Flying abroad? Let a person check every leg.

Where international bookings trip people up

• Connections that are too short, or that switch airports in the same city
• Two separate tickets that look like a single trip in search results
• A flight sold under one airline’s name but flown by another
• Bag allowances that seem to change halfway through the route
• A name on the ticket that doesn’t match the passport

One ticket or separate tickets

Some low prices come from stitching separate tickets together. That can work, but each ticket stands on its own. If the first flight runs late and you miss the next one, the second airline generally owes you nothing.

When every flight is on one ticket, the airlines involved usually rebook you after a missed connection they caused. Ask the specialist which kind of itinerary you’re being quoted, and how long each connection is.

Who actually flies each leg

International routes often use code-shares, where one airline sells a seat on a flight another airline operates. Under 14 CFR 257.5, a ticket agent on the phone has to tell you when a flight it offers is a code-share and name the airline that actually operates it, the first time that flight comes up.

Your written confirmation must also say “Operated by” followed by the operator’s name. That tells you where to check in, which terminal to find, and who to call if the schedule changes.

One set of bag rules for the whole route

When your ticketed trip starts or ends in the US, 14 CFR 399.87 says the bag allowances and fees that apply at the start of the trip carry through to the end, even if another airline flies a later leg. On code-share flights, the selling airline’s bag rules win where they differ from the operator’s.

Separate tickets can each come with their own allowance and fees. Ask the specialist to read out the bag allowance for each traveler before you pay.

If the schedule moves or a bag runs late

The federal refund rules draw a wider line for international trips. Under 14 CFR 260.2, an international flight counts as significantly changed when it departs 6 or more hours early or arrives 6 or more hours late. If you turn down the change and the alternatives, 14 CFR 260.6 entitles you to a refund. Those rules bind the airline when it charged your card (14 CFR 260.3), so ask an agency how it passes them on.

A checked bag on an international trip counts as significantly delayed after 15 hours, or 30 hours when the nonstop leg to or from the US runs longer than 12 hours (14 CFR 260.2). The bag fee for a bag that misses those marks comes back to you under 14 CFR 260.5, once you’ve filed a mishandled bag report.

The 24-hour rule on flights to and from the US

Part 259 covers US airlines, and foreign airlines on their flights to and from the US (14 CFR 259.2). When you book at least a week before departure, those airlines must either hold the reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment or let you cancel within 24 hours without a penalty (14 CFR 259.5). An agency can set different terms of its own, so ask what happens if you cancel inside that window.

Have these ready for an international call

• Each traveler’s name exactly as it’s printed in their passport
• Passport expiry dates, and the entry rules for every country on the route
• Your home airport, plus any others you’d happily drive to
• Travel dates, and how many days either side you could shift
• How many bags each person plans to check
• Any seating, meal or mobility needs