My First International Flight from Lagos: What to Expect at Every Step

My first international flight was a dream come true. You know how you can want something for so long that when it finally arrives, you’re too busy preparing to actually feel it? That was me in the days before my trip.

So if you’re here because your first flight is coming up, take a moment to be excited. Breathe! Think about how much you wanted this. I’m guessing this is as big a moment for you as it was for me, and you’re allowed to enjoy it.

For my first international flight, I did an East Africa tour across three countries: Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. For my first international flight, I did an East Africa tour across three countries: Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. One trip, one multi-city ticket, and my first time crossing a border from the air.

Now, back to you. You’re probably wondering what to do first, or whether you’re forgetting something important. In this post, I’m walking you through my entire first flight experience step by step: how I compared and booked my flights, what really happens at the airport, the flight itself, surviving a long layover, and the one routing mistake I made that I don’t want you to repeat.

Let’s start where every trip starts: booking the flight.

What to Expect on Your First International Flight (Quick Answer)

Plan to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before departure. You’ll go through check-in and baggage drop, then immigration and security, before boarding. On the plane, expect a meal service, in-flight entertainment, and possibly some turbulence (it’s normal). On arrival, you’ll pass through immigration again, collect your luggage, and exit. Before you fly, make sure you have:

• A passport valid for at least 6 months
• Your visa, or confirmation that your destination is visa-free for you
• Your yellow fever card (required for Nigerians entering most East African countries)
• Your booking confirmation, downloaded and printed
• Bags packed within your airline’s weight limit
• Nothing in your luggage that you didn’t pack yourself

How to Prepare for Your First International Flight: Documents, Booking, and Packing

Before you ever step into the airport, there are three things you need to get right: your documents, your flight booking, and your bags.

This is the part of the trip where most first-timer mistakes happen, including a couple of mine. Let’s take them one at a time.

What Documents Do You Need to Fly Internationally?

Start with your international passport. Everything else, the visa, the booking, the trip itself, depends on it. If you don’t have one yet, start that process before you compare a single flight.

By the time I boarded my first international flight, my passport had already crossed land borders into Benin, Togo, and Ghana, and that road trip was deliberate.

A passport with travel history gets treated differently at every immigration desk and embassy, and there are smart, affordable ways to build yours before your big trip. Check out my guide on [how to build your travel history as a Nigerian] to learn more.

Next, your visa. Visa requirements change, sometimes between the day you book and the day you fly. The rules for Nigerians visiting East Africa today are already different from what I dealt with on this trip.

So treat visa research as a fresh task for every trip: confirm the current requirements for your destination close to your travel date, and cross-check anything you read against the destination country’s official immigration website. And if you’d rather skip the visa stress completely, we can also handle it for you.

One more document people forget until it’s almost too late: proof of yellow fever vaccination. Many countries, including across East Africa, ask Nigerian travelers for the yellow card upon entry. Confirm whether your destination requires it, and if you do need the vaccine, get it weeks before your flight, not days.

What to Know When Booking Your Flight – The Multi-City Ticket Tip.

Before this trip, my only flying experience was a short local flight within Nigeria. If you haven’t read about that one, [here’s how my first local flight went]. It helped, but let me be honest with you: booking an international flight is a different game entirely. Suddenly, you’re dealing with visas, layovers, and ticket types you’ve never heard of.

And my plan was ambitious for a first-timer. I wasn’t visiting one country, I was visiting three: Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, all in one trip. (If you want to understand why seeing multiple countries on one ticket is the smartest way to travel on a budget, I broke it all down in my [country pairing guide].)

That plan is what introduced me to multi-city booking.

Let me break it down for you: a regular return ticket takes you from Lagos to one city and back. A multi-city ticket lets you build your own route across several cities on one booking, instead of paying for three separate flights.

For example, a regular one-way ticket will be Lagos – Rwanda.

A round-trip ticket (which is always advisable when traveling to help with your visas and immigration) is Lagos – Rwanda, Rwanda – Lagos.

A multi-city ticket, on the other hand, is Lagos – Rwanda – Kenya – Uganda – Lagos. It is an opportunity to use one ticket to see many places. But of course, this doesn’t mean a lower price (maybe sometimes), but most times, you’d probably pay about the same fee it would cost to buy separate tickets.

But even with this tip in hand, I still made some mistakes. I will tell you later in this article, but one important thing you should know now is:

Don’t book on the first website you open. Always check different travel sites and compare prices. I started with Google Flights to compare prices across airlines and routes, then cross-checked on Skyscanner. Once I could see what a fair price looked like, I booked my multi-city ticket through Expedia, which connected me with Kenya Airways flying out of Lagos.

Was Kenya Airways the perfect choice? I found out later that there was a smarter way to route this exact trip, and it would have saved me both money and a very long layover. I’ll break down exactly what I should have done in the lessons section, so keep reading.

Packing for an International Flight: The 100ml Rule That Cost Me My Skincare

Let me tell you about the most painful lesson of my packing experience.

There’s a rule for hand luggage: liquids must be in containers of 100ml or less. I had heard of it, vaguely. I did not understand it. So I packed my body spray and nearly all of my essential skincare into my hand luggage like I was going to a sleepover.

At security, they took almost everything. My sprays, my skincare, have gone into the bin one by one. The officer was actually kind about it and let me keep one item, which at that point felt like an act of charity. I stood there watching products I’d spent real money on get seized over a rule I could have learned in two minutes.

…always take a picture with your luggage before leaving home, take a picture with it at the airport, if a bag comes back when you arrive, and it has your name on the tag, but it doesn’t look like yours, don’t touch it. Report it immediately with your pictures as proof.

So learn it in two minutes, from me, for free: the 100ml limit applies to the container size, not how much is left inside. A 200ml bottle that’s half empty still gets seized. If it must travel in your hand luggage, it needs to be in a container of 100ml or less. Everything bigger goes in your checked bag, where the rule doesn’t apply.

Beyond that, pack lighter than you think you need to, confirm your airline’s baggage weight limits before you zip anything, and keep a lip balm, a menthol or rub, and your neck pillow in your hand luggage. You’ll understand why I’m specific about the lip balm when we get to my Nairobi layover.

⚠️ Never Carry a Package for Anybody

I need you to take this one seriously, because it’s the warning that matters more than everything else in this post combined.

At some point, someone may ask you to help carry something. A package for their sister abroad. A small bag, because your luggage has space and theirs doesn’t. They may be friendly, well-dressed, or even someone you know. The answer is no. Every time, no.

Here’s the plain reason: if there are drugs or anything illegal inside that package, the law treats it as yours. You carried it, you own it. “Someone gave it to me” is the same story every convicted courier has told, and it has filled prisons with people who thought they were doing a favour. You cannot verify what’s inside something you didn’t pack, so don’t carry it.

The same rule applies to your own bags: pack them yourself, and never leave them unattended at the airport. If you didn’t put it in, it doesn’t fly with you.

There’s a new one now: always take a picture with your luggage before leaving home, take a picture with it at the airport, if a bag comes back when you arrive, and it has your name on the tag, but it doesn’t look like yours, don’t touch it. Report it immediately with your pictures as proof.

What Actually Happens At the Airport: Step by Step

The airport is where first-timer nerves peak, because it’s the part with the most steps and the least explanation. Here’s the entire process in the order it happened to me, so nothing catches you off guard.

How Early Should You Arrive for an International Flight?

Three hours before departure. That’s the standard advice for international flights, and I’m passing it to you as law. Check-in queues, security, and immigration each take their own time, and on your first flight, you’ll want breathing room, because everything takes longer when you’re doing it while nervous.

What Happens at Check-In?

Find your airline’s counter, present your passport and booking confirmation, and hand over your checked luggage to be weighed and tagged. In return, you get your boarding pass, the small document that runs the rest of your journey.

For some destinations, prepare for long queues while you wait to be attended to.

Also, make sure you check your checked bag and carry-on weight before coming, and make sure your bag doesn’t exceed that weight, so you don’t have to pay extra.

What Does Immigration Ask You When Leaving Nigeria?

They will always want to know if you have the necessary visa for the destination, a return flight ticket, a hotel booking, and a sufficient amount for your trip.

Whatever they ask, the approach is the same: answer honestly, keep it short, and don’t volunteer a story they didn’t request. The officers process hundreds of travelers a day; being calm and direct gets you through fastest.

A Few Things Nobody Warns You About

Security comes next, where your hand luggage gets scanned. You already know how that went for my skincare, so learn from me and keep everything over 100ml in your checked bag. But security when leaving Nigeria is not something to worry too much about, unlike your destination country, where you tend to get searched more thoroughly.

Be prepared to be searched all the way. And also be prepared to be asked for money here and there, just ensure not to smile too much, lol, so you don’t part with too much money.

After security, find your boarding gate. It’s printed on your boarding pass and displayed on the airport screens, and if you’re ever unsure, look up: airports are built to be read from the signs. Then you wait for the boarding announcement.

Also, don’t forget to get a sim before leaving so you don’t get stranded and you can stay connected no matter the destination you’re going.

Getting on the Plane: Boarding, Food, and the Flight Itself

After the boarding announcement, we were led to the gate and onto the plane. This is the part you’ve been imagining, so here’s how it actually went.

What Happens When You Board?

You find your seat number (it’s on your boarding pass), stow your hand luggage in the overhead bin, and settle in. On my Kenya Airways flight, we were given blankets, pillows, and headphones. I read the safety manual in my seat pocket, put on my neck pillow, and honestly, I’d recommend you read that manual too. It takes two minutes, and on your first flight, it answers questions you didn’t know you had.

One thing to expect: your ears may pop or feel blocked as the plane climbs. It’s pressure, it’s normal, and swallowing, yawning, or chewing something helps. I also like to use my earbuds to listen to music I downloaded earlier on Spotify to help my ears.

Also, I don’t know if this is a me thing, but my nose gets flared up on planes, maybe from the dry cabin air. So to be safe, pack a nose mask and a menthol rub in your hand luggage. If your nose ever starts hurting, you’ll be glad you came prepared.

What Is the Food Like on an International Flight?

Better than I expected. Meals are included on international flights, served at your seat. Mine was chicken mixed with vegetables, with tea after, and it was genuinely delicious. You don’t pay extra for it, which surprises a lot of first-timers.

How Do You Pass the Time?

I listen to music, and I sleep a lot. Also, I watch movies or play games on the dedicated plane screen you will find in front of your seat. I scrolled until I found Young Sheldon and settled in. Between the movie, sleeping for a while, and staring out the window, the hours moved faster than I expected. In fact, sleeping helps me get through long flights. I highly recommend it if you can.

At some point, I watched the sun set from above the clouds, and no photo I’ve seen has done that view justice.

I also visited the airplane toilet for the first time, and I’m reporting back: it’s cool. Small, but everything works, and the flush will startle you the first time.

Is Turbulence Normal?

Yes, completely. The plane may shake or dip at points, and the seatbelt sign will come on. It feels dramatic the first time, but to the crew, it’s a normal day at work. Keep your seatbelt fastened whenever you’re seated and let the pilots do their job.

By the time night came, we were beginning our descent into Nairobi.

Landing, Layovers, and Arrival: The Final Stretch

Your plane has landed, but you’re not done yet. Depending on your route, you may still have a connecting flight to catch, and after that, you’ll go through immigration and pick up your luggage before you can finally step out into your new country. Don’t worry, this part is simpler than it sounds. Here’s how it all went for me.

What Happens During a Layover?

If your route has a connection as mine did, you don’t leave the airport. You follow the Transit signs to your next gate and wait for your connecting flight. Your checked luggage usually travels ahead without you touching it, but confirm this at check-in so you know whether to collect and re-check your bags.

My layover in Nairobi was four hours long, and the cold wanted to kill me. Nobody warned me that airports can be that cold at night, and there I was, applying balm over and over so my lips wouldn’t crack while I waited for my flight to Kigali. Thank God I had a sweater, cover clothes, and lip balm, which really helped me.

I had to sleep on a long bench at one of the restaurants at the airport, where I also got dinner. That layover made me, which I had just paid the extra flight fee, so I’m definitely not doing a long layover like that again.

What Happens at Immigration When You Arrive?

When you land at your final destination, immigration comes before your luggage. The same rules from Lagos apply here: answer honestly, keep it short, stay calm. The officers are checking that you’re who your documents say you are, and if your paperwork from Section 1 is in order, this is the easiest part of your day.

As a Nigerian, just prepare for anything; sometimes things are nice and easier for us at immigration, most times they aren’t. Prepare your mind for the grilling and suspicions, and ensure to stay true and provide important documents.

Important tip: Download offline copies of your travel documents before you leave home: your visa (if it’s digital), hotel booking, return flight ticket, and invitation letter if you have one. Better still, print them out. Airport WiFi can fail you at the exact moment an officer is waiting, and a printed copy still works when your phone is dead.

You should check out these 50 comprehensive tips I wrote for first-time travelers. You will find it really useful because of all the wealth of information I poured into it.

Baggage Claim and Walking Out

After immigration, follow the signs to baggage claim, find the carousel showing your flight number, and wait for your bag. It might take time, but if the immigration keeps you longer than usual, then your bag might be out by then.

After getting your bags, you are set for an adventurous time in a new country. Find the exit, and you are welcome.

For me, it was a great feeling. After all the planning, the booking, the seized skincare, and the freezing layover, I had done it. My first international flight is done!

What I Wish I’d Known Before My First International Flight

Every first-timer collects lessons. These are mine, and each one will save you either money, comfort, or stress.

Plan Your Route on a Map Before You Book

Here’s the mistake that cost me the most. When you’re visiting multiple countries, the order you visit them in matters, and the cheapest way between two neighboring countries is often a bus, not a plane.

My route went Rwanda, then Kenya, then Uganda, because that’s how I booked my flights. What I learned afterward: Rwanda and Uganda share a border. I could have flown into Kigali, taken a bus to Musanze (in Rwanda), then Uganda, and then flown my final leg through Kenya home. Fewer flights, less money, and shorter layovers / less airport stress. Someone even told me later that RwandAir would have served that routing better than the Kenya Airways ticket I bought.

So before you book a multi-city ticket, open a map. Look at which of your destinations are closer to each other, check whether a land crossing is realistic, and only pay for flights where land travel doesn’t make sense. Ten minutes with a map can save you an entire flight’s cost.

Take the Liquids Rule Seriously

You read what happened to my skincare. The transferable version: anything over 100ml goes in your checked bag, no exceptions, no “but it’s half empty.” Pack your hand luggage as if an officer will open it, because one will.

Dress for the Journey, Not the Destination

You’re flying to warm weather, but the plane and the airports in between have their own climate. My four freezing hours in Nairobi taught me: keep a sweater in your hand luggage even if your destination is hot, and your lips will thank you for the balm.

Give Yourself Time to Feel It

This one isn’t about money. The whole trip, I was so busy doing everything right that the moment almost passed me by. Somewhere above the clouds, watching the sunset, it finally landed: I was doing the thing I had dreamed about. This was a huge deal for me, and I had to allow myself to revel in it.

FAQs About Your First International Flight

Can I use my phone on the plane?

Yes, in airplane mode. You’ll be asked to switch it on before takeoff, and it stays on for the whole flight. You can still use everything stored on your phone: music, downloaded movies, cameras, and photos. Some airlines offer onboard WiFi, free and paid.

What should I never do at the airport?

Never carry a package or bag for anybody, no matter who asks or how small it looks. If anything illegal is found inside, the law treats it as yours. Also, never leave your own luggage unattended.

Can I leave the airport during a layover?

Usually not, and as a first-timer, you shouldn’t try. Leaving means passing through immigration, which requires a visa for that country, plus the risk of missing your connection. Stay at the airport, follow the Transit signs, and wait for your flight.

Can I fly internationally alone for the first time?

Yes, and thousands of people do it every day. Arrive early, keep your documents handy, and ask airport staff whenever you’re unsure; helping confused travelers is their job. My first international flight was solo, and the process itself is the same either way.

How much cash should I travel with?

Enough to cover your first day or two: transport from the airport, food, and a buffer for surprises, in a currency your destination accepts. You should also use an acceptable global card and withdraw money at an atm not the exchange counter.

Your First Flight Is Closer Than You Think

My first international flight took me from Lagos to Kigali, with seized skincare, a freezing layover, and a routing mistake along the way. But I have taken more flights across the world since then, and I’d do it again.

And know this: you get better with every trip. This guide will help you avoid a lot of mistakes, but expect to make one or two anyway, and be okay with that.

So book the flight. Check the visa requirements, pack your liquids properly, keep your bags to yourself, and somewhere above the clouds, take a moment to feel it. You dreamed about this, and now it’s happening.

I’d love to hear from you: is your first international flight coming up, or do you have a first-flight story of your own? Tell me in the comments. And if planning the whole thing feels like too much, you know where to find me. The Avid Travel Co. will handle the stress while you handle the excitement.

Safe travels. You can do this.