If you think you will be flying in connected flights, make sure that the airlines that you are riding have certain partnership agreements that make it easier for you to travel between borders. Most airlines offer frequent-flier programs that can give you free flights or other benefits like seat upgrades. Your rewards are based on the number of kilometers that you flew with that airline or with its partners, or you can gather points by using affiliated travel services like hotels or car rentals. It would make sense for you to choose your home country's carrier plane so you can use the free miles for future domestic flights. Just remember that frequent-flier flights have limited seats and are not available during peak seasons like Christmas.

Check your ticket restrictions. You may be subject to cancellation penalties, unexpected refunds policies, seasonal limits and stopover limits. If you have a discounted ticket, the conditions attached can even become more restrictive.

You can also get a discount return ticket if Europe is the only continent you plan to visit. If you fly to one destination, but have to return home from another, an open-jaw taken is your best option to save backtracking time. Open-jaw tickets are more expensive than regular return tickets if they can let you see more of a region especially when the distance between your starting and endpoints is great. If you're not sure about your return date, you can purchase a one-way ticket. It can cost more than half of a return ticket, but can be a very liberating option. However, many countries will not give you a visa unless they see that you are flying with a return ticket. You will have to show your travel route as well as proof that you have enough cash to keep you afloat the entire time. If you have a two-year Commonwealth working visa, a one-way ticket can be of great help to you.