International flights are often a challenge for a tourist due to several factors. First of all, it's the duration of the flight, which is usually way longer than your standard domestic flight. Depending on your destination, it may take you more than 10 hours to do the trip and you may sometimes change planes to get where you need to be. International flights are also subject to special taxes and are serviced not only by domestic carriers, so different policies and restrictions may apply. At last it may be hard to get cheap air tickets for such flight. But the good things is there are some smart tips you may use to increase the chances of getting your cheap flight despite its international character:

Book ahead

Booking early is the simplest way to get cheap air tickets, which works for all types of airfares. But in case of international destinations you may want to book several months in advance to make sure that the price is low and there are still seats available. Besides, you can find the right seats much easier when buying your tickets very early, which can be very important on a long international trip. And if you're flying during the local peak season (holidays, good weather, special events, etc.) you may want to book your flight even earlier.

Try to plan your trip off-season

And speaking of seasons, it's hard to argue that flying during the peak season isn't a very good idea for cheap air tickets. Airlines will do their best to reap the income of the high season so they will put higher prices on everything simply because there may be no alternatives available for that time. That's why it is important to check for the local peak season and try to schedule your trip at least several weeks before or after the peak. Keep in mind that a high season isn't only a matter of tourist activity. International students may be returning home during breaks, local holidays may attract more travelers and so on. So make sure to check the local calendar and book your flight farther from the important dates.

Think about alternative destinations

If you have some degree of flexibility to your trip, you may want to check for an alternative destination in order to get cheap air tickets. For example, when going to France a typical flight to Paris will usually cost more than a flight to Lyon, Brussels or any other smaller destination. And you could take a train or rent a car to get to the primary destination of your trip. There may be several airports serving in the same area, such as Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo in Moscow, and it will make a huge difference price-wise, which of them you choose.

Compare fares online

Shopping around is a must when looking for cheap air tickets, and it's also very easy to do online. If the competition is sensible on the route and there are discounter airlines present, the entire market will try its best to give you the most competitive price. So you can save a lot of money by simply choosing between different carriers, picking the best service quality and price out of many offers.

Check for special offers

In contrast to the early booking tip, it also makes sense to look out for last minute deals. Quite often cheap air tickets become available in a very short time before a flight because the flight didn't sell out and the air company wants to avoid empty seats at all costs. So, even if you already have a flight booked in advance, you may want to check the last minute deals before making the trip as the low price may actually compensate for the ticket return charges if you decide to cancel your early reservation.