Practical tips for saving money when booking international flights…
Note: Due to a local WiFi issue at the moment, I can’t access the link, and some of our usual editing isn’t possible at this time.
As we mentioned in the past, we most often book flights, both domestic and international, using the link to Expedia on our site, located on the right side of the page, where we typically receive the best pricing, especially when booking a hotel and rental car, as a package.
Here are practical tips to save money when booking international flights, whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first big trip:
1. Be Flexible With Dates and Destinations
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Fly mid-week: Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to have lower fares.
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Avoid peak seasons: Summer holidays, Christmas/New Year, and local school breaks hike up prices.
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Use tools like Google Flights or Skyscanner to explore the cheapest dates and destinations using the “Flexible Dates” or “Everywhere” search.
More giraffes have come for a visit.
2. Book at the Right Time
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Best booking window: 2–6 months in advance for international travel.
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Use fare alert tools (e.g., Kayak, Hopper, Google Flights) to track price drops.
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Avoid booking too early (more than 8 months ahead) or too late (less than 2 weeks before).
3. Consider Alternative Airports
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Fly into a nearby city: For example, fly to Brussels instead of Paris, or Milan instead of Venice.
- Depart from different airports: If you’re near multiple major hubs, check them all (e.g., JFK vs. Newark, LAX vs. San Diego).
4. Use Regional Carriers or Budget Airlines
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Book a cheap international flight to a central hub, then use a regional budget airline for onward travel (e.g., Ryanair in Europe, AirAsia in Asia).
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Be mindful of baggage fees and tight layovers with low-cost carriers.
5. Mix & Match Airlines
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Don’t limit yourself to round-trip tickets from one airline. Use tools like Skiplagged, Kiwi.com, or Momondo to find cheaper combinations of one-way tickets or multi-city itineraries.
6. Use Miles or Travel Rewards
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Use points/miles earned from travel credit cards (e.g., Chase Sapphire, Amex, Capital One) to book or offset international flights.
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Sign up for frequent flyer programs even if you don’t fly often—it adds up.
7. Know the Luggage Rules
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Low-cost international flights may not include checked baggage, seat selection, or meals.
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Avoid surprise costs by reading the fine print and flying light when possible.
8. Clear Your Browser or Use Incognito
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Fare prices can increase with repeated searches—clear cookies or search in Incognito mode to avoid dynamic pricing.
9. Consider “Open-Jaw” or Stopover Flights
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An open-jaw ticket lets you fly into one city and return from another, often cheaper, and enables you to see more.
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We’ve had countless animals in the garden over the past several days. Some airlines offer free or cheap stopovers in their hub cities (e.g., Icelandair in Reykjavik, Emirates in Dubai).
10. Use Aggregators but Book Direct When Possible
Start with aggregators like:
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Google Flights
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Skyscanner
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Kayak
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Momondo
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Then check the airline’s website for the same fare—sometimes it’s cheaper, and it’s easier to change or cancel later.
We have found that we can spend several hours researching for the best possible pricing. For us, it’s worth the extra time we spend to accomplish this.
Today, friends Roz and Les are coming for dinner. We’re making bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with sauerkraut, seasoned rice, Greek salad with homemade dressing, and homemade blueberry muffins. Plus, we’ll put together a platter of biltong, sliced cheeses,
Photo from ten years ago today, June 25, 2015:
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| A lone explorer on the secluded beach in Trinity Beach, Australia. For more photos, please click here. |
More vital travel news…Lots of visitors…
As much as we’d like to drift away from travel warnings, we feel it is imperative, at this time, to alert our readers to potential risks as they embark on travel throughout the world, including in the US. Even if this possible cease-fire is instituted and held, there is still a lot of hate toward Americans and citizens of other countries, which could result in terror attacks at any time.
Avoiding large crowds and venues that attract large groups should be a priority, along with taking personal responsibility to always check one’s surroundings. Please take a moment to read the article below. Doing so may save your life and the lives of those you love, as well as others.
Here’s an article from Travel and Leisure posted yesterday on this site.
“The U.S. Just Issued a Global Travel Warning—What Travelers Should Know About the Worldwide Security Alert
Here’s what you need to know to make your next trip as safe as possible. By Stacey Leasca
- The U.S. Department of State issued a rare worldwide security alert on June 22, urging Americans to exercise increased vigilance while traveling abroad.
- The advisory warns of potential disruptions to travel, regional airspace closures, and demonstrations targeting U.S. citizens.
- Travelers are encouraged to review country-specific advisories, register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, and follow the additional safety tips available on the U.S. Department of State’s website.
The U.S. Department of State recently issued a rare security alert for all Americans to exercise caution while traveling abroad.
On Sunday, June 22, just one day after the U.S. bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran, the Department of State posted a notice on its website stating that the “conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East.” It also noted that there’s a potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests to occur abroad, and that American travelers should exercise “increased caution.”
It then directed travelers to its country-by-country advisory page, which provides in-depth details about destinations and their perceived safety worldwide. However, it’s critical to note that this global advisory differs from the department’s “do not travel” warnings.
As Travel + Leisure previously reported, the Department of State issues advisories for nations around the globe based on four levels to help travelers understand and assess the potential risks involved in visiting specific destinations. The first level means to take standard precautions, Level 2 means to exercise increased caution, Level 3 means to reconsider traveling to that destination, and Level 4 means “do not travel.” There’s a lot of nuance between each of these levels, and determinations are often based on diplomatic and logistical conditions, rather than on-the-ground limitations.
There’s an array of safety information for all kinds of trips available on the Department of State’s “Traveler Information” page, including specific safety tips for women travelers, students studying abroad, those with dual nationality, and cruise ship passengers. It may be a good idea to check it out before you book your next vacation.
However, the Department of State wasn’t the only agency to send out an alert on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also issued a similar bulletin, which isn’t set to expire until September. The notice warned that “low-level cyber attacks against U.S. networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely.” It also added that the likelihood of “violent extremists” organizing and mobilizing in the U.S. could increase if a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence were issued.
In light of the new global advisory, you might want to take specific steps to mitigate your risk. While abroad, stay vigilant about your surroundings, especially in crowded areas, and always have a contingency plan in place. Before you leave, consider registering with the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get up-to-date health, weather, safety, and security information about the country you’re traveling in. The program also enables the Department of State to contact you quickly in the event of an emergency.
As Gene Petrino, co-owner of the security consulting business Survival Response LLC, previously shared with T+L, a bit of risk could be okay—if you take the proper precautions.
“Travel advisories are just one input,” Petrino said. Monitor local news, talk to hotel staff, and stay flexible. And most importantly, trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.”
Now, after all these posts regarding travel safety, we will return to our usual array of topics in tomorrow’s post unless there are more urgent warnings to heed. No doubt, we have some concerns about airports and travel, but at this point, we aren’t changing any of our plans.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 24, 2015:
Should you avoid travel now?…Travel warnings…
Thanks to our readers for their well wishes for Tom and the positive response to yesterday’s post. See here.
Today, we can’t help but feel we must address travel during these challenging times.
Travel advice as of June 2025: Amid the escalating Israel–Iran–U.S. crisis, governments and airlines strongly advise against travel to most of the Middle East.
Government Warnings
- U.S. Department of State has issued a Worldwide Caution and Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan due to war, terrorism, and civil unrest
- Other countries (e.g., Australia, UK) have similarly updated travel advisories to “do not travel” for conflict zones like Israel, Iran, Palestine territories, Iraq, and parts of Lebanon .
Travel Disruptions
- Many Middle Eastern airspaces remain closed, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, and parts of Jordan and Syria. Major carriers like Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai, Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, British Airways, and even Qantas are rerouting or canceling flights.
- Airports such as Ben Gurion in Israel and Tehran’s Khomeini/Mehrabad are grounded or closed, stranding tens of thousands of travelers.
These little birds are eating seeds that a kudu tipped off the feeder.
Regional & Global Risks
- Ongoing missile and drone attacks—with attacks targeting civilian areas—in Israel and Iran increase the risk of sudden escalations.
- Threats to U.S. citizens abroad, including protests, cyberattacks, and extremist activity, have triggered global alerts .
- The Strait of Hormuz remains a concern, with implications for oil prices and shipping routes.
- This bird appears to be an oxpecker.
What Travelers Should Do
Postpone non-essential travel to the region. If already there:
- Stay registered with your embassy (e.g., the U.S. STEP program, the Australian Smartraveller).
- Avoid airports, protests, public gatherings, and border crossings.
- Prepare an emergency exit route (overland routes through Turkey, Armenia, Jordan).
- Monitor official government and airline updates constantly.
Traveling in—or through—the Middle East right now is extremely risky. Most governments officially advise against all travel, and airline and airport closures are widespread. Unless you have a critical reason to be there (e.g., urgent work, personal emergency) and a flexible exit strategy in place, it’s best to stay home or postpone until the situation stabilizes.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 23, 2015:
How insignificant are our endless stories in light of world affairs…
As we listen to news from around the world, we are deeply concerned by current global affairs. It’s terrifying for those in the path of ongoing warfare and dreadful in another way for those of us contemplating what could transpire worldwide.
Our simple daily posts don’t touch upon these horrific topics, and by no means does our lack of addressing these topics diminish the effect on us as we live in countries outside our own.
We strive to stay informed while continuing with our everyday lives, but not discussing it here does not indicate apathy or a lack of concern. Our hearts break for those in the path of destruction and have lost their lives, lost their loved ones, been injured, and lost their homes, sense of well-being, and personal sense of safety.
No words we can write can express the magnitude of what is transpiring in the world. But, our simple posts about our lives of world travel may present a momentary respite for those of our readers who are feeling the terrors of developing situations.
No, we won’t delve into the politics of these devastating scenarios, nor will we discuss our opinions on what our leaders should and shouldn’t do. Doing so is beyond the scope of our intentions in sharing the daily details of our travel lives.
We will continue to post in our typical style. Whether you find it a respite or not, we welcome you to continue visiting us each day, knowing that the love and compassion in our hearts and minds are genuine, especially since we’ve spent so much time coming to know and admire citizens throughout the world.
And thus, we continue…
It’s almost noon here, and I spent the better part of the morning prepping dinner for tonight. Tom is definitely under the weather with the flu or a bad cold and has gone back to bed for more sleep. The long journey took a toll on him, and he hasn’t been himself since we arrived in Marloth Park five days ago.
I have been feeling fine since we arrived and have had plenty of sleep, although I haven’t been able to fall asleep according to my regular schedule. For the past four nights, I’ve stayed awake until 1:00 or 2:00 am, but slept until 8:00 or 9:00 am, which is unusual for me.
Hopefully, Tom will fully recover by the time our friends Karen and Rich arrive in six days, and, of course, I’m hopeful that I won’t catch what he has. Fingers crossed.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 22, 2015:
Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere…WiFi came back this morning…Meat market blast…
“The June 21st date refers to the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, not an equinox. It marks the longest day of the year and the beginning of astronomical summer. The term “equinox” refers to a point where day and night are of equal length, which occurs during the spring and autumn equinoxes.”
Gosh, being without WiFi is a big hassle for us. Not only were we unable to prepare a post, but we also couldn’t look up information that came to mind throughout the day and evening. Fortunately, yesterday, early in the day, there was a weak enough signal for me to post a notice that the WiFi was out.
But that weak signal soon disappeared, and we had no signal at all. The fault was all the way to Komatipoort and included thousands of users. It was tough during the night, as I had trouble falling asleep and didn’t nod off until 2:00 a.m. On the other hand, Tom has been having awful issues getting enough sleep since we returned.
His first night here was good, but Wednesday and Thursday nights were awful. He didn’t sleep more than two or three hours each night and was exhausted. Additionally, he was experiencing symptoms of a cold, including frequent coughing, sneezing, and a runny nose.
Doc Theo had given me a prescription for Ambien to use when we were trying to sleep on the plane. Neither of us took it, but I thought last night would be a perfect time for Tom to take a pill when he went to bed. It worked! He slept through the night and feels more rested today, although he still has cold symptoms.
Hopefully, he’ll be better by next Saturday, when friends Karen and Rich arrive from Florida. Of course, I am staying as far away from him as I can, praying I don’t get it. He’s using a nasal spray, cough medicine, and antihistamines. Having pulmonary fibrosis only exacerbates the coughing. Thank goodness, he quit smoking nine months ago.
A few days ago, we went to The Butchery to purchase a variety of meats, as shown in the photos. As always, we were thrilled with the excellent prices on protein sources in South Africa. The prices are comparable to the prices we paid in the US 30 or 40 years ago.
Now, we have plenty of meat to last while Karen and Rich are here and will only need to make a trip to Komatipoort next week to round out some items they use that we don’t consume, such as orange juice, fruit, milk, and more. We’ll ensure that we have everything they typically eat while here, as long as it’s available at the Spar Market.
Of course, we’ll be dining out often, but typically they eat breakfast and lunch. Today, I made Tom breakfast, hoping he wouldn’t eat so much candy from the remaining 11-pound load, as he had been doing over the past several days. I have returned to my OMAD (one meal a day) eating routine, which consists of a single meal rich in nutrients.
Now I can lose the 5 pounds, 2.3 kg, I gained back while in the US, eating “big” food often twice a day. I even succumbed to eating snacks during the day and evening, all healthy, but way too much food for me. This style of intermittent fasting may not be suitable for everyone, but I feel my best when I eat only once a day. Please check with your medical professional before you embark on such a plan.
Last night, we headed to Jabula for dinner. It was such fun to spend time with Dawn and Leon, owners of the lodge and our dear friends. We had a fantastic evening.
Tonight, we’ll return to Jabula again for dinner. I suggested we stay in tonight since Tom is under the weather, but he insists he’ll be fine going out again. I am feeling good and rested.
That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 21, 2015
No post today…WiFi is down in all of Marloth Park…Back soon…
Getting organized…
Yes, Norman visited us, but it was last night in the dark, and I couldn’t manage to get a decent photo to share here today. Surely, he’ll return soon and we’ll be able to take pictures of “our boy.”
As much as I’d like to be done unpacking, I have yet to unpack my suitcase completely. Although we very much like this holiday home, it doesn’t have a lot of storage space. Then again, we’ve found that few holiday homes outside the US have adequate storage space for long-term travelers who may have more “stuff” than those staying for weeks as opposed to months, like us.
When these homes are built or remodeled for rental purposes, spending on extra cupboards and closets is not a priority. Of course, we’ll admit we’ve acquired more stuff while spending so much time here in the past nearly 13 years. Now, as I unpack my one bag, I’ll be making piles of clothing that have been replaced by newer items we recently purchased in the USA.
Most likely, I’ll offer some of the items in better shape to Vusi or Zef for their family members. I didn’t want to offend them by offering used clothing, but Louise assured me they are grateful. Zef has two wives, which is culturally accepted in South Africa, and surely his wives, his daughters, or other family members, can use the clothing.
This morning, after another good night’s sleep, I awoke to find Tom already out of bed. I’d slept for a solid seven hours, and he said he’s been awake since 2:00 am. He’ll try to avoid taking a nap today so he can sleep better, since both of us nodded off repeatedly while attempting to watch a few streamed shows last night.
We finally gave up trying to watch anything and turned off the laptop before 9:00 pm. By 10:00 pm, he was fast asleep, while I stayed awake until midnight. When I didn’t feel sleepy, I started streaming a boring show on my phone. Without Tom wearing his hearing aids at night, he couldn’t hear the sound of the show. I prefer not to use earbuds when trying to fall asleep.
This worked for me, and finally I drifted off, not awakening until 7:30 refreshed and ready to start my day. It was a night filled with realistic and wild dreams, but sound REM sleep is vital after such a long travel time. Hopefully, tonight, Tom will get at least seven or eight hours of sleep.
Yesterday, we shopped at Spar in Komatipoort, spending US $330, ZAR 5963, restocking many of our usual items for meals, except for meat. The only meat we purchased was paloney for the mongoose. Once I upload today’s post, we’ll head to The Butchery for meat to last until we shop again just before Karen and Rich arrive in nine days.
Also, we’ll make the short trip to Daisy’s Den to pick up pellets, birdseeds, and pay in advance for lucerne to be delivered once a week for the next month. The animals are hungry, and anything we can do to feed them, we will do. We purchased two 5 kg (11-pound) bags of carrots and one large bag of small apples. The total cost for these three bags was under US $5.00, ZAR 90, a bargain compared to what we’d have paid for these items in the US.
As soon as Zef or Vusi arrive here and make the bed, I’ll have Tom toss my suitcase on the bed, and I’ll get to work on putting everything away.
That’s it for today, folks.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 19, 2015:
We’re baaaaaaaaaaaack in the bush…No jet lag!…
After we arrived in Marloth Park, around 4:30 pm, we stopped at Louise and Danie’s to pick up the keys to the house. It was fantastic to see them both again, as well as Louise’s lovely parents from Cape Town, Estelle and Johan, whom we’ve come to know and adore over the years.
We were too exhausted to join them for sundowners, but we stayed for about 30 minutes, enjoying lively conversation and looking forward to more in the next few days before they return home over the weekend. Louise and Danie’s birthdays are coming up next week, and we’re insisting on taking the four of them out to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate.
While we were away, Zef and Vusi did a complete spring clean of the house, and every corner of the house was clean, dust-free, and organized. We are so grateful.
This morning, at 7:30, after waking up after sleeping through the night, I became blissfully aware that I had no jet lag whatsoever. Also, I couldn’t wait to look through the glass doors to the veranda to see who’d come to call. I wasn’t disappointed.
There were at least eight bushbucks, two male kudus, three impalas, four warthogs, and a dozen helmeted guineafowl. (Sounds like “partridge in a pear tree”). I didnt turn off the security alarm since I didn’t want to wake Tom, who was still sound asleep.
I decided to take another shower, after doing so less than ten hours earlier, get dressed, and get ready for the day. Since the timing was off due to the time difference, I skipped my usual morning pills yesterday to get back on track with morning dosing, considering the time difference.
Now, as I sit at my usual spot at the table on the veranda, the joyful feeling of being surrounded by nature overwhelms me, along with a profound sense of “being back at home”.
The long 42-plus-hour travel time was worth every moment, although the nine-hour layover in London was tough when we hadn’t slept in 24 hours. On the later second flight from London to Johannesburg, I think I slept for about 20 minutes while Tom didn’t do much better.
The flights weren’t too bad, with little turbulence, but the food was awful, so neither of us ate much. We went to lunch at a restaurant in Heathrow, and the food wasn’t much better.
Fortunately, we had left some homemade frozen leftovers, so by 6:00 pm, exhausted and out of sorts, we put together a decent plate of food for each of us and then headed to the bedroom to shower, relax, and see if we could wind down, streaming a show.
Neither of us got through the single episode without nodding off several times, desperately trying to stay awake until at least 10:30 pm. We each took an over-the-counter sleeping pill, and by midnight, we’d both managed to drift off, miraculously both sleeping through the night.
That’s all it took for us to awaken refreshed and alert, with the brain fog gone. For us, a single good night’s sleep is all it takes to get us back on track after a long trip.
As soon as we upload this post, we’ll head to Komatipoort to buy groceries and a few other items. When we return and put the groceries away, I’ll finish my unpacking, and by this evening, our lives in the bush for these remaining three months until we depart for Spain, will be in order.
Today’s photos were all taken this morning. Enjoy them, along with us.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 18, 2015:
Happy Father’s Day to our sons, friends and all the dads out there…Travel day today…
What a busy few days we’ve had! We made several purchases while here to restock clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous items that seemed to make us overweight for the two large suitcases we’d brought with us. We spent the entire morning rearranging items to keep the weight of each of the two large bags within the 23 kg, or 50-pound limit.
With the 5 kg, 11 pounds of jelly candies Tammy gave Tom for Father’s Day, we had a real dilemma. We couldn’t fit it into either of our large bags without incurring an extra US $100 overweight fee. We’d purchased one small carry-on bag, which we ended up using for the candy. Goodness!
At the moment, we think we have it all covered, and the weight of our bags shouldn’t require any extra fees. Fortunately, as always, we have our bathroom scale with us, which makes this process manageable instead of waiting until we reach the check-in desk, where the bags are weighed, and we receive our boarding passes.
Traveling on international flights generally allows for more checked baggage. We always check online to see what limitations we have to deal with. Additionally, checking in at a check-in station doesn’t work as easily as it does for domestic flights.
Greg, Heather, and the kids asked us to join them for brunch at a restaurant today, but that would have been while we were trying to figure things out. If we needed to go out to purchase an extra bag, our minds wouldn’t have been at ease to dine out. Now, we can relax and know we’re in good shape.
Since our flight isn’t until almost 11:00 pm tonight, and we’re out of food, Tom will head out at around 4:00 pm to go to Jimmy John’s for unwiches, which don’t leave us feeling overly full and uncomfortable. We’d considered ordering Chinese food, but the salty food isn’t good, which could result in swelling in our feet.
Both of us will be wearing compression socks, which we’ll put on shortly before the first flight boards. We won’t take them off for the nine-hour layover in London, where we’ll be tomorrow during the day. Most likely, we’ll wear them until we arrive at the house in Marloth Park in the afternoon, around 5:00 pm.
We have delicious homemade tuna patties in the freezer at the house, which we can have for dinner when we arrive, along with homemade keto blueberry muffins. The following day, depending on how we feel, we’ll head to Komatipoort to stock up on items we’ll need to restock.
If we’re still too tired to drive that far, we can go to the little SavMore market located in Marloth Park. No doubt, it’ll take a few days to recover from the long journey, but we’ll be so happy to return; we’ll manage just fine.
Happy Father’s Day to our wonderful sons and all the dads in the world on this special day.
We’ll “see” you next on the other side of the world!
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 15, 2015:
