if it’s during peak season. I always book hotels or rentals with flexible cancellations policies in case I find a better option or lower price later.

Step 4: Book positioning flights

My first flight leaves from San Francisco, so I still have to get from DFW to San Francisco. On my return flight, I need to get from Seattle back to DFW. These domestic flights are easier to book since I’m fine with Economy seats and award availability trickles out over the months/weeks leading up to my travel dates.

Step 5: Book positioning hotels

I like to fly to my international flight origination city the day before to allow for weather or flight cancellations. So, I need to book a one-night stay near the airport. I also frequently book a one-night hotel stay near the airport in my destination city before moving on to another location. For example, for this upcoming trip, we land in Bangkok in the early evening and we will stay overnight before flying to Chiang Mai in the morning.

Step 6: Research sights/book tours

This is quite possibly my favorite step of trip planning! I love to research the destination and plan what activities to do.

Step 7: Search for last minute/better deals

Currently, we’re flying home in Premium Economy from Hong Kong to Seattle. If a Business class award flight opens up and I have the miles, I would switch. Or, if I find a flight directly to DFW, I’d seriously consider switching. Some airlines open up more award space in the weeks/days before, so it’s possible.