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How to Speak Airline: A Glossary For Travelers

Crosscheck? Ramp? Ground stop? Who comes up with these things? Finally, a code to the insufferable jargon of air travel.

THE EXPERIENCE OF AIR TRAVEL IS UNIQUE in that people subject themselves to a long string of mostly anonymous authorities. From the moment you step through the terminal doors, you’re hit with orders — stand here, take your shoes off there, put your seat belt on, do this, put away that — and a flurry of information. Most of it comes not face-to-face, but over a microphone, delivered by employees, seen and unseen, in a tautologically twisted vernacular that binges on jargon, acronyms, and confusing euphemisms.

The ways in which airline workers can bend, twist, and otherwise convolute the English language is nothing if not astonishing. For reasons unknown, it is impossible for a crew member to simply say, for instance: “I am driving my car to work.” Instead, he or she must say, “At this time, I am operating my vehicle to my location of employment.” This stylistic overkill is designed, I think, to get your attention, and to make a particular statement sound extra-important. All it actually does, though, is burden your synapses by forcing them to deal with far more words than they need to. The phrasing is often so strained and heavy-handed that you can almost hear the sentences crying out in pain.

There are people who make dozens of air journeys annually and still have only a vague understanding of many terms. To help, I’ve compiled a glossary, focusing on those expressions most easily misunderstood, or not understood at all. In no special order:

• DOORS TO ARRIVAL AND CROSSCHECK

Meaning: Occasionally heard as “disarm your doors and crosscheck,” and announced by the lead flight attendant or purser as a plane approaches the gate. The intent is to verify disarming of the emergency escape slides attached to the doors. When armed, a slide will automatically deploy the instant its door is opened. Disarmed, it needs to be deployed manually. On departure the slides are armed to facilitate an emergency evacuation. (You might hear this as “doors to automatic.”) Upon docking, they’re disarmed to keep them from billowing into the boarding tunnel or onto the apron during servicing.

Crosscheck is a generic term used by pilots and flight attendants meaning that one person has verified the task of another. In the cabin, flight attendants crosscheck one another’s stations to make sure the doors are armed or disarmed as necessary.

• ALL-CALL   “Flight attendants, doors to arrival, crosscheck and all-call.”

Meaning: Often part of the arming/disarming procedure, this is a request that each flight attendant report via intercom from his or her station — a sort of flight attendant conference call.

• LAST MINUTE PAPERWORK   “We’re just finishing up some last minute paperwork and should be underway shortly…”

Meaning: Everything is buttoned up and the flight is ready for pushback. Then comes the wait for “last minute paperwork,” which winds up taking half an hour. Usually it’s something to do with the weight-and-balance record, a revision to the flight plan, or waiting for the maintenance guys to deal with a write-up and get the logbook in order.

• FLIGHT DECK

Meaning: The cockpit.

• FIRST OFFICER (also, COPILOT)

Meaning: Second in command on the FLIGHT DECK. The first officer sits on the right and wears three stripes. He or she is fully qualified to operate the aircraft in all stages of flight, including takeoffs and landings, and does so in alternating turns with the captain.

• FLIGHT LEVEL   “We’ve now reached our cruising altitude of flight level three-three-zero. I’ll go ahead and turn off the seat belt sign…”

Meaning: There’s a technical definition of flight level, but I’m not going to bore you with it. Basically this is a fancy way of telling you how many thousands of feet you are above sea level. Just add a couple of zeroes. Flight level three-three zero is 33,000 feet.

• HOLDING PATTERN

Meaning: A racetrack-shaped course flown during weather or traffic delays. Published holding patterns are depicted on aeronautical charts, but one can be improvised almost anywhere.

• GROUND STOP   “Sorry folks, but there’s a ground stop on all flights headed south from here.”

Meaning: The point when departures to one or more destination are curtailed by ATC, usually due to a traffic backlog.

• EFC TIME   “Good news, we’ve been given an EFC time of 30 minutes after the hour.”

Meaning: The expect further clearance (EFC) time, sometimes called a release time, is the point at which a crew expects to be set free from a HOLDING PATTERN or exempted from a GROUND STOP .

• WHEELS-UP TIME

Meaning: Similar to the EFC TIME , except it refers to the point when a ground-stopped plane is expected to be fully airborne. The crew and ground team must be sure to get the flight boarded and pushed in order to be at or near the runway as close to this time as possible.

• AREA OF WEATHER   “Due to an area of weather over New Jersey, we’ll be turning southbound toward Philadelphia…”

Meaning: This typically means thunderstorms or a zone of heavy precipitation.

• AIR POCKET

Meaning: This is merely colloquial for a transient jolt of turbulence; there is no formal meteorological definition.

• FINAL APPROACH   “Ladies and gentlemen, we are now on our final approach into Miami.”

Meaning: For pilots, an airplane is on final approach when it has reached the last, straight-in segment of the landing pattern — that is, aligned with the extended centerline of the runway, requiring no additional turns or maneuvering. Flight attendants speak of final approach on their own more general terms, in reference to the latter portion of the descent.

• THE FULL, UPRIGHT AND LOCKED POSITION

Meaning: Upright.

• TAMPERING WITH, DISABLING, OR DESTROYING   “Federal law prohibits tampering with, disabling, or destroying a lavatory smoke detector.”

Meaning: Tampering with.

• THE OFF POSITION

Meaning: Off.

• FLOOR AREA “Please check the floor area for any personal items before deplaning.”

Meaning: The floor. This is a common one from the flight attendants as part of their after-landing spiel. I mean, who talks like this? When you’re at home, do you say, “I need to vacuum the floor area”? Or, “Look at that, Brendan, you’ve spilled cereal all over the floor area!”

Meaning: Deplane is used to describe the opposite of boarding an aircraft. There are those who feel the root “plane” should not be used as a verb, fearing a chain-reaction of abominable copycats. Imagine “decar” for getting out of your car, or “debed” for waking up. In fact, dictionaries date “deplane” to the 1920s, and while it’s not the slickest sounding word, it’s a term of occasional convenience. There aren’t any PA-friendly options with the same useful meaning. “Disembark” is the most elegant one, and it’s clumsy.

Meaning: A deadheading pilot or flight attendant is one repositioning as part of an on-duty assignment. This is not the same as commuting to work or engaging in personal travel.

• EQUIPMENT   “Due to an equipment change, departure for Heathrow is delayed three hours.”

Meaning: An airplane. You might also hear a pilot ask of another pilot, “What equipment are you on?” What he means is, “What kind of plane do you fly?” Yes, I agree, there is something decidedly strange about the refusal to call the focal object of the entire industry by its actual name?

• DIRECT FLIGHT

Meaning: Technically, a direct flight is a routing along which the flight number does not change; it has nothing to do with whether the plane stops. This is a carryover from the days when flights between major cities routinely made intermediate stops, sometimes several of them. Most airline staff are smart enough to realize that if a passenger asks if a flight is “direct,” he or she wants to know if it stops, but check the fine print when booking.

Meaning: That’s the one that doesn’t stop.

• GATEHOUSE “If there is a passenger Patrick Smith in the gatehouse, please approach the podium?”

Meaning: An idiosyncratic way of saying the gate area or boarding lounge. Gatehouse has a folksy touch that I really like. They should use it more often.

• PRE-BOARD   “We would now like to pre-board those passengers requiring special assistance.”

Meaning: This one, on the other hand, has no charm. It means to board. Except, to board first.

• FINAL AND IMMEDIATE BOARDING CALL

Meaning: A flamboyant way of telling slow-moving passengers to get their asses in gear. It provides more urgency than just “final call” or “last call.”

• TICKETED AND CONFIRMED PASSENGERS   “We invite all ticketed and confirmed passengers to board through the gate marked five.”

Meaning: Passengers. As if, by not specifying “ticketed and confirmed,” random ticketless people might wander onto the plane.

• MARKED   “…the gate marked five.”

Meaning: As opposed to the gates that have no numbers. Of which, of course, there are none.

• IN RANGE   “The flight has called in range, and we expect to begin boarding in approximately 40 minutes.

Meaning: This is a common GATEHOUSE announcement during delays, when the plane you’re waiting to board hasn’t yet landed. Somewhere around the start of descent, the pilots will send an electronic “in range” message to let everybody know they’ll be arriving shortly. How shortly is tough to tell, as the message is sent prior to any low-altitude sequencing and assumes no inbound taxi congestion. What they’re giving you at the gate is a best-case time for boarding. As a rule of thumb, add twenty minutes.

• RAMP   “We’re sorry, your suitcase was crushed by a 747 out on the ramp.”

Meaning: Ramp refers to the aircraft and ground vehicle movement areas closest to the terminal — the aircraft parking zones and surrounds. In the early days of aviation, many aircraft were amphibious seaplanes or floatplanes. If a plane wasn’t flying, it was either in the water or it was “on the ramp.”

• ALLEY   “It’ll be just a second, folks. We’re waiting for another aircraft to move out of the alley.”

Meaning: A taxiway or passageway between terminals or RAMPS .

Meaning: Similar to RAMP , above, this is basically any expanse of TARMAC that is not a runway or taxiway — i.e. areas where planes park or are otherwise serviced.

Meaning: A portmanteau for “tar-penetration macadam,” a highway surfacing material patented in Britain in 1901. Eventually it came to mean any sort of asphalt or blacktop. You hear it in reference to airports all the time, even though almost no ramp, apron, runway or taxiway is actually surfaced with the stuff. Real tarmac becomes soft in hot weather, and would turn to mush under the wheels of a heavy jet. (I think of Paul Weller’s invocation of “sticky black tarmac” in the gorgeous Jam song “That’s Entertainment!”) Like many words, it has outgrown its specificity, and there are linguistic traditionalists who are bothered by this. I am not one of them.

• AT THIS TIME   “At this time, we ask that you please put away all electronic devices.”

Meaning: Now, or presently. This is air travel’s signature euphemism.

• DO   “We do appreciate you choosing American.” Or , “We do remind you that smoking is not permitted.”

Meaning: An emphatic, otherwise with no grammatical justification. What’s wrong with, “Thank you for choosing American” or “Smoking is not allowed”? People wonder if this is how airline employees talk to one another. “I do love you, Steve, but I cannot marry you at this time.”

What's in a Name? 15 Airline Acronyms Explained

See recent posts by Ricky Radka

The airline industry loves its acronyms from the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) to IATA (International Air Transport Association). It would only make sense that a bunch of airlines would follow that pattern by shortening their often-lengthy names into just a few simple letters. While airlines like British Airways or Air France take all the guesswork out of their monikers, other like TAME and LIAT can leave even the most avid airline enthusiast #avgeek baffled.

Airline Acronym Names Spelled Out And Their Meanings

Even though it seems like the heyday of airlines acronyms has passed, with legends like TWA, PSA, BOAC, and PAN-AM having all merged or gone the way of the dodo. There remain quite a few airlines that have kept things going with their capitalized multi-lettered handles, including the three oldest operating airlines in the world. Below I will break down the meaning of some major (and minor) airline’s acronymic names and provide a little background history on how they came up with those abbreviated company titles. 

Q ueensland A nd N orthern T erritory A erial S ervices

Qantas is the flag carrier of Australia and third oldest airline in the world. Founded in Winton, Queensland in 1920 flying mostly taxi and joy flights Qantas has grown out of its corner of Australia.  Qantas now serves 85 destinations worldwide including nonstop flights to Dallas (DFW) and San Francisco (SFO) . Since it is a proper noun, it’s one of the few words in the English language with no U directly following the Q.

K oninklijke L uchtvaart M aatschappij 

Bonus points if you guessed it and can pronounce it correctly. Translated, K oninklijke L uchtvaart M aatschappij means Royal Aviation Company in English, but it’s commonly referred to as Royal Dutch Airlines. Started a year before Qantas in 1919; KLM has the distinction of being the world's oldest airlines still operating under its original name. Annually rated one of the top airports in Europe, KLM flies to 145 destinations from its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) .

LA N – L inea A érea Nacional & TAM - T áxi A éreo M arília

LATAM is a portmanteau of two previous South American Airlines LAN and TAM. Chile’s LAN Airlines and Brazil’s TAM Airlines merged and rebranded in 2012 creating the conglomerate of LATAM Airlines Group. Although not official, LATAM is also considered an abbreviation for Latin America the region in which is the airline’s primary focus. 

T ransportes A éreos M ilitares E cuatorianos

Initially founded by the military of Ecuador in 1962, over time TAME gradually increased its number of services and included passenger routes. In 2011, TAME formally changed its status to a state-owned airline and is no longer under the administration of the Ecuadorian Air Force but still has the military moniker in its title. Serving 25 destinations, TAME offers nonstop flights from New York (JFK) and Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) to its hub in Quito (UIO) .

T ransportes A éreos P ortugueses

Headquartered in Lisbon, TAP is the national carrier of Portugal. Translated from Portuguese, TAP’s acronym roughly means Portuguese Air Transportations and is much easier to decode than some other airlines on this list. TAP serves over 80 destinations and allows free stopovers at its hub airports in Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) .  

Co mpañía Pa nameña de Aviación

Copa is an acronym formed by taking the first two letters of each word from Co mpañía Pa nameña. Not to be confused with “cup” in Spanish, Copa’s name originates from the blend of the official name and is commonly branded as Copa Airlines without using all capital letters. Based in Panama City (PTY) , Copa Airlines serves 13 destinations in the United States including Los Angeles (LAX) , Miami (MIA) , and Washington DC (IAD) .

T ransporturi A eriene Rom âne

The name TAROM is formed by taking the T from T ransporturi, the A from A eriene, and the first three letters ROM from Rom âne. In English, the airline's official name translates to Romanian Air Transport. As the flag-carrying airline of Romania, TAROM is headquartered at Bucharest (OTP) Henri Coanda International Airport and is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance.

A ll N ippon A irways

Big in Japan, ANA is the largest airline in the land of the rising sun and is one of the easier acronyms to figure out. Nippon of course, referring to the country name Japan in the Japanese spoken language. A ll N ippon A irways has a fleet of over 200 airplanes and is the first airline to operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

S candinavian A irlines S ystem

Founding member of Star Alliance, SAS is an abbreviation of S candinavian A irlines S ystems. SAS serves as the flag carrier for three countries: Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Therefore, SAS has primary hubs in Copenhagen (CPH) , Stockholm (ARN) , and Oslo (OSL) international airports.

J apan A irlines Co., L td.

JAL is simply an abbreviation of J apan A irlines Company L imited with Company dropped from the official name. Although it is the flag carrier of Japan, it is smaller in size than competitor ANA. Headquartered in Tokyo, it uses both major airports Tokyo (NRT) and Tokyo (HND) as its hubs.

T ransportes A éreos de A n g ola

The national carrier of Angola gets its acronym from the national language of Angola, which is Portuguese. Similar to TAROM and Copa, TAAG selects the first letters from T ransportes A éreos de A n g ola and the G from Angola to create its four-letter name. Headquartered in Luanda, TAAG has had its share of troubles including a two-year European airspace ban in the late 2000’s and constant restructuring.

Polskie Linie Lot nicze 

LOT is more an abbreviation than it is a traditional acronym. The Warsaw-based airline gets its three-letter name by shortening the Polish word Lot nicze meaning “flight” to LOT. The Polish national carrier offers nonstop flights from Warsaw (WAW) to four US airports: Chicago (ORD) , Los Angeles (LAX) , Newark (EWR) , and New York (JFK) .

T ouristik U nion I nternational

Standing for T ouristik U nion I nternational, TUI is more commonly known as a charter travel and tourism company than an official airline. German-based TUI Group is the owner of six different European airlines and has announced that it plans to rebrand those airlines under a single airline banner aptly titled TUI in the upcoming years.

A ero vía s del Contine n te Ameri ca no 

While it doesn’t seem like a straightforward acronym, Avianca gets its name by selecting the following letters from its official title of Aerovías del Continente Americano. Previously called A ero vía s  N acionales de  C olombi a , Avianca has kept the same name but changed the letters in which the acronym is formed after many mergers. After KLM, Avianca is the second oldest continuously operated airline and has eight subsidiary Latin American airlines under its holdings group.

L eeward I slands A ir T ransport

LIAT derives its name from the group of islands it serves in the northeast Caribbean. Headquartered at VC Bird International Airport (ANU) on the island of Antigua this small airline flies to 17 destinations in the Caribbean with its fleet of 10 planes. While LIAT officially stands for - L eeward I slands A ir T ransport locals will jokingly tell you; it can also mean "Leave Island Any Time." 

Header image courtesy of Tupungato via Shutterstock.

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Travel Acronyms And Meanings Go Back Button

A4A Airlines for America

Arab Air Carriers Organisation

Association of Asia Pacific Airlines

Airline Association of Southern Africa

Association of British Travel Agents

Arab Civil Aviation Commission

Airborne Collision-Avoidance System (ICAO)

Airport Consultative Committee (IATA)

Airports Council International

Association of European Airlines

European Association of Aerospace Industries

African Civil Aviation Commission

African Airlines Association

Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network

Annual General Meeting (IATA)

Air Line Pilots Association

ALTA Asociación Latinoamericana del Transporte Aéreo

Air Navigation Services

Air Operator's Certificate

Advance Passenger Information

Advance Passenger Information Systems

Auxiliary Power Unit

Aeronautical Radio Inc (US)

Air Services Agreement

Association of South East Asian Nations

Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation Aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar

Agency Services Office

Association of South Pacific Airlines

American Society of Travel Agents 

Air Transport Association of Canada

Air Transport Action Group

Air Transport Association of America

Air Traffic Control

Available Tonne Kilometre

Air Traffic Management

Aeronautical Telecommunication Network

Air Traffic and Navigation Services

Air Traffic Services

Air Traffic Services Direct Speech

Air Traffic Service Providers

Air Transport Users Council

Air Waybill

Board of Airline Representatives

Bar Coded Boarding Passes

Board of Governors (IATA)

Bilateral Interline Traffic Agreement

Certificate of Airworthiness C of R

Certificate of Registration

Counterindemnity Agreement (BSP)

Civil Aviation Authority

Civil Aviation Administration of China

Cargo Conference

Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation

Computer Assisted Passenger Pre- screening System

Cargo-IMP     

Cargo Interchange Message Procedures

Computer Aided Software Engineering

Clear Air Turbulence

Categories defined by ICAO for bad weather landings

Cargo Agency Training Board

Customs and Border Protection

Cargo Business Processes Panel

Computer Based Training

Continuous Descent Approach

Controlled Flight Into Terrain

Central Flow Management Unit

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Cargo Network Services Corporation (wholly owned subsidiary of IATA)

Communications

Computer Reservations System

Common Use Self-Service

Common User Terminal Equipment

Cockpit Voice Recorder

Digital Flight Data Recorder

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (various countries)

Dangerous Goods Regulations

US Department of Transportation (also refers to Dept of Transport in many countries)

European Action Group

European Aviation Suppliers Organisation

European ATC Harmonisation and Integration Programme

European Business Aviation Association

European Civil Aviation Conference

Group of National Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations within the EU

Electronic Data Interchange

European Regions Airlines Association

Electronic Ticketing

Emissions Trading Scheme

European Union

EUROCONTROL

European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation

Federal Aviation Administration

Facilitation

FDA Flight Data Analysis

Flight Data Recorder

International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association

Flight Information Region

Flight Management System

Flight Operations Quality Assurance

Fedération Universelle des Associations d'Agences de Voyages

Global Aviation Security Action Group

General Agreement on Trade in Services (under WTO)

Global Distribution System

Global Navigation Satellite Systems

Global Positioning System (US)

Ground Proximity Warning System

General Sales Agent

Ground Service Provider

Greater Toronto Airport Authority

High Frequency

International Air Carrier Association

International Airline Passengers Association

International Air Transport Association

International Airlines Travel Agent Network (wholly owned subsidiary of

International Airline Training Fund

International Civil Aviation Organisation

IATA Currency Clearance Service

IATA Clearing House

International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations

International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations

In-flight security personnel

Instrument Landing System

IATA Operational Safety Audit

International Standards Organisation

International Transport Workers Federation

International Telecommunication Union

Joint Aviation Authorities (European)

Japan Action Group

Joint Aviation Requirements

Latin American Civil Aviation Commission

Man Portable Air Defense Systems

Multilateral Interline Traffic Agreements

Microwave Landing System

Ministry of Transport (various countries)

Memorandum of Understanding

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

PAAST Pan-American Aviation Safety Team

PAConf Passenger Agency Conference

PATA Pacific Asia Travel Association

PNR Passenger Name Record

PRM Persons with Reduced Mobility

Radio Frequency Identification

RNAV Area Navigation

RNP Required Navigation Performance

Revenue Passenger Kilometers

RSVM Reduced Vertical Separation Minima

RTKM Revenue Tonne Kilometre

SATCOM Satellite Communications System

SMS Safety Management Systems

SeMS Security Management Systems

SES Single European Sky

StB Simplifying the Business

SITA Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques

SPT Simplifying Passenger Travel

SST Super Sonic Transport

STEADES Safety Trend Evaluation, Analysis & Data Exchange System

STB Simplifying the Business

TCAA Transatlantic Common Aviation Area

TCAS Traffic Collision Avoidance System (US-FAA)

TSA Transportation Security Administration

TWIC Transport Worker ID Card

TWOV Transit Without Visa

UATP Universal Air Travel Plan

UFTAA Universal Federation of Travel Agents' Associations

VAT Value-added Tax

VHF Very High Frequency

VSAT Vectoral Satellite

World Health Organisation

WTO World Tourism Organisation

WTO-OMC World Trade Organisation (formerly GATT)

WTTC World Travel and Tourism Council

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The Travel Glossary - find the best Terms, Definitions and Acronyms

Travel terms, glossary, definitions and acronyms of the travel industry from A – Z. Click on a letter to see the terms and descriptions in our glossary.

A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H     I     J     K     L     M     N     O     P     Q     R     S     T     U     V     W     X     Y     Z

Add-collect, adjoining room.

Average Daily Rate. A hotel industry term used to calculate average hotel room rate. Equal to room revenue divided by rooms sold.

advance purchase

The advance time before travel that a fare requires a ticket to be issued, normally 3,7,14 or 21 days.

Agent Error. An incorrect entry made by a consultant during the reservation process.

AEA (see “Association of European Airlines”)

A US based travel agency that has entered into an agreement with BCD Travel to use the BCD Travel trademarks and provide travel services to customers in the affiliate’s territory.

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)

An independent corporation jointly owned by most of the major United States airlines; ARC collects payments for tickets sold by travel agencies and distributes the monies to the airlines; ARC also governs appointment of travel agencies to sell domestic air transportation.

airport code

The three-letter code used by airlines and the air travel industry to identify airports around the world, e.g. LHR=London Heathrow, JFK=New York John F. Kennedy. http://www.world-airport-codes.com/

airport security check

Airport security checks are procedures and measures for screening passengers and baggage to ensure security against terrorist threats and other dangers.  Find out how to get through quickly

airport tax

Tax levied by certain airports throughout the world. In many cases this can be built into the total ticket price, although some airlines will not co-operate, thus making payable locally by the passenger.

On outbound journey’s, airside includes all those areas of the airport terminal after you have passed through passport control. On inbound journey’s, airside includes all those areas of the terminal before you pass through passport control.

A short-hop aircraft for up to 20 passengers, usually flying unscheduled services with a 200 / 500-mile range.

all-inclusive

A hotel program which usually includes all meals, snacks, beverages and activities.

A joint partnership between specified carriers which may include, but not limited to, interlining, code-sharing, joint frequent flyer program participation, and even equity participation of stock ownership.

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, a government-subsidized corporation that operates all passenger train service in the United States.

Automatic Number Identification. A contact center term for a telephone network feature that passes that number of the phone the caller is using to the contact center, real-time.

American Plan. A hotel rate that includes breakfast and dinner, sometimes lunch.

Asia Pacific. A geographical term used interchangeably with ASPAC and often used in reference to the entire Asian market.

Advance Purchase Excursion Fare

applicable fare

The fare to be applied.

Accounts Receivable. Money which is owed by a customer to a company for products or services provided on credit.

ARC (see “Airlines Reporting Corporation”)

An eight-digit identification number issued by ARC to travel agencies who have met accreditation standards.

Arrival Unknown. An ARNK is added to a reservation when there is a break in the itinerary and continuity is not recognized; it does count as a segment when ticketing.

Around-the-world

A continuous journey circumnavigating the globe in one general west-to-east or east-to-west direction in which both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are crossed not more than once each.

ARR (see “Average room rate”)

Asia South Pacific. A geographic term used interchangeably with APAC.

Automated Ticket & Boarding Pass. IATA standard transportation ticket and combined boarding pass which features a magnetic strip containing passenger and journey details.

Average Ticket Price. The average price of all tickets purchased; domestic and international are sometimes calculated separately.

availability

The total number of seats allowed to be sold at a particular rate.

average room rate (ARR)

Ratio of hotel’s sales revenue to the number of occupied rooms.

back-to-back ticketing

An against-the-rules practice whereby a traveler books a return ticket nested inside another return ticket to avoid minimum stay requirements for the purpose of saving money. For example, the traveler uses the first ticket to fly from origin to destination on Monday in week 1, then he uses the second ticket to fly from destination to origin on Friday in week 1 and back to destination on Monday in week 2, and then he uses the first ticket again to fly back to origin on Friday in week 2. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided. While this will sometimes save money, most airlines do not allow this practice and doing so might result in penalties.

backtracking

Having to return to your original airport of entry in a country to make the return trip home. A time-consuming and costly procedure to overcome by arranging an op-jaw itinerary, which allows you to fly out to one point and return from another.

Carry-on-baggage and checked baggage have many restrictions. Most notable are the number and size of the baggage. Many airlines allow only 1 carry-on bag, plus one personal item (purse, back-pack, computer bag). For checked baggage restrictions and fees, refer to the carrier’s website for details.

banker’s buying rate (BBR)

Exchange rate used to convert from one currency to another; called the ‘buying rate’ because it is the rate used when banks purchase currency from an individual

banker’s selling rate (BSR)

Exchange rate used to convert from one currency to another; called the ‘buying rate’ because it is the rate used when banks sell currency to an individual

Best Available Rate. A hotel industry pricing method for yielding room rates (floating) based on demand while ensuring the best rate is presented for sale to agents, consumers.

A fare without tax.

Measurement of hotel occupency.

blackout dates

Certain dates or periods when travel on specific fares is not permitted (usually holidays).

blocked space

Multiple reservations, often subject to deposit forfeiture, which wholesalers or travel agents make with a supplier in anticipation of resale.

boarding pass

A permit to board a ship, plane, or other form of transportation. In the case of air travel, the card indicates boarding gate and aircraft seat number.

booking code

A letter code used to make an airline reservation at a particular fare level in a computerized reservation system. (CRS/GDS)

Bank Settlement Plan. Outside the USA, a system by which the travel agent community pays carriers for tickets it issues.

Business Travel Account. If a company has a corporate credit card program where certain purchases such as air, rail, and associated transaction fees are centrally billed to one “master” credit card number, this is referred to as the Business Travel Account (BTA). This account allows for the purchase of certain air travel expenses for corporate employees without the need to issue individual credit cards to each traveler for the designated expenses. Because the account has no physical card, it’s often called a “ghost card.”

BTC (see “Business Travel Center”)

Business Travel News. A travel industry publication that delivers news and research to the corporate travel population.

bucket shop

An unlicensed, unbonded travel agency used by some airlines to dispose of excess capacity seats that are available on certain flights.

buffer zone

For taxation purposes, an extension of the US border 225 miles north into Canada and 225 miles south into Mexico border; all cities within this area are assessed the 7.5% US domestic tax when tickets are purchased and sold in the US.

A net fare contract for certain number of seats. Similar to blocked space except that the tour operator, wholesaler, or travel agent usually contracts for airline seats at a low, non-commissioned price without the option of releasing space back to the airline.

A partition (usually a wall) on an airplane separating compartments.

Travel slang for the removal of a passenger from a flight through overbooking; usually applied to those holding concessionary tickets.

bundled pricing

A pricing proposal, always a transaction fee, where elements other than air (e.g. car hire, hotel, rail) are included in the fee with the air transaction.

business class

Level of airline service between First class and Economy class. On European routes business class has now replaced first class as premier service level. Most airlines have their own brand names. (e.g. British Airways – Club World and Club Europe: Air France – Le Club etc.)

Business Travel Center (BTC)

Standard full service and online service in a local call center, undedicated, team environment.

Business Travel Management

Business travel management is the process of planning, organizing, and overseeing business travel for an organization. This includes booking travel arrangements, managing expenses, and developing policies and procedures for business travel.

cancellation policy

The advance time a hotel requires a booking to be canceled by to avoid being billed for the room

carrier (CXR)

Another term for airline.

Credit Card. A system of payment whereby the issuer of the card grants a line of credit to the cardholder, to be used to make payment to a merchant or to withdraw cash.

Collision Damage Waiver. An industry term for optional insurance provided by car rental companies that eliminates all responsibility of the driver in an accident.

centralized billing

System under which a travel supplier, credit card company, agency or other supplier consolidates all costs/charges incurred by different employees or departments into one total invoice.

change of equipment

Also known as “change of gauge”. A single flight number used to represent flights on two different aircraft; usually on international destinations.

Notification to an airline or hotel that a traveler has arrived to take a flight or stay at a hotel; some airlines provide curbside check-in while others only allow check-in at the ticket counter.

Advice to a hotel that a guest is leaving the property and usually includes payment for the stay.

A traveler who has had his/her second birthday, but not yet his/her twelfth birthday (this definition may vary by carrier).

Churning refers to any repeated booking or canceling of the same itinerary in the same class or different classes of service in one or more PNRs or GDS.

circle pacific

Travel from IATA Area 1 (North and/or South America) to IATA Area 3 (Asia, Australia, South Pacific) by way of the North Pacific Ocean in one direction, via the South Pacific Ocean in the opposite direction, and at least one flight within IATA Area 3 that crosses the Equator.

circle trip (CT)

A journey from origin to destination with a return to origin in a continuous, circuitous route using two or more fare components

The orgin (from) and arrival (to) points of a trip, usually by air or train.

city terminal

Airline office, usually city center, where passengers may check-in, receive seating details and board special bus/ taxi/ helicopter/ rail/ shuttle services to the airport.

class of service

The interior of an aircraft is divided into sections, each with a different level of service and amenities; common classes of service are first, business, and economy.

Cruise Lines International Association. An association dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry.

Section of a hotel offering higher security and special facilities either for a premium payment or as an incentive/ privilege for frequent users.

club ticket

Fully flexible, redeemable business class ticket valid one year from date of issue. Phrase used primarily in the U.K.

Another term for bus.

Close of Business. A term meaning the end of the business day.

A marketing agreement between two airlines (very common amongst airlines that have an alliance) where a seat is purchased on one airline (the selling carrier), but the flight is actually operated by a different airline (the operating carrier).

combination

Two or more fares shown separately in a fare calculation.

Computerized Reservation System

System used to book and process travel reservations, also known as a Global Distribution System (GDS).

A hotel employee who attends to guests’ needs for special information, theater and restaurant reservations, and any other special requests.

connecting flight

A flight which the passenger must change aircraft.

A stop in a given city for less than 4 hours (domestic US); less than 12 hours (domestic US as part of an international journey); less than 24 hours (international); continuing on the next applicable flight to an onward destination; designated by X/ in a linear fare construction line.

conjunction ticket

Two or more tickets concurrently issued to a passenger and which together constitute a single contract of carriage.

connecting rooms

Two rooms that are side-by-side that have a common connecting interior door.

consolidation fare

A group inclusive tour fare available to travel agents and other operators to construct packages to destinations which are inclusive of accomodation. Consolidation fares, although group fares, are for sale to individual passengers.

consolidator

A person or company which forms groups to travel on charter or at group fares on scheduled flights to increase sales, earn override commissions or reduce the chance of tour cancellations.

A group of independent companies that join together to gain greater profits.

construction point

A city through which fares have been combined for the purpose of pricing an itinerary; a destination city or a turnaround point; a fare break shown on the ticket.

A contact center term for an individual who is calling or visiting your company by phone or through the website, and who is requesting an interaction with an agent.

contact center

An umbrella term that generally refers to reservations centers, help desks, information lines or customer service centers, regardless of how they are organized or what types of transactions they handle.

continental breakfast

A light breakfast of such things as coffee, pastry and sometimes juice.

contract fare / contract discount

A discounted fare agreed upon by the client and a carrier; contract fares require a client give the carrier a certain percentage of its business in all markets.

corporate fare

A discounted airfare for business travelers.

corporate rate

A special rate negotiated between a supplier (hotel or car for example) and a company.

corporate hotel rate

Learn how to get corporate hotel rates .

Corporate Travel Department (CTD)

A CTD (Corporate Travel Department) establishes a direct purchasing relationship between the company and its travel suppliers. The accrediting body, ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation) authorizes the company to function as its own “travel agency” and control it’s financial settlement.

co-terminals

A group of cities/airports considered to be the same point; example: JFK/LGA/EWR.

country of commencement (COC)

The country in which a journey begins; the base fare is converted from NUCs into the currency of the Country of Commencement by using the IATA ROE.

country of payment (COP)

The country in which a ticket is being purchased; the base fare is converted from the currency of the Country of Commencement into the currency of the country of payment using the Bank Rate if the countries are not the same.

Cost Per Mile. A calculation of the average price paid per mile.

Cost Per Transaction. A calculation of the total cost a company incurs for generating a customer transaction.

Customer Relationship Management. A term used for a database that is used to house and maintain customer information.

CRS (see “Computerized Reservation System”)

Corporate Social Responsibility . A concept whereby companies consider the impact to society and the environment of their actions.

Central Security Record. A hotel industry term for the name of the Viewership Management Table used to maintain a list of offices authorized to access a client’s negotiated hotel rates.

Central Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Central Time or CT.

Corporate Travel Department. A company’s in-house travel agency that purchases air transportation and related travel services on behalf of its own employees.

Computer Telephony Integration. A contact center term for the software, hardware, and programming necessary to integrate computers and telephones so they can work together seamlessly and intelligently.

A checkpoint at which imported goods are verified for legality and value.

Data Release Authorization (DRA)

Under a DRA, Client instructs, as of the date specified, BCD Travel to receive, process, and/or transfer certain personal travel data from Client’s travelers, including, but not limited to, transactional ticket-level, segment-level, and traveler-level information, which may include, without limitation, traveler name and address, origination and destination, corporate and/or personal credit card number, passport number, drivers license, travel preferences, and other special needs or any other sensitive data as may be provided by or behalf of the travelers (“Travel Data”).

Decision Source (DS)

A BCD Travel product that allows our customers to interact with their reservation data.

delegate rate

An inclusive rate for meetings on a daily basis. Twenty-four hour delegate rate also includes accommodation. Phrase primarily used in the U.K.

denied boarding compensation (DBC)

Commonly called “bumping,” – When more passengers arrive to take a flight than can actually fit on the plane; although legal, the carrier is only responsible for providing compensation to a traveler if he/she has a confirmed reservation and is checked in and has arrived at the departure gate within a pre-determined time period; compensation may be in cash or in a voucher for future travel; passengers who voluntarily relinquish their seats are compensated with a cash payment or voucher towards a future trip and are then accommodated on the next available flight; if an airline delivers a bumped passenger to his/her destination within an hour of the originally-scheduled time, no compensation is required.

deregulation

Originally applied to American air travel: in 1978, federal law phased out the civil Aeronautics Board and stopped government intervention or regulation of airline routes and fares.

destination

The final stopping place as shown on the ticket; the furthest point on a fare component used to price an itinerary.

Destination Management Company

Company, possibly an incoming tour operator, who organizes local ground services at destination.

differential

The difference between the fares for two different classes of service between two cities; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

direct fare

The fare for one-way or half round-trip travel visa the shortest route operated between two cities.

direct flight

A flight from origin to destination that makes one or more intermediate stops, but passengers do not change planes.

directional fare

Fare valid only in a specified direction of travel.

discount fare

Transportation fare lower than the full published tariff for an airline’s route. A discount fare usually entails certain stipulations regarding purchase or travel (space availbility).

DMC (see “Destination Management Company”)

Domestic travel.

Travel wholly within any one country; typically used to designate intra-US travel.

A hotel room with two double beds and/or accommodating 2-4 people.

double booking

The practice of making reservations for two or more flights, cars or hotels as a type of backup; considered to be unethical.

double occupancy

The way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room, as well.

double open jaw (DOJ)

Travel in which the outbound departure point and arrival and the inbound point of departure and arrival are not the same.

To move a passenger to a lower class of service or accommodation.

drop-off charge

A fee charged for dropping a rental car at a different location from where it was picked up.

Being exempt from any import tax.

economy class

The rear area of the aircraft in which passengers having paid one of the lower fare types are seated.

electronic miscellaneous document – Associated (EMD-A)

Document that allows for the fulfillment of all flight related services and fees (such as bags, seats, meals, etc.). An EMD or EMD-A is linked to a specific eticket coupon in the airline’s database.

electronic miscellaneous document – Standalone (EMD-S)

Non-flight related services (such as lounge access or change fee collection) a stand alone EMD, a EMD-S is issued. To issue an EMD-S a manually created service segment must be in the PNR. Specific services that can be charged on an EMD-S is dependent on the airline’s own requirements.

electronic ticket (eticket)

An airline transportation ticket that is entirely in a GDS; no physical ticket is required for travel.

EMD (see “electronic miscellaneous document”)

Endorsement.

Permission from the plating carrier, the ticketed carrier or the carrier losing air space for the traveler to use the flight coupon(s) for travel on another airline at no additional cost; usually only required for international tickets.

end-on-end combination

A special type of combination in which two round trip fares are combined to produce a complete itinerary.

In this example, the passenger buys a round trip ticket from AAA to BBB (Rule 1), and a separate round trip fare from BBB to CCC (Rule 2). The net effect is to travel from AAA to CCC, but breaking the fare at BBB, which may in some cases be less expensive than the round trip (through) fare from AAA to CCC.

equivalent fare paid

An amount converted into the currency of the country of payment when the published fare is in a currency other than that of the country of payment.

ERA (see “European Regions Airline Association”)

Eastern Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Eastern Time or ET.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization. ESTA is a free, automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program. The ESTA application collects the same information collected on Form I-94W. ESTA applications may be submitted at anytime prior to travel, though it is recommended travelers apply when they begin preparing travel plans.

Estimated Time of Arrival. A measure of when an object is expected to arrive at a certain place.

Estimated Time of Departure or Delivery. The expected start time of a particular journey or the expected delivery of a good or service.

e-ticket (see “electronic ticket”)

Electronic Ticket Record.

European Regions Airline Association

Association which aims to identify, protect and promote the interests of regional air transport in Europe. Over 170 memebers including airlines, aircraft manufacturers and airports. www.eraa.org

excess baggage

Baggage in excess of the allowable number, size or weight.

The process of reissuing a ticket due to a change of flight, fare basis, dates or routing.

excursion fare

Round-trip fare with restrictions, such as minimun and maximum stays and the need to purchase well in advance.

executive card

Types of privilege cards available to frequent users of airlines, hotel chains, car rental companies, etc. Most carry benefits and have their own brand names, e.g. British Airways Executive Blue, Executive Silver, Executive Gold and Premier.

executive room

Higher grade than standard room and usually slightly larger, the executive room often has additional facilities for the business traveler such as trouser press, desk etc. and may be located on a separate Executive Club Floor.

Expatriot (or expat)

An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person’s upbringing or legal residence.

explant/ outplant/ offsite

Branch office dedicated to serving a single client that is not located on the client’s premises, but rather operates as a separate part of a BTC.

familiarization tour

A complimentary or reduced-rate travel program for travel agents, airline or rail employees, which is designed to acquaint participants with specific destinations. Often known as “Fam-Trips”.

family plan

A hotel rate that allows children to stay free with adults in the same room.

A combination of letters and numbers used to identify a fare type which may also indicate the rules of the fare

fare component

A fare between two points.

fare ladder

A vertically-written fare construction that includes fare components, surcharges and additional amounts collected.

• fee – bundled air transaction fee An air transaction fee that includes the costs associated with servicing air, hotel and car transactions. Therefore, hotel and car only bookings (not to exceed XX% of air bookings) are not charged a transaction fee.
• fee – management fee Fee assessed in addition to direct costs. Covers primarily overhead and profit. Can be assessed as % of sales, per transaction or fixed amount.
• fee – management fee structure (formerly cost plus offering) Client fee arrangement whereby direct expenses are passed through to the client in addition to management fee. Management fee could be % of sales, fixed fee, or per transaction.
• fee – online booking tool fee (PNR fee) Charged per unique reserved PNR. Additional fees may be assessed for transactions booked on a website accessed via the online booking tool.
• fee – online transaction fee (e-fulfillment fee) Charged per online transaction – that excludes any ‘flow through costs’ charged by the online booking tool provider.
• fee – transaction fee structure Client fee arrangement whereby client is billed per transaction for all major program costs including direct expenses and contribution to overhead and profit, usually at POS.
• fee – unbundled (menu) transaction fee Separately charged per each type of transaction, e.g. hotel, car, rail and air. AM and MIS costs might also be charged separately.

final destination

The last point on an itinerary/fare component.

first class

The cabin on an aircraft where there are fewer seats, more elaborate service and amenities.

FIT (see “Fully Independent Traveler”)

Flag carrier.

The airline that internationally represents a given country; sometimes financed or owned by the government.

flight coupon

A section of an airline ticket; one flight coupon is required to take each flight.

flight/time specific

A fare rule that requires a to fly on a specific flight or at a specific time of day.

FOI (see “Form of Indemnity”)

Form of Payment. The method of payment for a transaction.

form of indemnity

A form that needs to be completed by the passenger in order to claim refund in respect of an air ticket that has been misplaced or stolen.

frequent flyer number

Find out what a frequent flyer number is and how to get one

frequent flyer program

An airline loyalty program that provides awards to travelers who use an airline or its partners.

frequent guest program

A hotel loyalty program that provides awards to guests who use a hotel chain.

frequent renter program

A car rental loyalty program that provides services (such as fast pickup) to those who use a car rental vendor.

front office (FO)

An industry term used for products associated with customer-facing activities. The GDS is a front office system.

fuel surcharge

A surcharge assessed for fuel use applicable for travel between specified points and/or for departure from a specified city.

Hotel rate with accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

full economy

This is a fully flexible, fully refundable ticket which is valid for one year from date of issue in economy class.

full exchange

Change an already ticketed reservation, with no flown flight segments.

full to full exchange

Change to a ticketed reservation when no segments are flown and the change is to any segment other than the outbound flights. Or when a segment has been flown and there is a change to a remaining flight segment. In either of these instances, the FULL value of the original ticket must be exchanged for the ‘combined’ FULL value of the new ticket.

fully independent traveler

A traveler / tourist not part of a tour group.

One of the world’s CRSs (GDSs).

Area in an airport where passengers for a flight gather before boarding their flight or deplane on arrival.

gateway city

The last domestic city from which a passenger departs prior to arriving at an international destination; the first point of arrival in a given country (e.g., on the journey SFO-CHI-FRA-MUC, CHI and FRA are gateway cities).

GDS (see “ Global Distribution System “)

Gds operations (gdso).

An industry term for computer reservation systems that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines.

GEBTA (see “Guild of European Business Travel Agents)

In the credit card industry a system used by corporations whereby travel related charges made through designated travel agencies are centrally billed but no plastic card actually exists. Often referred to as “Lodge card” in Europe.

global distribution system

An industry term for computer reservation systems that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines.  Learn more

global indicator

Two-letter code used to identify the direction of travel applicable to a given fare.

governing carrier

The airline whose fares and rules are used on a given itinerary.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

Solar based time in Greenwich, England, from which time in all other time zones in the world is based.

ground time

The time not flying.

A booking solution that allows the booking and managing of all ground transportation services, such as limousines, executive sedans, taxis, vans and parking services.

A fare that offers discounts to groups of varying minimum sizes in selected markets, with various conditions, and usually require round trip travel within a specified time limit.

guaranteed hotel reservations

This means that the hotel will hold the room all night. However if the room is not required, failure to cancel will result in a charge. Where reservations are made on an ad hoc basis, rather than through a regular account arrangement, a credit card number will be required to effect this guaranteed reservation.

Hotel rate for accommodation, breakfast and one other meal.

half round trip fare

Half of a fare designated for use on round-trip journeys.

Fee or tax some countries or cities levy on arriving or departing travelers.

Half of the globe; the North and South hemispheres are divided by the Equator; the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans divide the East and West hemispheres.

higher intermediate point (HIP)

A pair of cities within a one-way or half round-trip fare component that has a direct fare higher than the direct fare between the origin and destination of the fare component; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

hotel sourcing

Hotel sourcing or procurement is the process of identifying, negotiating and contracting with hotels to secure accommodations for a specific group, event or organization.

An airport at which an airline centers many of its schedules, particularly connecting flights to smaller destinations.

(see “International Air Transport Association”)*

IATA Number (see “ARC Number”)

Iata rate of exchange (roe).

Rates of exchange designated by IATA to convert local currency to NUCs and to convert NUCs into the currency of commencement of travel.

ICAO (see “International Civil Aviation Organization”)

Interline e-ticket. An interline agreement between airlines that allow e-ticketing on each other’s flights. Interline agreement between airlines permitting travel service cooperation in areas such as: baggage transfer services, guaranteed connection times.

IGK (see “International Gatekeeper”)

Immigration.

Area at which a traveler’s documentation (e.g., Passport and Visa) are verified to ensure the traveler may enter the country.

implant (on-site)

Dedication operational team, based within an office of the client.

implementation

Phase of launching a new relationship, including e.g. opening a new location, training staff, installing technical equipment, and informing clients, travelers and travel arrangers.

inbound travelers

Travelers coming into a specified location are considered inbound. Travelers departing from the location are considered outbound.

A traveler who has not yet reached his/her second birthday.

Term used in the U.S. to describe an implant.

international departure taxes

Taxes levied on all travelers departing a country on an international journey that are, typically collected at the airport at the time of departure.

Between two airlines; TUS-HP-DEN-UA-LON is an interline journey.

interline baggage agreement

An agreement between two air carriers that a carrier will transfer baggage to the other carrier.

interline connection

When a passenger changes airlines as well as aircraft during a journey (same as off-line connection).

interline ticketing agreement

An agreement between two air carriers that permits air travel of one carrier to be on a ticket issued and/or ‘plated’ on another carrier.

intermediate point

A ticketed point of an international journey at which there is no fare break; an intermediate point may be a stopover or connection.

intermediate stop

An enroute stop at a city between the origin and destination (see also Direct Flight).

International Air Transport Association

The world trade association of international air carriers; appoints travel agencies to sell tickets; determines rules and regulations for international carriers. www.iata.org

International Civil Aviation Organization

Specialed agency of the United Nations with responsibility for civil aviation action in standardization, technical co-operation and the formulation of international aviation law. www.iaco.int

A chronological plan showing a traveler’s booked arrangement.

A special through fare (usually only internationally) that permits travel on two or more different airlines.

The origin to final destination of a fare construction.

BCD Travel provides support for KDS. KDS provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

On outbound journeys, landside includes all those areas of the terminal before you arrive at passport control. On inbound journeys, landside includes all those areas of the terminal after you’re through passport control.

last date of purchase

The date by which a ticket must be issued – fares are not guaranteed until tickets are issued.

last room availability (LRA)

A hotel industry term for ensuring a negotiated rate is always available when standard inventory is available or when the room type negotiated is available.

LDW (see “Loss Damage Waiver”)

One flight; one part of an entire journey.

Lowest Fare Routing. The least expensive airfare available to a destination.

local currency fare (LCF)

See Country Of Payment (COP).

locator reference

Unique identifying booking number used within a computer reservations system as part of a booking file.

In the credit card industry a system used by corporations whereby travel related charges made through designated travel agencies are centrally billed but no plastic card actually exists. Often referred to as “Ghost Card” in the U.S.

Loss Damage Waiver

Additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage.

low cost carrier (LCC)

An airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services.

lowest combination principle

Construction of a fare using a particular combination of sector fares to provide the lowest fare when there is no published fare between two points.

Marine Travel

Specialized travel services, available 24/7, provides travel arrangements (including helicopters and charter aircraft) for marine personnel.

Market Number (MK)

A code all online booking tools (OBTs) add at the time each reservation is made, as a way to track PNRs for online adoption and fulfillment purposes. It should never be removed once added to the PNR.

Married Segments

Two or more connecting flight segments joined, or “married,” meaning that these segments are inseparable and the subsequent rebooking or cancellation of any one flight segment must, at the same time, be applied to the connecting flight segment.

maximum permitted mileage (MPM)

The number of miles that may be flown on a published direct fare between origin and destination; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

maximum stay

The maximum amount of time a traveler may stay at a destination before return is required.

MCO (see “Miscellaneous Change Order”)

Meetings, Incentives and Corporate Events. An industry term for a department within a company that offers meeting planning services to customers. BCD Travel’s department is called BCD M&E

midoffice (MO)

An industry term for the management information (MIS) portion of a travel agency’s system.

mileage fare

A fare based on the total miles flown from the origin to destination; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

mileage surcharge

A percentage of fare increase applied to a fare because the routing exceeds the maximum permitted mileage; the percentage is in 5% increments to a maximum of 25%; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

minimum connection time

The amount of time required to change planes; varies by airport and often varies by carrier.

minimum stay

The minimum time a travel traveler must stay at a destination (or be gone ‘away from home’ internationally) before return travel can commence.

miscellaneous charge order (MCO)

An accountable document issued by a travel agency or airline as proof of payment for a specific fee (such as pet service fee) or as residual amount of an exchange (higher priced ticket exchanged for a lower priced ticket) to be used on a future purchase.

Mountain Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Mountain Time or MT.

National Business Travel Association

U.S. business travel association which is a member of IBTA. www.nbta.org

NBTA (see “National Business Travel Association”)

New distribution capability. Read more

negotiated fare/rate

This is a term used by travel agents to descibe reduced airfares that have been negotiated by their air fare specialists on behalf of clients.

neutral units of construction (NUC)

An imaginary currency established by IATA that allows fares of different currencies to be added together; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

Non Last Room Availability. A hotel industry term for restricting availability of a negotiated rate when occupancy levels are high. Negotiated room rate is not guaranteed to be available.

Net Operating Income. A financial term for the amount by which operating revenue exceeds operating expenses in a specific accounting period.

non-endorsable

This expression often appears in the endorsements box of an airline ticket and it means that the flight coupon on which the worlds appear may be used only on the services of the airline indicated.

non-refundable(NR)

A ticket issued on a fare that does not allow for a refund; most non-refundable tickets can be changed for a fee and any difference in fare.

normal fares

The full fare established for first, business, economy or an intermediate class and any other fares published designated as normal fares.

normal open jaw (NOJ)

Travel from a country and return to the same country with a surface sector at either the origin or turnaround point (single open jaw – SOJ) or at both the origin and the turnaround point (double open jaw – DOJ).

An airline passenger or hotel guest who fails to use and/or cancel a reservation.

National Transportation Safety Board. An independent US government agency that investigates accidents including aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads.

OBT and OBLT (see Online Booking Tool”)

Off-airport location.

Usually a car rental office serving an airport but physically located off the airport site (and often picking up renters at the airport in buses or taxis). When the office is located on-site, the term used is on airport location.

A destination that a carrier does not serve; see also Interline.

off-line connections

When a traveler changes airlines as well as aircraft during a journey (may also be referred to as interline connection). Changes of aircraft with the same airline are known as on-line connections.

offline transaction (traditional transaction)

A transaction that initated by an agent following a call/email request by a client.

Time of year or day of the week when travel is less common.

off-line point

Airline term to describe points (areas or cities) they do not serve.

off-loading

This occurs when an airline has over-booked: that is, it has sold more seats on a particular flight than the aircraft has to offer. The passengers to be off-loaded are usually those who have paid the lowest fares. Off-loaded passengers will normally qualify for denied boarding compensation. Passengers may also be off-loaded at the captain’s discretion if they are unfit to travel due to drink, drugs, illness or for bad behavior.

BCD Travel is a re-seller of onesto. On-esto provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

Online Booking Tool

A web-based platform allowing travelers to make self-service reservations (e.g. Cliqbook, GetThere).

operating carrier

In a codeshare, the airline providing the plane, crew and ground handling services.

online or online point

On the same carrier; TUS-UA-DEN-UA-LON is an online journey.

online adoption

An account’s use of their predetermined online booking tool.

online high touch transaction

A transaction that originates via an online booking tool, but then requires more than one agent intervention (one touch).

online low touch transaction

A transacion that originates via an online booking tool, and then requires agent intervention or manual review/processing that is initated by the customer.

online transaction fee

(E-fulfillment fee) A fulfillment fee canged per online trasaction – that excludes any ‘flow through costs’ charged by the online booking tool provider.

A BCD Travel office located at/on/in a client’s location.

Term used to describe the principle of showing a client the complete cash-flow cycle, including commissions and overrides.

open date sector

Part of a journey for which no firm reservation has been made (usually owing to changeable plans on the part of the traveler) but for which the fare has been paid.

open jaw ticket

Where passengers fly out to one destination and return from another. Open jaw arrangements save backtracking and make a trip more cost effective.

Much-used term for unrestricted air services between several countries.

open ticket

A ticket valid for transportation between two points but has no specific flight reservation.

originating carrier

The first airline of a passenger’s journey and/or portion of a trip.

Other Service Information. A GDS entry that provides information to a carrier that does not require action for traveler action such as contract discount code, record locators of additional family members traveling together (TCP), age information for children/infants, etc.

Travel from the point of origin to the farthest destination.

outplant (off-site)

Dedication operational team, based within a BTC office.

overbooking

Also known as bumping. Airlines and hotels can predict, with some accuracy, how many travelers/guests will show up for previously made reservations; when more people show up than what is expected, travelers/guests are re-accommodated; see also Denied Boarding Compensation.

Abbreviations for ‘passport and visa’ used in the U.K. Some affliates have a specialist team which advises on and acquires passports/visa on behalf of their clients.

Pacific Asia Travel Association

Association which aims to promote travel to Asia Pacific. www.pata.org

PAR (see “Passenger Account Record”)

Passenger account record.

In Galileo, the profile showing passenger information.

passenger facility charges

An airport-designated surcharge to raise funds for airport expansion, renovation, operating costs, etc.

passenger name record

Record held within a CRS/GDS which gives the personal details associated with a particular booking.

An official document issued by a government to its citizens that establishes an individual’s identity and nationality and enables travel abroad.

PATA (see “Pacific Asia Travel Association”)

Abbreviation for passengers.

Payment Card Industry. Security standards set to help protect account data information.

Time of year or day of the week when travel is most common.

A fee charged by a carrier or vendor for changing and/or canceling a reservation or ticket.

Per diem is a daily allowance given to an employee to cover business travel expenses such as lodging, meals and incidentals while traveling for the company. Learn more about per diem .

Penalty excursion fare. Public excursion fare are within minimum stay requirements, but which has no advanced purchase requirements.

PIR (see “Property Irregularity Report”)

Plate / plated.

See Validating Carrier.

PMS (see “Property Management System”)

Pnr (see “passenger name record”).

Purchase Order. A commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller that indicates the quantities and agreed upon prices for products / services.

point-to-point fares

De-regulation has led to a growing number of these on routes throughout the world. They are low fares in first, business, or economy class between two points by direct flights. Stopovers are usually, but not always, prohibited.

Point of Service or Point of Sale. The time and place in which a transaction is made.

prepaid ticket advice (PTA)

A form used when a person is buying a ticket that will be issued at the airport of the same or a different city. Example: A ticket purchased in Chicago to be picked up by the traveler in and for a departure from Buenos Aires.

pre-trip auditing

A product offered by travel management companies that allows for the review of travel itineries before departure to identify savings or prevent unnecessary expenditure.

pricing unit (PU)

A journey, or part of a journey which can be priced and ticketed as a separate entity; a round-trip, circle trip, one-way, normal open jaw or special open jaw; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

pricing unit concept (PUC)

An alternative method of fare construction for multiple-stopover journeys that uses pricing units; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

primary carrier

Airline flying the governing sector (prime segment).

prime segment

The first “true” international journey; often called the “over-the-water” segment; see also Gateway.

A computerized file containing company and traveler information.

promotional fare

A fare designed to attract passengers who would not otherwise travel.

proof of citizenship

Documentation that establishes nationality.

property irregularity report

Form submitted by passengers to ground handling agents at airports in the event of loss or damaged baggage.

property management system

Computer-based system for controlling hotel inventory, check-in and -out and billing.

Pacific Standard Time. A time zone in the US, also known as Pacific Time or PT.

PTA (see “Pre-paid Ticket Advice”)

Public fares (air).

Fares that anyone can obtain and is available in a regular fare display.

Quality of Service Index. An index developed by the Civil Aeronautics Board to provide a comparative rating of service offered by individual airlines.

A computer’s electronic filing system. Also a contact center term for the holding point for a number of calls or interactions that are waiting to be answered by an agent. The calls or interactions are usually assigned to available agents in a first-arrived, first-answered basis, but may also be assigned based on a company’s routing strategies.

queue group

A contact center term for a group of virtual queues. Also referred to as a DN Group or Group of Queues.

The official posted rate for each hotel room.

rate desk (see “International Rate Desk”)

Rate of exchange (roe) (see “iata rate of exchange”), rearden commerce.

BCD Travel is a referrer for Rearden. Rearden provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

reason codes (RC)

An industry term for codes used to document and report on traveler decisions and behavior.

reconfirmation

Particularly on international flights, passengers are required to indicate their intention of using the next leg of their itinerary by contacting the appropriate carrier before departure; internationally, reconfirmation is requested 72 hours prior to departure.

record locator

A computerized number that identifies a Passenger Name Record – PNR or other reservation; when speaking to travelers, usually called a confirmation number.

red-eye flight

Usually an overnight flight that arrives early in the morning – great when you don’t want to lose precious sightseeing time at your destination.

If necessary for a passenger to change journey en route, the ticket must be reissued. The value of the original ticket will be offset against the new fare and any extra or refund, calculated. Settlement can be direct with airline or with referral to the issuing agent.

BCD Travel is a re-seller for ResX. ResX provides an online booking platform for the confirmation of air, car, hotel and rail itineraries.

return journey

A journey for which the fare is assessed as a single pricing unit using half round-trip fares.

revalidation

If the passenger’s travel date or flight needs to be changed, without affecting the route, there is not always a need to reissue the ticket. The relevant flight coupon is simply revalidated by means of a revalidation sticker.

Revenue Per Available Room. A hotel industry measure that calculates room revenue divided by rooms available (occupancy times average room rate will closely approximate RevPAR.)

Rate Loading Instructions. A hotel industry term for the instructions provided to hotel properties for loading client-specific or TMC-specific rate codes as displayed in the GDS.

room with facilities

Describes a hotel room which has a bathroom en-suite. In some smaller two-star or three-star hotels facilities may refer to toilet and washbasin only.

round-the-world (RTW) (see “Around-the-World”)

A trip that begins and ends in the same city with no un-flown portions; internationally, with the same dollar amount on both portions .

route deal / route incentive

An agreement between a corporate customer and an airline. The agreement allows for an incentive payment to be made to the cient by the airline as a reward for loyalty.

The carrier and/or cities and/or class of service and/or aircraft type via which transportation is provided between two points.

routing fare

A fare based on a specified routing.

run-of-the-house (ROH)

A flat rate for which a hotel offers any of its available rooms.

Schengen Visa

A special visa that permits holders to travel to any of the 25 Schengen member countries on a single visa (rather than obtaining a visa for each country. It is only issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain a visa before entering Europe for leisure, tourism or business travel. Schengen Visa holders are not permitted to live permanently or work in Europe. The following countries are currently active Schengen Visa members: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

A specific time of year for a fare; High Season is the most popular time of year to travel to a specific destination and fares are more expensive at that time; Low Season is the least popular time of year to travel to a specific destination and fares are less expensive at that time; Fares affected by seasonality are usually indicated as such by fare basis coding and/or seasonality details listed in the fare’s rules.

The distance between aircraft seats, measured in inches and commonly used to show a passenger’s legroom.

security surcharge

Surcharge assessed by a carrier to cover costs of airport and in-flight security.

secondary carrier

Airline(s) flying the sectors preceding and/or succeeding the prime segment.

A journey from one point to another.

A flight; see Leg.

self-service reservations

Situation where the traveler makes his/her own reservations. A reservation generated by the customer using an online booking tool.

selling carrier

In a codeshare, the airline offering the flight for sale, under their vendor code

service fee

A fee charged by a travel agency to a company/individual for travel services.

Service Level Agreement

An agreement stating measurable performance commitments made to our customers.

Regular or schedulable bus/van transportation such as from an airport to a downtown location; regular air service on heavily-traveled routes (e.g., BOS-LGA).

A journey from and/or to an enroute point of a fare component.

Accommodations designed for one person.

SLA (see “Service Level Agreement”)

Designated take-off and landing times allocated to airlines at certain airports.

soft opening

Period when new hotel is open for business although not entirely finished – some services of facilities may not yet operate.

Standard Operating Procedure. A set of instructions that define the official standard for a specific process or situation.

Scope of Services. A document that defines the number, type, and intensity or complixity of services to be provided.

space available

Confirmation of a reservation subject to availability at the last moment.

special needs

Atypical traveler needs such as a special meal or wheelchair service.

split ticket(ing)

Issuance of two or more tickets usually for the purpose of obtaining a lower fare; usually applied to international itineraries to take advantage of fare and/or currency conversion differences.

Spouse fare

This type of are applies to selected destinations on a round-trip only basis and offers a discount of 50% to the spouse of a full first class or business class passenger. Economy passengers also qualify where there is no business fare.

SSR (see “Self Service Reservation”)

Special Service Request. A GDS request for a carrier to provide additional action for a traveler such as special meal, ticket number transmission, wheelchair, etc.

standard room

The normal hotel room type, generally with television, and en-suite bathroom.

A passenger on waitlist or one prepared to travel if space becomes available at the last moment.

Interruption of travel for more than domestic US – 4 hours; domestic US as part of an international journey – 12 hours; international – 24 hours .

stopover charge

An additional fee assessed for making a stopover.

STP (see “Satellite Ticket Printer”)

Any extra literature included with the delivery of travel documents.

sub-journey

A self-contained pricing unit that is combined end-on-end with another self-contained pricing unit on the same ticket; this fare construction principle is only used internationally.

surcharge (Q)

An airline-imposed fee included in fare calculations; see also Excess Mileage Surcharge, Fuel Surcharge, and Security Surcharge.

surface sector

Travel from one point or another not by air (ARNK – which stands for Arrival Not Known).

Travel 24. A BCD Travel department that services customers 24 hours a day when their normal business office is closed.

Ticket Fulfillment Location. An industry term for a virtual ticket printer that is shared by various BCD Travel ARC ticketing locations on the same GDS.

through fare

A fare applicable for transportation via an enroute city(ies) between the origin and destination of the fare that allows for intermediate points of travel.

A contract of carriage for an airline to transport a passenger from one point to another.

ticket on departure

Transportation ticket collected at the point of departure such as an airline ticket counter at an airport.

ticketed point

A city for which a flight coupon has been issued.

time and mileage rate

Car rental rate based on fixed charge for the rental period plus a charge for each kilometer or mile driven during the period of the rental.

TOD (see “Ticket on Departure”)

Tourist card.

A registration form required by certain countries indicating a traveler’s intended stay; used in lieu of a Visa and common in Latin America.

transaction

A Ticket issued; defined as all airline and rail tickets (electronic and paper) issued by BCD Travel or reserved by BCD Travel through a third party, regardless of whether the ticket is subsequently used, refunded, or voided in whole or in part. Cancellation of a reservation before a ticket is issued is not considered a transaction. Optional: Hotel and car booking made, regardless of whether or not the traveler uses the hotel or car reservation.

transaction – domestic air

Domestic – travel between two destinations that are within the same country. e.g. Frankfurt to Berlin

transaction – regional air

Regional – Travel within the same continent. e.g. Madrid to London

transaction – international air

International – Travel between two continents. e.g. New York to London

transaction – offline – traditional

A transaction that is initiated by an agent following a call/email request by a client

transaction – online high touch

Transaction – online low touch.

A transaction that originates via an online booking tool and then requires agent intervention or manual review/processing that is initiated by the customer.

transaction – online no touch

“Touchless E-fulfillment transaction” An electronic transaction entirely processed through an online booking tool and BCD central fulfillment service, without any agent intervention and where invoicing is provided via email.

A point at which the passenger changes aircraft; if the change is to/from the same carrier, it is an online transfer; if the change is to/from different carriers, it is an interline transfer.

transit lounge

An area within an airport for the sole purpose of international flight connections; travelers do not clear immigration or customs to enter the transit lounge as it is considered to be an international point.

transit point

Any stop at an intermediate point which does not fall into the definition of a stopover whether or not a change of planes is involved.

Travel Management Company

A travel management company (TMC) is a company that provides corporate travel services to businesses.

A BCD Travel umbrella brand name for our technology suite, which includes a variety of products listed below. read more

• TripSource:Active Itinerary A single point of access for traveler and travel arrangers for active and historical travel detail, including real time flight status, itinerary details, destination information and invoicing, billing and expense information.
• TripSource:Flight Alert Keeps travelers informed & productive while on the road by providing flight status information, including delays and real-time gate changes, for BCD Travel bookings.
• TripSource:Fulfillment Drive touch-less transactions with as little human intervention as possible while driving traveler contact behavior to minimize touches.
• TripSource:Portal (TSP) A comprehensive global solution to address traveler needs, travel program and corporation objectives. Arming travelers with rich content, productivity tools and critical safeguards for business travel, TripSource:Portal empowers travel programs as a centralized communications vehicle to deliver relevant, timely information and critical alerts to targeted audiences. The Portal expands traveler services while aligning program needs to drive savings, support business objectives and avoid corporate travel program risks.
• TripSource:Profile Manager (TSPM) Drives optimal data management by integrating profile management and online booking, and promoting secure web-based self-service maintenance of traveler-level detail.
• TripSource:Quality Measurement (TSQM) Ensures a means to track and manage supplier & transaction quality in addition to resolution of client concerns.
• TripSource:Rail Search (TSRS) BCD own rail booking tool for Deutsche Bahn only.
• TripSource:Ticket Tracker BCD manages and recovers committed travel dollars. Based on markets and supplier rules, BCD communicates with travelers to prevent loss of committed funds and when to apply unused funds toward future travel.
• TripSource:Trip Authorizer In response to growing concern for compliance, this module enables clients to implement pre-trip authorization requirements as well as post-ticketing compliance reporting.

Transportation Security Administration

twin for sole use

A twin-bedded reserved for sole occupency and charged out at a rate that falls between the single and double room price.

Two Factor Authentication

Also known as 2FA. Method of accessing a secure environment where a person proves their identity with two of three methods

User-Defined Interface Data. UDID remarks are standard and contain predefined reporting information such as lost hotel night reason codes, merchant billing codes or additional traveler data fields.

unlimited mileage rate

Car rental rate that covers all costs, other than insurance and petrol, for the duration of the rental, regardless of the distance driven.

Move to a better class of airline service, larger rental car or more luxurious hotel room.

validating carrier

Airline designated as the “owning” ticketed carrier; the carrier on whose “plate” the ticket is issued. The validating carrier is the carrier to which payment is submitted and is usually the first carrier on the itinerary (domestic) or the carrier on the first international flight (international). If a ticket is issued on multiple carriers or is validated on a carrier not on the itinerary, the validating carrier is responsible for payment to the other airlines on the ticket.

The process of stamping an air ticket or other airline document, at the time of issue, with the issue date, name and location of the issuing office and its IATA code number. Tickets not bearing such a stamp re invalid and will not be accepted by airlines.

value-added tax (VAT)

A general tax that applies, in principle, to all commercial activities involving the production and distribution of goods and the provision of services.

VAT reclaim

Value-added tax, or VAT, is included in hotel, dining and car rental bills and more when travelers go to countries that assess the tax. It can be a significant expense: VAT rates can be as high as 25%. The good news is most T&E-related VAT is eligible for reclaim. The bad news: In the past, it’s been hard to collect. But automation has made VAT reclaim for European Union transactions much easier. BCD Travel has partnered with VAT-recovery firm Taxeo to automate the process.

virtual credit card (VCC)

A VCC isn’t a physical card, but it has many of the same features as plastic corporate cards.

virtual payment

A virtual payment is a terminal-based payment method where the payment is delivered through a virtual card (VCC) instead of by check or cash.

An endorsement or stamp placed into a passport by officials of a foreign government giving a traveler permission to visit; not all countries require visas.

VCC (Virtual Call Center)

A network of call centers where the client calls one phone number, regardless of where they are based, that will be routed through to an available agent. For multi-national accounts this service would be multi-lingual as appropriate.

Virtual Multiple Purpose Document. A document issued by a travel agency or airline, working with BSP, as proof of payment for transactions and services, either related to an eticket already issued (example: rebooking fees) or for services other than flights (for items like surface transportation, transfers, and excess luggage charges).

A traffic document which has been spoiled or canceled.

Documents issued to confirm arrangements or used to be exchanged for services.

A list of people seeking a travel service that is sold out; generally, as other travelers cancel, waitlisted individuals are confirmed in the order in which their waitlist request was received – sometimes prioritized by frequent traveler membership.

When a hotel is sold out and there are no rooms available for a person who has a confirmed reservation, the hotel provide alternate accommodations at a different hotel.

an agreement to pay to use an aircraft with a crew , fuel, and insurance

wide-body aircraft

Aircraft with wide passenger cabins and seating configurations that require more than one aisle. Current models include Boeing 747, 777 or Airbus A380, A350

system that checks hand luggage at an airport, without damaging, for example, light-sensitive film material or laptops.

Yield Management

is a variable pricing strategy, based on understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior in order to maximize revenue or profits from a fixed, time-limited resource (such as airline seats or hotel room reservations).

Zulu Time Zone (Z) has no offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Zulu Time Zone is often used in aviation and the military as another name for UTC +0. Zulu time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), is the time zone used by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. It is the basis for all other time zones in the world.

2FA, or two-factor authentication, is an extra layer of security used to protect online accounts. In addition to a password, users are also required to enter a code that is sent to their mobile device. This makes it more difficult for hackers to gain access to an account, as they would need to have both the password and the code.

Travel Glossary: 100+ Terms, Acronyms & Definitions You Need To Know

This travel glossary contains more than 100 of the most common terms and acronyms you are likely to hear in the travel industry.

The travel niche has its own terms, abbreviations, and definitions.

As it can get complicated to understand them all, we created this complete travel glossary. 

You can either click on:

• A letter 
• Ctrl + f to use the search function

Note that we are still working on this glossary and we’ll update it frequently.

Abbreviation for American Airlines.

A Broken Backpack

A travel blog about long-term travel, adventure travel, budget travel, and more. You’re currently reading abrokenbackpack.com. At first, our blog was targeting backpackers and long-term travelers. Over the years, we have expanded our content with more travel tips for everyone.

Abbreviation for Air Canada.

Usually, an option that can come with an extra cost. Examples: optional luggage, optional meal.

Abbreviation for Air France.

Abbreviation for Air India.

Airalo is an online eSIM store that allows you to purchase eSIMs (digital SIM cards) in 190+ countries and regions around the world at affordable prices. Learn more about eSIM cards for travel .

An organization that provides air transportation.

A set of buildings, facilities and runways that are made for take-off, landing, and plane maintenance.

Airport codes

A combination of 3 letters is used to identify a specific airport. Examples: YUL identifies the airport in Montreal city.

Airport tax

Costs that an airline has to pay for departure and arrival in airports. These can vary from one airport to another and are usually included in a flight ticket price.

Practice in which you can order individual items from a menu instead of a set meal.

All-inclusive

A vacation that includes all the essentials (usually accommodation, food, and drinks). We commonly refer to an all-inclusive holiday or an all-inclusive resort.

An association or union between countries or airlines. Examples: Star alliance is an airline association regrouping several major airlines that collaborate to offer more flight connections and smooth stopovers.

Abbreviation for Aeromexico Cargo.

Abbreviation for Alaska Airlines.

Abbreviation for Royal Air Maroc.

Availability

The number of hotel rooms, or seats remaining.

Abbreviation for Finnair.

Abbreviation for Alitalia.

A bag that you use to carry things on your back. Usually large enough to carry all your things when you travel. Synonyms include “packsack” or “rucksack”.

A traveler or hiker who carries their belongings in a backpack.

Backpacking

A travel style that includes travels or hikes with a large backpack. Commonly, backpacking is a way to travel on a budget. The traveler may hike and camp outside for multiple days, or stay in hostels during their travels.

The basic cost of an airline ticket. Usually, this fare doesn’t include extra fees, taxes, or surcharges.

A bed and breakfast (often shortened to B&B) is a small hotel that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast.

Black Friday

A Friday at the end of November when you’ll find crazy travel deals on airfares, hotels, Amazon, etc. You can stay up to date with Black Friday deals here .

Step in which passengers are getting into the airplane. Usually, the airport staff calls passengers divided into different zones to board the plane.

Boarding pass

A paper ticket or a mobile ticket issues after check-in that allows you to board the plane.

Booking.com

An accommodation travel booking website with worldwide coverage comparing hotels, hostels, apartments and car rentals. You can book your hotels easily on Booking.com .

Booking number

Also known as a reservation number – a unique code including letters and numbers that confirm your reservation.

Bucket list

A travel expression used to define a set of destinations to visit or things to do in a country.

A bus travel booking website with worldwide coverage comparing bus route fares. You can purchase bus tickets on Busbud .

Business-class

A section that is usually between the first class and the economy class. The business class provides more amenities and services than the economy class. You can find a business class on planes or trains.

A cabin in a plane is the space inside the plane where passengers sit. A cabin in a ship is a room where a passenger sleeps.

Van that was designed for sleeping and road-tripping. Some campers prefer to sleep inside a van than in a tent. Also known as a camper van.

An activity that involves sleeping in a tent.

A captain in a plane is the pilot.

Carry-on baggage

A piece of luggage that you can bring along on the plane cabin. Usually, you’ll put this luggage in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you.

Checked luggage

A bigger piece of luggage that you don’t have access to during the flight. Usually, you’ll drop off your luggage at the airline counter before you go through security and customs.

A confirmation of your presence on a flight, train, or bus. Usually, you can check-in online or directly at the airport, bus station, or train station. Once the check-in is completed, you’ll get a boarding pass which can be issued electronically or on paper.

It can also be used in hotels. In this situation, the client goes to the hotel reception, presents identification documents, and receives a key to their hotel room.

A client leaves a hotel by bringing back the key on time at the hotel reception and paying for any remaining fees.

It’s a synonym of a bus.

A hotel staff member who helps guests organize transportation, reservations, or any special requests.

Connecting flight

A flight that includes a stopover and as a result, the passenger must change aircraft.

Culture is a shared system of symbols and meanings that allow people to communicate and interact with one another. It includes the customs, traditions, and values that are passed down from generation to generation.

Custom Tour

A custom tour is a personalized experience that is tailored to your specific needs. A custom tour can be created for any location, and can be customized to include any number of activities or attractions.

Cyber Monday

A Monday at the end of November or early December when you’ll find crazy travel deals on airfares, hotels, Amazon, etc. You can stay up to date with Cyber Monday deals here .

Direct flight

A flight that goes from an origin to a destination without stops, or connections.

A deck is a floor on a ship. Some cruise ships can have multiple decks.

Destination

The final stop on a travel itinerary. 

Type of rooms where you’ll find several beds or bunk beds. Usually popular in hostels because of their cheap rates.

Double room

A hotel room that had two double beds and that can accommodate between 2 and 4 people.

Exemption from import taxes. For example, in an airport, there’s a duty-free shop area where you won’t need to pay import taxes on products.

Early check-in

Early check-in is when you check in to your hotel before the check-in time.

Economy class

A section of the plane, bus, or train, with basic services and lower fares.

Electronic boarding pass

A virtual boarding pass that is usually on a mobile phone.

Another word for expatriate. A person who lives in a different country temporarily or permanently.

First class

The class with the most services – usually comes with more space, better meals, and premium services.

A fjord is a long and narrow inlet of the sea, usually flanked by steep cliffs.

Frequent flyer program

An airline loyalty program that allows you to collect points and transform them into vouchers or rewards.

G-Adventure

Adventure travel company that organizes small-group tours, expeditions and safaris around the world.

Area and door where passengers board their flight from or deplane at their arrival.

An establishment that provides accommodations to travelers.

Holafly is a website that allows you to purchase eSIM for your travels. You can read our complete Holafly review to learn more about it.

A budget accommodation offering shared dorms and private rooms. Very popular amongst budget travelers, backpackers and young travelers.

A popular airport where many airlines organize connecting flights to smaller destinations.

Immigration

An area where a traveler must present travel documents like their passport or visa in order to enter the country.

A plan, or route designed for a trip, usually in chronological order.

A feeling of tiredness felt by a person after flying across different time zones.

King-size bed

The biggest bed size there is.

A period of time between transportation connections, or stopover.

One part of a journey. For example, one flight out of a 3-flight route.

A small house or a part inside a large house where travelers sleep. Usually, it’s a synonym for guest houses or hotels.

The hotel is located next to the main roads and that is made for road trippers.

A vehicle that is designed for mobile living accommodation. For example, RVs, campervans, campers.

A traveler or passenger that doesn’t show up for a flight, hotel, or reservation without canceling the booking.

Point of departure.

Overbooking

A popular practice in which airlines sell more seats that they have available to compensate for no-shows. Unfortunately, this practice can create problems if all the passengers show up.

A document issued by a government that includes information about the identity, nationality, and visa of a traveler.

A word used as a synonym for passenger, mostly used in the travel and the tourism industry.

When staying in a hotel, a traveler can request a quiet room. Usually, this room is isolated or is in a quieter area.

Reservation

Action taken to book a flight, activity, or hotel room.

An area designed for massage, hot springs, steam baths, or saunas.

A building or area inside an airport. For example, an airport can be divided into multiple terminals so that passengers can know where their departure or arrival gate is located.

Moving to a better class of service, or accommodation.

A stamp or a sticker in a passport allowing you to enter a country for a specific amount of time.

Documents you can use to exchange for goods, accommodation, or services. Usually, the payments for these good, and services has already been made.

Synonym of travel in the French language.

A list of potential travelers that are not confirmed yet.

A software designed for digital nomads and online entrepreneurs who have a business in Estonia.

An expression used amongst young people that means You Only Live Once.

An establishment that displays, studies, and rescues wild animals.

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• Travel Terms Glossary

We have provided a glossary for your use.  The travel industry is replete with jargon and acronyms and we hope you find this glossary/dictionary of travel terms useful when you run across a term you are not familiar with.  We encourage our clients to submit any words or concepts they would like defined or clarified to us on the Contact Us page and we will be happy to reply by email with a definition and include the term or clarification in our glossary/dictionary of travel terms for other clients benefit as well.

A la carte – referring to meals, an indication that each dish is priced separately; also that a choice of meals may be vailable, such as on a tour.

A la Carte Bar – Also known as a “Cash Bar,” a bar located within one’s hotel room that is pre-stocked with an assortment of snacks and beverages.

ABC – a reference to the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles, just off the northern coast of South America (Venezuela). Fabulous for diving, snorkeling and all manner of watersports.

Abeam – A directional term, used on ships and aircraft, which describes something off to the side of the vessel, such as the wings.

Accessible Tourism – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.

Accessible Travel – Travel that ensures that there is high availability in destinations, accommodations, attractions, products, and services to all people.

Actual Time of Arrival – Literally, the actual time of arrival. As opposed to the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).

Add-on – an option, usually at extra cost, added to travel arrangements.

Adjoining rooms – Two hotel or accommodation rooms that have a door connecting them from the inside, allowing the guests to combine the two rooms into one larger room.

Adoption Rate – the percentage of tickets issued through an online booking system compared to the traditional booking channel of agent-assisted reservations.

ADT – Atlantic Daylight Time; Alaska Daylight Time. Advance Purchase Fare – airfare that requires the traveler to purchase the ticket a minimum number of days prior to departure.

Advance Purchase Requirement – APR, or Advance Purchase Requirement, is the requirement that a ticket must be purchased a minimum number of days before the flight departs.

Adventure tour – A tour designed around an adventurous activity such as rafting, hiking, or mountain climbing.

Adventure travel – adventure travel is category of travel involving exploration or travel with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion.

Adventure Traveler – Adventure travelers travel to destinations with the specific purpose of active physical participation and exploration of new experiences.

Affinity Card – These are credit or debit cards issued by a banking institution in partnership and co-branded with a particular frequent traveler program.

Affinity group – A group of people that share a common hobby, interest, or activity, or that are united through regular participation in shared outings. Also see preformed group.

Aft – toward the rear of a ship.

After-departure charge – Charges that do not appear on the guest’s bill at checkout such as telephone or dining charges.

Agent – A person who has the power to act as the representative for another person.  Most frequently in travel, a specific kind of agent such as a travel agent.

AIO variables – Activities, interests, and opinions-used to measure and categorize customer lifestyles.

Air mile – a distance of approx. 6076 feet.

Air Traffic Control – Usually refers to the control tower at the airport, but may also be a control center somewhere else in charge of controlling a large area of sky.

Air Travel Card – a credit card sponsored by the airlines, for the purchase of air travel only.

Air Travel – air travel is the action or process of making a journey by aircraft.

Air/sea – a term referring to tickets, trips, fares, etc. that include both air and land-based travel arrangements, such as a cruise package with air included.

Aircraft – Generally speaking, any machine capable of flight. However, in the travel industry, these often mean airplanes.

Airline Alliance – These are agreements of cooperation between groups of airlines. Alliances offer airlines more flexibility and larger networks.

Airline fare – Price charged for an airline ticket. Several types of fares exist and can change with market conditions.

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) – An organization that provides a method of approving authorized agency locations for the sale of transportation and cost-effective procedures for processing records and funds of such sales to carrier customers.

Airport access fee – a fee paid by the car rental companies to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehicles, etc. – usually passed on to the consumer.

Airport transfer – a transport service to/from an airport to hotel, etc., normally prepaid as part of a package tour, but available separately as well.

Air-Sea – A cruise or travel package in which one or more transportation elements are provided by air and one or more by sea. The package is usually combined with local lodging.

All Inclusive – sold for one price that includes charges and fees that are often added separately.

All-inclusive package – A tour package in which most travel elements are purchased for set price. Also called an all-expense package.

Alternative Tourism – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.

Alternative Travel – Travel that is not conventional in nature, though that is hard to define. It can be a niche kind of tourism.

Alumni tour – A tour created for customers who have previously traveled with a tour operator. Also called a reunion tour.

Ambassador – The head of a state’s diplomatic mission in another state, usually with offices inside the main embassy.

Amenities – a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place

Amenity package – A cluster of special features, such as complimentary shore excursions, bar or boutique credit, or wine at dinner offered to clients on a given tour or cruise, usually as a bonus or extra feature. Usually used to induce clients to book through a particular travel agency or organization.

Amenity – The facilities and features of a property, usually cruise ship, airline or destination accommodation.

American plan – a hotel’s meal plan that usually includes all three meals each day.

AMEX – American Express (AX).

Amidships – toward the middle of a ship – usually the most stable part of the vessel.

Anniversary travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a date that is remembered or celebrated because a special or notable event occurred on that date in a previous year, such as a wedding anniversary.

Antebellum – describes a building and/or period of time prior to the Civil War, such as an antebellum mansion on a cotton plantation in the southern US.

APEX – an airline term meaning “advance purchase excursion fare” – normally the least expensive fares.

Apron – The area surrounding the gate areas of a terminal, generally used for parking and maintenance of planes.

ARC – Airline Reporting Corporation- the agency that regulates ticket sales and reports to the airlines for travel agencies.

Archipelago – An archipelago is a grouping of islands, essentially. Indonesia and Japan are both archipelago countries.

ARTA – Association of Retail Travel Agents – professional trade group of travel agents only.

ASC Fee – Administrative Service Charge.  Usually it’s the same as the change fee, or the fee to exchange the ticket for future travel.

AST – Atlantic (or Alaska) Standard Time.

ASTA – American Society of Travel Agents – trade group consisting of travel agencies, travel agents, and allied members (suppliers, etc.).

ATO – Airline Ticket Office – becoming rarer these days, as carriers continue to reduce customer service.

Attractions – An item or specific interest to travelers, such as natural wonders, manmade facilities and structures, entertainment, and activities.

Autobahn – high-speed equivalent to the US interstate highway system, in Germany and a few other European countries.

Availability – The total number of seats allowed to be sold at a particular rate.

Average room rate – The total guest room revenue for a given period divided by the number of rooms occupied for the same period.

B&B – A bed and breakfast home or guest house that a proprietor has converted into accommodation(s) for the public. Each room becomes a separate unit for rent and typically breakfast and/or other meals are served as part of the fare.

Babymoon – A relaxing and romantic vacation or getaway taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born.

Back to back – A term used to describe tours operating on a consistent, continuing basis. For instance, a motor coach arriving in a city from a cross-country tour may conclude the first tour upon arrival, then transport a second group back along the same route to the origination city of the first tour.

Back-to-back ticket(ing) – an against-the-rules practice whereby an air ticket is issued round-trip with only one portion to be used. Another is then issued roundtrip, again with only one portion to be used. In effect, this amounts to using one ticket for the outbound part of a trip, and the other for the return. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided – useful only when two roundtrip tickets are less than the cost of a single ticket with no Saturday night stayover.

Baggage Allowance – The amount of baggage a passenger may transport without having to pay extra charges, determined by carrier.

Baggage handler – See porter.

Baggage master – The person who controls baggage handling on a ship.

Balcony – sometimes called a verandah – an outside “porch ” that is usually private, just outside your ship’s cabin. Great for relaxing and port arrivals!

Barge cruising – pleasure cruising along a canal system, such as in upstate New York or in Europe, in converted barges or new ships that resemble them.

Base fare – the basic price of an airline ticket, before ANY taxes, surcharges, airport fees, etc.

Base – Flight crew term for their home airport; where the flights originate from and terminate at.

Beam – a ship’s width at its widest point; determines whether or not a vessel can pass through the Panama Canal.

Bed and breakfast (B&B) – Overnight accommodations usually in a private home or boarding house, often with a full American-style or Continental breakfast included in one rate.

Bell captain – The person in charge of luggage at a hotel.

Bellboy – Also called “Bellboy” or “Bellman,” a person that is hired by the hotel to assist guests, such as with luggage, running errands, etc.

Bellman – a person who carries one’s luggage to a hotel room.

Benelux – term for the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Berth – usually refers to the bed in a ship’s cabin; also the space at which a ship is docked.

Bespoke tour – a tour that is customized, personalized and tailor-made for the traveler.

Biking Trips and tours – Bicycle trips and touring means self-contained cycling trips or pleasure, adventure and autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Touring can range from single to multi-day trips, getaways or vacations.

Birthday travel – a type of milestone travel celebrating a birthday, quite often marking decade birthday milestones such as 40 th , 50 th , 60 th , 70 th etc. birthdays.

Blackout dates – Specific dates in which special fares or promotions do not apply. Typically exist around holidays or special events.

Block – A number of rooms, seats, or space reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators who intend to sell them as components of tour packages.

Blocked space – seats, rooms, and/or cabins held on airlines, in hotels, or aboard ships. Usually held speculatively and made available at reduced rates.

Boarding pass – a receipt with a seat number, now issued only at check-in at the airport. A ticket is not valid unless a boarding pass has been issued. A Boarding Pass is not a ticket, but allows you to board a plane or ship or other mode of transportation.

Boarding Pass – Bonded – protected or guaranteed by a bond, usually referring to the protection of passenger’s funds.

Booking form – A document which purchasers of tours must complete to give the operator full particulars about who is buying the tour. It states exactly what is being purchased (including options) and must be signed as acknowledgment that the liability clause has been read and understood.

Boutique Hotel – A boutique hotel is a type of hotel, usually smaller and more intimate than a chain hotel, which conforms to a niche.

Bow – Bow is a directional term. Front of a ship or the nose of an aircraft; specifically, the foremost point of the hull of the craft.

Breakage – Expenses budgeted for a tour but not used or expended, thus resulting in additional profit to the tour operator. Examples include meals budgeted but not consumed, currency fluctuations in favor of the tour operator, or the tour selling to much larger numbers of passengers than expected.

Break-even point (BEP) – The point at which revenues and expenses are the same. For example, the BEP is the number of products (or seats, cabins, tickets, etc.) that must be sold for a company to break even. The BEP is calculated as fixed costs divided by the selling price less variable costs. See reasonable number.

Break-even pricing – Pricing a product based on a forecast of the break-even point and the cost of achieving the break-even point.

Bridge – the navigational center of a ship.

Bucket list destinations – Bucket list travel is a list of destinations a person wants to travel to and experience before reaching a certain age or dying.

Bulk contract – An agreement whereby an airline sells large blocks of seats at a discount for resale by a third party.

Bulk fare – A reduced fare for purchases of a large number of tickets.

Bulkhead Seat – Seats located directly behind a bulkhead wall separator. As these seats don’t have the benefit of a seatback in front of them.

Bulkhead – A partitioning wall, usually referring to one within the cabin of an aircraft, or perhaps on another mode of transportation.

Bumping – the airline practice of denying boarding to confirmed passengers who hold tickets on a specific flight, due to an oversold condition. The carrier will ask for volunteers to take later flights, and will normally provide some sort of compensation in the form of vouchers or tickets for future travel. Rules for when compensation must be provided are complicated; ask the ticket agent for a copy of that carrier’s rules, as each has their own set of guidelines.

Business class – While amenities vary based on the airline, business class generally falls between first class and coach.

Cabin – the passenger area on an aircraft; the stateroom aboard a cruise ship.

Cabin Crew – The collective group of flight attendants and the purser as a whole. The cabin crew is responsible primarily for handling the duties within the cabin.

Cabin steward – the person responsible for maintaining/cleaning the cabins aboard ship.

Cabin-(Aircraft) – The section of the aircraft in which passengers travel.

Cabin – A sleeping room on a ship.

Cancellation penalty – the monetary penalty due when travel plans are cancelled, usually after final payment has been made.

Cape – A small version of a peninsula, usually long and narrow, that juts far out into a body of water.

Captain – (Aircraft-The captain is the pilot in command (PIC), which is the person in the cockpit sitting on the left with 4 stripes on their shoulder.

Card mill – a “business “that sells potentially fake travel agent ID cards, usually in a sort of pyramid scheme, whereby the buyer intends only to partake of any legitimate agent benefits.

Carrier – generic term for any company that transports passengers and/or freight.

Carry-on – currently, there are no uniformly enforced airline restrictions concerning carry-on luggage.

Cashless cruising – a term that applies to the system of onboard payment used for most all cruises; the final bill for any such purchases is presented against a credit card or cash deposit given upon check-in. The final statement itemizes the purchases of all passengers in a cabin, such as drinks, shore tours, etc.

Casual research – A form of marketing research that is used to test cause-and-effect relationships between a marketing program and customers.

Cay – pronounced “key” – term for a small island, used primarily in the Caribbean, such as Princess Cay.

Celebrity Travel – celebrity and high net worth travel is an ultra-luxurious travel category describing the highly demanding travel requirements of celebrity and high net worth travelers characterized by the ultra-luxurious travel modalities and destinations with attention to privacy, security and confidentiality.

Certified Tour Professional (CTP) – A designation conferred upon tour professionals who have completed a prescribed course of academic study, professional service, tour employment, and evaluation requirements. The CTP program is administered by the National Tour Association (Lexington, KY) and is open to individuals employed in any segment of the tourism industry.

Certified Travel Associate – (CTA) – a travel professional certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, who has passed a series of rigorous tests, assuring the traveling public of professional competence.

Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) – A designation attesting to professional competence as a travel agent. It is conferred upon travel professionals with five or more years of industry experience who compete a two-year graduate-level travel management program administered by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (Wellesley, MA).

Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS) – A designation conferred upon American Bus Association member company employees who successfully complete five correspondence courses (three) required and two electives and written evaluation of eight marketplace seminars.

Chain-ratio method – A method for forecasting market demand by multiplying a base market figure by a series of consumption constraints.

Chamber of commerce – A DMO that operates at the local level and is comprised of businesses that are not necessarily associated with the tourism industry.

Chancery – The physical building that houses an embassy and its diplomatic delegation.

Change of equipment – when a flight, with a single flight number, lands and changes the type of airplane used before continuing on to its destination.  Sometimes referred to as a change of gauge.

Charter service – The transportation of preformed groups (organized by someone other than the carrier), which have the exclusive use of the vehicle.

Charter – To hire the exclusive use of any aircraft, motorcoach, or other vehicle.

Chauffer driven tours – a chauffeur tour is a tour driven by a chauffeur employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.

Chunnel – slang for the tunnel beneath the English Channel, from England to France, through which the Eurostar train passes.

Circle itinerary – A travel routing design that overnights in different locations and returns to the point of departure without retracing the travel route.

Circle trip – any trip that involves more than a single destination, but which returns to the initial point of departure.

City guide – A tour guide who points out and comments on the highlights of a city, usually from a motor coach or van.

City Pair – The departure and destination points of an air or rail journey.

City tour – A sightseeing trip through a city, usually lasting a half day or a full day, during which a guide points out the city’s highlights.

Class of Service – The inventory in which a passenger is booked according to the fare purchased. (E.g. a full fare coach class cabin is usually Y class of service)

CLIA – Cruise Lines International Association, located in New York City, NY.

Client list – A printout of the names of all tour participants.

Client mix – Objectives set by companies to achieve percentages of customers from different market segments.

Closed-end question – A question for which the answers are provided for the respondent, who chooses only from those answers.

Closeout – Finalization of a tour, cruise, or similar group travel project after which time no further clients are accepted. Any unsold air or hotel space is released, and final lists and payments are sent to all suppliers.

Coach – the “economy ” section of an aircraft, which may have literally scores of different fares for the same flight.

Collision damage waiver-(CDW) – Optional insurance provided by car rental companies that eliminates all responsibility of the driver in case of an accident. Car rental insurance covering any damage to a rental vehicle (CDW) many credit card companies cover their clients in this area if they use that card to pay for the rental. Check with you credit card company to see if you are covered and to what extent.

Commission – Money paid to a travel agency or ARC number by suppliers for generating bookings.

Commission cap – The limit placed on commissions paid to travel agents for the sale of air tickets, regardless of their price; designed to allow airlines to increase their profits at the expense of their primary distribution system – the travel agents.

Commissionable tour – A tour available through retail and wholesale travel agencies which provides for a payment of an agreed-upon sales commission to the retailer or wholesale seller.

Common carrier – Any person or organization that offers transportation for a fee.

Commuter – term referring to the small, regional airlines, sometimes called puddle-jumpers.

Comp policy – Arrangements for free tickets, rooms, meals, etc.

Complimentaries (comps) – Items provided free of charge, such as rooms, meals, tickets, airfare, gifts, souvenirs, etc.

Computerized reservation system (CRS) – An automated system used by travel agents that contains pricing, availability and product descriptions for hotels, car rentals, cruises, and air transportation.

Concierge – a hotel employee who provides additional advice, recommendations, and other services to guests, such as restaurant reservations. An employee of the hotel whose primary task is to serve as the liaison between the hotel and non-hotel attractions, facilities, services, and the guest.

Concierge Level – special service level normally offered at higher grade hotels that provide the guest additional amenities and information, typically at a higher rate.

Conditions – The section or clause of a transportation or tour contract that specifies what is not offered and that may spell out the circumstances under which the contract may be invalidated (in whole or in part).

Configuration – The interior arrangement of a vehicle, particularly an airplane. The same airplane, for example, may be configured for 190 coach-class passengers, or it may hold 12 first-class passengers and 170 coach passengers, or any other combination within its capacity.

Confirmed reservation – An oral or written statement by a supplier that he has received and will honor a reservation. Oral confirmation have virtually no legal weight. Even written or faxed confirmations have specified or implied limitations. For example, a hotel is usually not obliged to honor a reservation if a guest arrives after 6 p.m., unless late arrival has been guaranteed.

Confluence – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.

Conflux – A confluence, also known as a conflux, is the meeting point of two flowing bodies of water, such as streams or rivers; the place where they come together.

Connecting Flight – A flight that makes a stop at an intermediate point where travelers must change planes in order to connect to another flight to reach their destination. (I.e. San Francisco to Chicago and Chicago to New York).

Connecting room – Two rooms that are connected to each other by a door.

Consolidation – Cancellation by a charter tour operator of one more flights associated with a specific charter departure or departure period, with the transfer of passengers to another charter flight or flights to depart on or near the same day. Also, selling the same tour with identical departure dates through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.

Consolidator – A wholesaler who purchases airline tickets in bulk and re-sells them to individuals and travel agencies at a discounted rate. These fares tend to have complex restrictions, but can be cheaper than buying direct from the airline. Consolidator fares are found to have the most savings on international flights.

Consortium – A collection of organizations made up of independently owned and managed agencies who band together to increase their buying power.

Consulate – Essentially a satellite office of the embassy, but its roles are limited in scope.

Consul – Head diplomat of the consulate.

Consumer protection plan – A plan offered by a company and/or association that protects the customer’s deposits and payments from loss in the event of company bankruptcy.

Consumer – The actual user of a product or service. See also customer.

Consumption constraints – Issues that limit the number of people in a market who will purchase a product.

Continental breakfast – At a minimum, a beverage (coffee, tea, or milk) and rolls and toast, with fruit juice sometimes included.

Continent – Large landmasses that the world is divided into, by convention, although it is generally-accepted that there are seven.

Contract – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties.

Control Tower – Often referred to as simply the tower, the people in the Control Tower oversee aircraft movements at the airport, including ground traffic.

Convenience sample – A collection of research subjects who are the easiest for the researcher to select.

Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) – A nonprofit DMO that operates at the county and city level. A CVB typically encourages groups to hold meetings, conventions, and trade shows in its city.

Co-op tour – Selling a tour through a number of wholesalers, cooperatives, or other outlets in order to increase sales and reduce the possibility of tour cancellations.

Cooperative (co-op) advertising – An agreement between two parties to share the cost of placing an advertisement.

Corporate agency – A travel agency that usually caters to medium-large sized businesses.

Corporate Rate – a hotel rate that is designed to appeal to the needs of the business traveler. It is not necessarily a discounted rate or the minimum rate offered by the hotel. Corporate rates normally guarantee the best available room at a fixed cost for a specific period of time, typically outlined in a contract between the hotel and company.

Corporate Travel – Corporate Travel is travel arranged by a business for business purposes. A division or department of a travel agency devoted to such travel.

Costing – The process of itemizing and calculating all the costs the tour operator will pay on a given tour.

Cost-plus pricing – See markup pricing.

Couchette – the sleeping compartment of a train that can contain up to 6 beds.

Coupon – See voucher.

Cruise Tour – A land and sea vacation, which combines a cruise with a multi-night land tour to inland destinations that the ship can’t reach.

Cruise – A cruise is a voyage on a ship or boat taken for pleasure or as a vacation and usually docking at several port destinations.

CST – Central Standard Time.

CTA – Certified Travel Associate.

CTC – Certified Travel Counselor – the ultimate in travel professionals, CTC certification can be compared to the “Master’s Degree “of the industry.

Cuisin e – a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes associated with a specific culture or geographic region.

Culinary Tourism – Culinary tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences. By combining travel with these edible experiences, culinary tourism offers both locals and tourists alike an authentic taste of a specific culture or geographic region.

Cultural Tourism – Cultural tourism is the category or tourism concerned with a country or region’s culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those people, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life.

Cultural Travel – This is travel with regard to a region’s culture and history.

Culture – Similar shared traits or characteristics unique to an ethnic group, region, or nation.

Custom tour – A travel package created specifically for a preformed group or niche market.

Customer – The buyer of a product or service. See consumer.

Customized tours – a customized tour is a tour category where an independent travel plan is designed and arranged just for the traveler’s needs, goals and desires. This type of travel includes private airport/hotel transfers, hotels, internal airfare, trains, cruises, performances, events, activities and privately guided tours.

Customs – The common term for U.S. Customs Service, the federal agency charged with collecting duty on specified items imported into the country. The agency also restricts the entry of forbidden items.

CVB – Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (generic term).

Database – A computerized, organized collection of individual customer information.

Day rate – Also called a day room. A reduced rate granted for the use of a guest room during the daytime, not overnight occupancy. Usually provided on a tour when a very late-night departure is scheduled.

Day tour – An escorted or unescorted tour that lasts less than 24 hours and usually departs and returns on the same day. See sightseeing tour.

Deadheading – Making a trip or a segment of a trip without passengers, such as driving an empty motor coach somewhere.

Debark – to get off an airplane or passenger ship.

Deck – the floor area of a ship. Some cruise liners have as many as 11 to 14 decks or more.

Deck plan – the drawing representing the location of the decks, public rooms, cabins, etc. of a cruise ship.

Demand generators – Strategies and programs developed by DMOs and suppliers to generate destination demand. Examples include festivals, events, cultural tours, and consumer promotion.

Demands – A consumer’s wants backed by the ability to purchase.

Demographics – Population measures, such as age, gender, income, education, race/ethnicity, religion, marital status, household size, and occupation.

Denied-boarding compensation – that payment and/or voucher given those bumped from a flight; may be somewhat negotiable – always ask! See “bumping”.

Department of State – the US government agency that, among other things, issues cautions and warnings concerning travel to many points worldwide. Connect to the Department of State for the latest updates for the areas you are interested in.

Departure point – The location or destination from which a tour officially begins.

Departure tax – Fee collected from a traveler by the host country at the time of departure.

Deplane -To disembark, or get off, a plane.

Deposit policy – A specified amount or a percentage of the total bill due on a specified date prior to arrival.

Deposit – An advance payment required to obtain and confirm space.

Descriptive research – a form of marketing research that is used to provide detailed answers about customer markets.

Destination alliance – A DMO that operates as a for-profit association of select suppliers who form a paid-membership network to promote their services to travelers.

Destination management company (DMC) – A for-profit company that operates similar to a CVB by providing planning and execution services for the convention and meeting market.

Destination marketing organization (DMO) – An organization that promotes a location (city, region, state province, country) as a travel destination.

Destination Weddings – a destination wedding a category of travel where couples celebrate their marriage at a destination of their choosing away from home.

Destination – The geographic place to which a traveler is going.

Dine-around-plan – A meal plan, usually prepaid, that allows one to dine at various restaurants in an area.

Direct access – Refers to a travel agent’s ability to get directly into an airlines database to get true last-seat availability and correct pricing – a big difference between internet fare ” quotes ” and an agent’s CRS ( Computer Reservations System ).

Direct Flight – A flight that goes from a traveler’s origin to their final destination with one or more intermediate stops. No change in aircraft occurs. (I.e. San Francisco to New York with a stop in Chicago)

Direct marketing – Sales and marketing communication that feature direct interaction between a company and its customers without any distribution intermediaries.

Disaster Tourism – Travel when tourists go to an area that may be or may have been affected by natural disasters, civil strife, or warfare.

Disclaimer – a legal document that advises clients that a travel agent acts only as a middleman in the sale of travel products; any liability ultimately lies with the supplier, i.e. airline, hotel, car rental company, tour operator, railway, etc.

DMC – Destination Management Company

Docent – A tour guide who works free of charge at a museum.

Domestic fare – a fare charged for travel within a country.

Double booking – a not-nice practice of holding reservations to the same destination for the same times/days, on the same carriers but through different travel agencies, when only one reservation will ultimately be used.

Double Double – A room with two double beds.

Double occupancy – the way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room.

Double-occupancy rate – The price per person for a room to be shared with another person; the rate most frequently quoted in tour brochures.

Double-room rate – The full price of a room for two people (twice the double-occupancy rate.)

Downgrade – To move to a lesser level of accommodations or a lower class of service.

Driver guided tours – A driver guided tour is a tour guided by an individual that operates a vehicle while providing commentary in a front-line position who leads participants (individual or groups) on tours, ensures that itineraries are followed, provides commentary in an informative and entertaining manner, and creates positive experiences for tour participants.

Driver-guide – A tour guide who does double duty by driving a vehicle while narrating.

Drop-off charge – the fee added to a car rental when the vehicle is returned to a city other than where it was originally rented. In some states, there is no drop off fee most of the time, such as in Florida.

Duty-free imports – Item amounts and categories specified by a government that are fee of tax or duty charges when brought into the country.

Early Check-In – A perk that allows a guest to check in at an earlier time than the standard check-in time.

Eco/Sustainable Tourism – Eco or Sustainable Tourism is tourism directed toward exotic, often threatened, natural environments, especially to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.

Eco-Conscious Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.

Eco-Friendly Travel – Though often interchangeable, being “eco-conscious” literally means that one is simply aware of their environmental impact.

Economic impact study – Research into the dollars generated by an industry and how these dollars impact the economy through direct spending and the indirect impact of additional job creation and the generation of income and tax revenue.

Ecotour – A tour designed to focus on preserving the environment, or to environmentally sensitive areas.

Ecotourism – Tourism directed at exotic and/or endangered destinations while fostering an environmental understanding and conservation.

Educational tour – A tour designed around an educational activity, such as studying art.

Elder hostel – hostel catering to seniors – see “hostel”.

Electronic ticket – a “paperless” airline ticket allowing one to check-in and fly with just proper photo ID. What may look like a ticket is actually just a paper passenger receipt. E-tickets cannot be lost, or used by anyone else, so they are safer than standard paper tickets, which may soon become extinct. One drawback is that e-tickets on one carrier cannot be honored by another, so in a cancelled-flight snafu, the original carrier must print hard copy tickets before another airline can accept them. This presents major paperwork problems for the affected carrier.

Embark – to board a plane or cruise ship.

End suite – in the hotel industry, indicates that a certain feature(s) is directly in the room, or adjacent to that room.

English breakfast – basic meal of cereal, juice, eggs, meats, and other beverages. Common with most hotels in the UK/Great Britain.

Environmental scanning – The process of monitoring important forces in the business environment for trends and changes that may impact a company.

Errors and Omissions Insurance – Insurance coverage equivalent to malpractice insurance, protecting an agent’s or operator’s staff if an act of negligence, an error, or an omission occurs that causes a client great hardship or expense.

Escort – See tour director.

Escorted group tour – A group tour that features a tour director who travels with the group throughout the trip to provide sightseeing commentary and coordinate all group movement and activities.

Escrow accounts – Funds placed in the custody of licensed financial institutions for safekeeping. Many contracts in travel require that agents and tour operators maintain customers’ deposits and prepayments in escrow accounts.

ES T – Eastern Standard Time.

Estimated Time of Arrival – Literally, the estimated time of the transport’s arrival. As opposed to the ATA (Actual Time of Arrival), the ETA is the time that the flight or transport arrives.

Estuary – A body of water connecting a flowing river and a larger body, such as a sea or ocean. Because it is the transition point.

ETA – estimated time of arrival.

ETD – estimated time of departure.

Ethnicity – A term that groups people together with a similar cultural identity; unlike terms such as nationality, ethnicity is more ambiguous.

Ethno-Tourism – Focusing on exploration of indigenous populations and their respective culture and traditions.

E-Ticket – Regarding transportation, especially on airlines, an electronic ticket, or e-ticket, is the digital version of a paper ticket, issued via email.

Eurailpass – a special fare ticket that allows either unlimited train travel, or travel for a certain number of days/weeks, in many European countries (except in Britain, where the Britrailpass offers similar travel in England, Scotland, and Wales).

European pla n – a rate at a hotel that includes no meals.

Exchange order – See voucher.

Exclusive fare – Discounted airfares offered by travel consolidators.

Excursion – a side trip from a main destination, usually at added cost and optional.

Excursion Fare – special airline fares with restrictions such as minimum and maximum stays.

Exotic Travel – Exotic travel refers to a category of travel that is strikingly, excitingly and mysteriously different or unusual.  Exotic travel is travel that is completely different than what a traveler is accustomed to and is highly subjective in nature.

Experiential Travel – Experiential travel is also known as immersion travel and is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.

Exploratory research – A form of marketing research that’s used to obtain preliminary information and clues. It is most often used when the marketing problem is ambiguous.

Extension – A fully arranged sub-tour offered optionally at extra cost to buyers of a tour or cruise.

Extensions may occur before, during, or after the basic travel program.

FAM (familiarization) tour – A free or reduced-rate trip offered to travel professionals to acquaint them with what a destination, attraction, or supplier has to offer.

Familiarity Tour – A familiarity tour as used in the travel industry it is a tour of a travel destination, travel accommodation, travel activity or travel mode (airline, cruise, ground transportation) to familiarize a travel advisor and provide knowledge and direct experience with the product or service so they can better serve their clients.

Family plan – offered by most hotels, allow children to stay in the same room as parents, at no additional charge. Age requirements vary between hotels.

Family Vacation – a family vacation is a travel category referring to travel involving family members. It is also commonly referred to as multi-generational travel.

Familymoon – A neologism term used to describe a type of honeymoon a newlywed couple can make along with their children from previous relationships.

Fare Aggregator – Fare aggregators’ redirect the users to an airline, cruise, hotel, or car rental site or online travel agent for the final purchase of a ticket. Aggregators’ business models include getting feeds from major OTAs, then displaying to the users all of the results on one screen. The OTA then fulfills the ticket. Aggregators generate revenues through advertising and charging OTAs for referring clients.

Fare Basis – the letters and numbers assigned to a specific fare like an identification number.

Fare basis (code) – The code that determines the price of an airline ticket.

Final Boarding Call – Last call to board before the jet bridge closes and the flight departs, leaving late passengers stranded.

First class – The class which offers the most premium service. Enhanced seating, meal selection, and drink offerings staples of this services.

First Officer – Pilot who is second in command. The pilot in the cockpit sitting on the right with 3 stripes.

Fishing Trips and tours – a fishing trip or fishing tour is a travel tour category where groups of fisherman are provided guided tours and typically lodging with the overall purpose of catching fish.

FIT – foreign independent tour – actually used generically now for a travel package put together by a travel agent from separate components such as car, hotel and airfare, adjusted exactly as the traveler wishes. May include city tours, theater tickets, and other “independent ” options, and may also include custom mapping/routing to accomplish the client’s goals. It now is more commonly used as an acronym for Flexible Independent Travel.  It describes a type of travel or tourism that does not incorporate a packaged tour but is nonetheless customized by a travel-selling professional.

Fjord – a narrow inlet from the ocean, usually bounded by cliffs, and with spectacular scenery. Most are located in Alaska, Norway, and New Zealand.

Flight Attendant – Commonly referred to as stewards/stewardesses and air hosts/hostesses, flight attendants are available to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers of an aircraft.

Flight Crew – Sometimes called the aircrew, the flight crew consists of everyone hired by the airlines on a flight, including pilots, pursers, and flight attendants.

Fly/drive tour – An F.I.T. package that always includes air travel and a rental car and sometimes other travel components.

Fly-drive package – a travel package featuring airfare, rental car, and perhaps hotels. Usually less expensive than booking each separately.

Folio – An itemized record of a guest’s charges and credits which is maintained in the front office until departure. Also referred to as a guest bill or guest statement.

Fore – Directional term. Towards the front of the craft, lengthwise, such as the bow of a ship or the nose of a plane. Opposite of aft.

Frequent Flier Program – A program that a traveler can enroll in that earns them rewards such as free flights on a particular airline for being a loyal customer of that airline.

Frequent Flier – One who flies frequently.

Frequent Independent travel (F.I.T.) – A custom-designed, prepaid travel package with many

Full house – A hotel with all guest rooms occupied.

Full service hotel – a hotel with restaurant facilities.

Function room – A special room that is used primarily for private parties, banquets, and meetings. Also called banquet rooms.

Funnel flight – a flight, such as on a regional or commuter carrier that “feeds “larger planes which continue on to other destinations. Also, the use of a single flight number for an itinerary that really involves a connection with two separate flight numbers, thus making the itinerary appear to be a direct flight with a change of aircraft as opposed to a connection. Just call it a connection and be done with it.

Fuselage – The aircraft’s main body section, the cylindrical, central piece that contains the cabin and holds the crew and cargo.

Galley – The kitchen/kitchenette area of a plane or train or ship. On a plane, the galley may be a small affair with a simple arrangement and a few carts.

Gate-Airport – The specific area in an airport where passengers board a plane for a flight. Gates are located in concourses.

Gateway – City, airport, or area from which a flight or tour departs.

GDS – Global Distribution Systems – A system containing information about availability, prices, and related services for Airlines, Car Companies, Hotel Companies, Rail Companies, etc. and through which reservations can be made and tickets can be issued. A GDS also makes some or all of these functions available to subscribing travel agents, booking engines, and airlines. The GDS leaders are Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo/Worldspan, Sabre.

Geotourism – this is “tourism that sustains or enhances the distinctive geographical character of a place.

Global distribution system (GDS) – An international computer reservation system that accesses many databases of suppliers, airlines, etc. in different countries, such as Sabre.

Graduation travel – graduation travel is a milestone category of travel which refers to travel celebrating a graduation typically from high school or college.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) – solar based time in Greenwich, England, fun which time in all other time zones in the world is based.

Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) – a measurement of the enclosed space in a ship. Cruise ships in the 70,000 ton range are considered “superliners”.

Ground operator – See receptive operator.

Group – several persons, usually 10 or more, traveling together. Group travel is often available at discounted rates.

Group leader – An individual who has been given the responsibility of coordinating tour and travel arrangements for a group. The group leader may act as a liaison to a tour operator or may develop a tour independently (and sometimes serve as the tour director).

Group Rate – A negotiated rate on travel, perhaps a stay or vacation plan, that incentivizes for a large crowd or group that books together.

Group tour – A travel package for an assembly of travelers that has a common itinerary, travel date, and transportation. Group tours are usually prearranged, prepaid, and include transportation, lodging, dining, and attraction admissions. See also escorted group tour.

Group Travel – group travel refers to a category of travel with a group arranged by an outside company or organization or travel with a group of friends and family that you have organized yourself. Some groups are small, private and escorted, while others large.

GST – Goods and Services Tax, such as levied in Canadian Provinces.

Guaranteed share – a cruise term that promises that a companion will be found for a single passenger, at a special rate. That rate will be honored even if the cruise line is unable to find a cabin mate. The rate is usually the going double-rate at that time, and is much less than the single person rate for that cabin.

Guaranteed tour – A tour guaranteed to operate unless canceled before an established cutoff date (usually 60 days prior to departure).

Guest account – See folio.

Guest houses – a guest house is a private house offering accommodations to paying guests.

Guest ranch – a guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.

Guide or guide service – A person or company qualified to conduct tours of specific localities or attractions.

Guided tour – A local sightseeing trip conducted by a guide.

Half pension – a hotel rate that includes breakfast and one other meal, usually dinner. Sometimes called Modified American Plan (MAP) or demi-pension.

Hard-copy – a printed version of a document, such as an airline ticket or hotel voucher.

Head tax – Fee charged for arriving and departing passengers in some foreign countries.

Hidden-city ticketing – another airline no-no; buying a ticket from A to C with a stop in B. The passenger gets off at B, which was the intended destination anyway. The ticket is purchased because the fare from A to C is LESS than A to B.

High season – the time of year when a destination gets the greatest crowds, and thus can increase hotel and rental car rates, etc. As an example, summertime is high season for travel to Europe (just check the airfares!).

High season – See peak season.

Hiking Trips and tours – a hiking trip or hiking tour is a category of travel vacation or getaway where the traveler is walking or hiking as the major mode of transportation.

Honeymoon Travel – Honeymoon travel is a category of travel where a newly married couple travels while celebrating their marriage.

Hosted group tour – A group tour that features a representative (the host) of the tour operator, destination, or other tour provider, who interacts with the group only for a few hours a day to provide information and arrange for transportation. The host usually does not accompany the group as it travels.

Hostel – an inexpensive accommodation, usually dormitory style, popular with the student crowd – thus the term “youth hostel”.

Hotel – a hotel is an establishment providing accommodations, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.

House – A synonym used for hotel.

Hub – an airport or city in which an airline has a major presence and many flights to other destinations. As an example, Delta has a hub in Atlanta. Many carriers use the hub-and-spoke system to maximize profits by keeping the aircraft in the air as much as possible. Flights to the hub are many, and from there flights too many other destinations are scheduled.

Hub-and-spoke itinerary – A travel routing design that uses a central destination as the departure and return point for day trips to outlying destinations and attractions.

Hurricane season – in the Caribbean primarily, and the Southeastern US, a period from June through October during which such storms are likely to occur.

IATA – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

IATAN – International Airlines Travel Agent Network – administers the IATAN card, the only widely accepted form of legitimate travel agent identification.

In season – meaning only available at certain times of the year.

In transit – en route; in the process of traveling.

Inbound operator – A receptive operator that usually serves groups arriving from another country.

Inbound tour – A tour for groups of travelers whose trip originates in another location, usually another country.

Incentive or incentive commission – See override.

Incentive tour – A trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents.

Incentive trave l – travel as a reward for an employee’s outstanding performance.

Incidental Charge – Items and services billed to a room after their use, such as movies, phone calls, etc.

Incidentals – Charges incurred by the participants of a tour, but which are not included in the tour price.

Inclusive tour – a package tour that bundles transportation, accommodations, transfers, sightseeing, possibly some meals, etc.

Inclusive tour – See all-inclusive package.

Independent tour – A travel package in which a tour operator is involved only with the planning, marketing, and selling of the package, but is not involved with the passengers while the tour is in progress.

In-flight Service – Entertainment (movies, television, etc.), meals, beverages and other items made available during a flight for the convenience of the passenger.

Inside cabin – a stateroom aboard ship that has no window. Sometimes smaller, but at times the same size as an outside cabin.

Intercontinental – Having to do with two continents. In travel, transit from one continent to another. Not to be confused with transcontinental.

interline connection – a flight on one airline that connects to a flight on another carrier – these tickets are usually more expensive than flying all on one carrier but may be the only way to get to a destination in some cases.

Intermodal tour – A tour that uses several forms of transportation, such as a plane, motorcoach, cruise ship, and train.

International Air Transport Association – International airline industry trade group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

International Date Line – at 180 degrees longitude, the date on one side of this imaginary line, running from the north to the South Pole, is different from the other. The line runs through the Pacific Ocean, and because of it, it is possible to leave one destination on one day, and arrive in another the day before

International Rate Desk – Utilizes all available resources to ensure the lowest fare for your selected itinerary, including splitting tickets, consolidator fares, and available discounts.

Involvement device – An element of direct mail that gets the reader involved in the process of evaluating and/or responding to the solicitation.

Itinerary – A list of a tour’s or entire trip’s schedule and major travel elements.

Jet Bridge – An enclosed, movable connector which extends from a terminal gate to a plane, allowing passengers to board and disembark without having to go outside.

Jet lag – an upset of one’s biological clock, due to travel across many time zones; not all folks are affected by it.

Jones Act – a law dating back to 1886, that forbids foreign-flagged ships from carrying passengers between US ports with no foreign port stops in-between.

Judgment sample – A sample based on the researcher’s choice of subjects for a study.

Jump Seat – A flight term referring to an auxiliary (extra) seat for persons who are not operating the aircraft, such as the cabin crew or perhaps a trainee.

Kilometer – a measure of distance used in almost all other countries, at about 5/8 mile.

King room – a hotel room with a king bed.

Knot – a nautical measure of speed equaling approx. 1.5 mph. A ship traveling at 15 knots is traveling at about 22 mph.

Kph – kilometers-per-hour – land speed measurement in most other countries. 60 kph equals approx. 36 miles-per-hour.

Land arrangements – all the details of a land portion of a trip (hotel, car, tours, sightseeing, etc.).

Land Destinations – A land destination or travel destination is a place to which one is journeying, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement.

Land operator – See receptive operator.

Land Transfers – travel by train, bus, limo or taxi to and from an accommodation, plane or cruise ship.

Land-only – a rate that does NOT include airfare; usually includes most other land-based charges such as accommodations, transfers, taxes, and perhaps other optional items like theme park tickets, rental care, etc.

Last-seat availability – the ability of a travel agent to get, literally, the ” last seat ” for you on a particular flight, either at a certain fare or actually the last remaining seat on an aircraft. See “direct access”.

Late booking fee – a fee due if travel arrangement are made at the last minute. Normally covers express delivery of documents and other last-minute arrangements that may have to be made by a tour operator.

Late Checkout – A more exclusive perk for some guests that allow a few extra hours to check out from the normal hours.

Latitude – imaginary horizontal lines of angular distance, measured in degrees north or south of the equator.

Layover – a period of time spent during a trip, sometimes overnight, while waiting for a transportation connection – usually a change of planes.

Layover – The period of time spent between connecting flights.

LDW – loss damage waiver – additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage.

Lead-in price – the lowest available price for a travel product, often pertaining to cabins on a cruise ship. Usually, there are only a few staterooms available on board each cruise liner in this category, but often better accommodations are only slightly higher in price. Rock-bottom price shoppers normally insist on these rates, though they sell out quickly.

Leeward – the side of a ship or an island that is located opposite from the direction of the prevailing wind -the “Leeward Islands” in the Caribbean for example.

Leg – Portion of a journey between two scheduled stops.

Leisure travel – Usually signifies traveling for relaxation, vacation, or to visit friends/family. Travel for pleasure as opposed to business.

Letter of agreement – A letter from the buyer to the supplier accepting the terms of the proposal. This may also be the supplier’s first proposal that has been initialed by the buyer.

Lido deck – usually the deck on a cruise ship that surrounds the pool area.

Limited service hotel – a hotel property without a restaurant.

List broker – A seller of mail lists for direct marketing.

Load factor – The number of passengers traveling on a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft compared to the number of available seats or cabins.

Locater map – A map of an area or a city, showing locations of attractions and hotels.

Lodging – Any establishment that provides shelter and overnight accommodations to travelers.

Logistics – Management of the details of an operation.

Low season – the period when a destination experiences its lowest prices and the fewest number of guests.

Low season – See off peak.

Lower (bed) – in a cruise stateroom, the bed(s) on the floor as opposed to the higher bunks (uppers), if any. On many ships, two lowers can be arranged to make a king or queen bed.

Lowest available fare – the current, lowest airfare available for purchase right then.

Lowest available fare – The most inexpensive flight currently available.

Lowest fare – the lowest published airfare between two cities; may not have seats available at that fare, as the airlines usually have a limited number of those seats on any given flight.

Luxury class – the most expensive, high-class accommodations or category of fare.

Luxury Cruise – Luxury cruises are the most comfortable and convenient way to see the world. Ships are usually smaller in size so the ratio of crew and staff to guests is generally higher than other cruise ships offering that premium service and attention to detail to be expected of exquisite vacations.

Luxury Ocean Cruise – a luxury ocean cruise is an ocean cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury cruise liner or passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.

Luxury River Cruise – a luxury river cruise is a river cruise on a luxury cruise ship or luxury passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way.

Luxury travel – while luxury travel is completely subjective to the traveler, it can be loosely defined at travel that constitutes the state of great comfort and extravagant living.

Luxury vacations – a luxury vacation is a vacation that encompasses a state of great comfort and extravagant living.

Macro-environment – The broad forces in society and the business world that impact most companies.

Management Company – A firm that owns several lodging properties.

Manifest – Final official listing of all passengers and/or cargo aboard a transportation vehicle or vessel.

Market demand – The amount of a specific product or service that may be purchased during a certain period of time in a particular geographic area.

Market forecast – The realistic demand within a given time period for the products produced by all companies within a certain industry or product category.

Market – All existing and potential customers for a product or service.

Marketing mix – The 4 Ps of marketing- product, price, promotion, place (distribution).

Marketing plan – A written report that details marketing objectives for a product or service, and recommends strategies for achieving these objectives.

Marketing research – The function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through the systematic gathering and analyzing of information.

Markup pricing – Pricing a product by adding a standard markup to costs. Also called cost-plus pricing.

Markup – A percentage added to the cost of a product to achieve a selling price.

Master account – The guest account for a particular group or function that will be paid by the sponsoring organization. See folio.

Maximum stay – The longest period of time a traveler can stay at a particular destination and still qualify for the promotion or discounted fare.

Media – Communications channel such as broadcast (radio, TV), print (newspapers, magazines, direct mail), outdoor (billboards), and multimedia (Internet).

Meet-and-greet service – A pre-purchased service for meeting and greeting clients upon arrival in a city, usually at the airport, pier, or rail station, and assisting clients with entrance formalities, collecting baggage, and obtaining transportation.

Meeting/conference tour – A tour designed around a specific meeting or conference for the participants.

Microenvironment – Those forces close to a company that impact operations and marketing programs.

Midships – Directional term. Amidships, sometimes termed midships, is the center of the vessel or aircraft.

Minimum connect time – defined as the minimum time necessary between connecting flights – 30 minutes domestically, usually – ideally, at least an hour. The shortest time required in order to successfully transfer to a connecting flight. It is recommended to select a connecting flight that exceeds the minimum connection time.

Mission statement – The concise description of what an organization is, its purpose, and what it intends to accomplish.

Modified American plan (MAP) – meal plan that includes two daily meals, usually breakfast and dinner.

Motorcoach tour operators – Tour operators that own their own motorcoaches.

Motorcoach Tour – A tour that features the motorcoach as the form of transportation to and from destinations.

Motorcoach – A large, comfortable bus that can transport travelers and their luggage long distances.

MST – Mountain Standard Time.

Multi-day tour – A travel package of two or more days. Most multi-day tours are escorted, all-inclusive packages.

Multigenerational Travel – multigenerational travel is a travel category referring to travel with parents, siblings, kids, grandkids, and assorted family members with the goal to broaden horizons, provide opportunities to reconnect and provide an enriching assortment of shared experiences.

Murder-mystery tour – A tour that features a staged “murder” and involves travelers in solving the crime.

Mystery tour – A journey to unpublicized destinations in which tour takers aren’t told where they will be going until en route or upon arrival.

NACTA – National Association of Career Travel Agents – trade group representing primarily independent and home-based agents, now part of ASTA.

National tourism organization (NTO) – A federal-government-level DMO that promotes country as a travel destination.

Nautical Mile – Unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude. Air-Sea distance measurement of approx. 1.1 statute miles.

Negotiated Rate – A discounted rate offered to a company based on the volume of business you agree to provide the selected vendor.

Net fare, net rate – Implies the commission has already been added to the price of the fare.

Net wholesale rate – A rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups of individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour brochure. The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers of tours to cover distribution and promotion costs.

Niche market – A highly specialized segment of the travel market, such as an affinity group with a unique special interest.

No show – a passenger who doesn’t show for a flight, hotel, or rental car booking. A guest with confirmed reservations who does not arrive and whose reservation was not canceled.

Non Stop Flight – Do not land in between your departure and arrival destinations. (I.e. San Francisco to New York)

Non-Changeable Ticket – A ticket that cannot be exchanged for a different route or flight once it’s been purchased.

Non-refundable – a fare that cannot be refunded either in cash or via a credit card credit; very seldom is there an exception.

Non-Refundable Ticket – A ticket that cannot be returned for cash or credit once it’s been purchased, but may be changeable for a fee.

Nonstop – A flight that travels directly to its destination without connections or layovers.

Non-transferable – A ticket that can only be used by the person who was originally scheduled to fly at the time of purchase.

NTSB – National Transportation Safety Board; investigates accidents and other incidents related to public transportation.

Objective and task method – A process for creating a promotion budget that sets objectives first, then defines the tasks needed to achieve those objectives, and then commits funds necessary to perform the tasks.

Occupancy rate – the percent of hotel rooms expected to be filled during a specific time period.

Occupancy – The percentage of available rooms occupied for a given period. It is computed by dividing the number of rooms occupied for a period by the number of rooms available for the same period.

Ocean view cabin – a cabin aboard a cruise ship with a window, such as a porthole or picture-window, and perhaps a balcony/verandah.

OCV – ocean view, usually in reference to a hotel room.

Offline connection – a change of aircraft also involving a change of carriers.

Off-peak – A less expensive time to travel as result of lower consumer volume during these periods.

On-site guide – A tour guide who conducts tours of one or several hours’ duration at a specific building, attraction, or site.

Onsite – An on-site is an expert travel provider that lives in the country they serve and has firsthand knowledge and long-standing relationships with all aspect of travel in their country.

Open jaw – a trip in during which there is no travel by air between two cities, such as a flight to Washington DC, then travel by rental car to Charlotte, NC, then a return by air from Charlotte back to the original departure city.

Open return – an air ticket with no return date specified. Rarely done these days, usually quite expensive and not allowed on most discounted fares.

Open-end question – A question that allows the respondent to provide a free-response answer.

Open-jaw itinerary – A travel routing design that departs from one location and returns to another. For example, travelers may fly into one city and depart from another one. Or a traveler may purchase round-trip transportation from the point of origin to one destination, at which another form of transportation is used to reach a second destination, where the traveler resumes the initial form of transportation to return to the point of origin.

Operations – Performing the practical work of operating a tour or travel program.

Operator – a company providing transportation or travel related services (airline, cruise line, railway, hotel, car Rental Company, etc.).

Operator – See Tour Operator.

Option date – drop dead date on which a reservation must be deposited or cancellation will result.

Optionals – Optional tour features that are not included in the base tour price, such as sightseeing excursions or special activities.

OTA – Online travel agencies, examples include Priceline, Expedia and Orbitz

Outbound – the departure leg of a journey.

Outbound operator – A company that takes groups from a given city or country to another city or country.

Outbound tour – A tour that takes travelers out of the area, usually from a domestic city to another country.

Outside cabin – see “ocean view ” cabin.

Outside salesperson – job description of a travel agency employee who sells travel but is not based primarily in the agency location most of the time.

Overbook – Accepting reservations for more space than is available.

Overbooking – the practice of selling more airline seats than are available on a specific flight, to make up for no-shows. Usually backfires on the carrier and at times can create much consumer ill-will. Requires passengers to be “bumped” – not always voluntarily. To some extent, happens in the hotel industry as well.

Overhead – Those fixed costs involved in regular operations, such as rent, insurance, management salaries, and utilities.

Override – A commission over and above the normal base commission percentage.

Packaged travel – A package in combination of two or more types of tour components into a product which is produced, assembled, promoted and sold as a package by a tour operator for an all-inclusive price.

Passenger facility charge (PFC) – a fee for the use of many airports, added in to the cost of an air ticket – another name for an additional tax on travelers.

Passenger name record (PNR) – The official name of one’s reservation in a computer reservation system (CRS).

Passenger vessel – Ships, yachts, ferries, boats, etc.

Passport/visa service – a service that will take your passport and hand carry, if necessary, to the appropriate embassy in order to expedite a visa. Can be expensive if you have waited until the last minute to obtain a travel visa.

Patronage Program – A program that rewards the customer for loyalty and repeat purchase, such as frequent-flyer programs.

Peak season – A destination’s high season when demand is strong. Also called the high season.

Peninsula – A piece of land that is connected to a mainland or larger piece of land on only one side, while the other sides are surrounded by water.

Per Diem – “by the day;” in the cruise industry, the per-day cost of a cruise, per person.

Per-capita costs – Per-person costs.

Per-capita tour – See scheduled tour.

Perceived value – The ratio of perceived benefits to perceived price.

Personal effects coverage – Additional car rental insurance covering loss of personal property from the rented vehicle.

Point-to-point – refers to the fares between two cities; the service between two cities without additional segments or any continuation.

Port – the place where a ship docks; a place visited by cruise ship; the left side of a vessel.

Port charges/taxes – fees levied by local authorities upon the cruise lines for each passenger visiting a port of call, normally added to the total cruise fare.

Port of Debarkation – Port of Debarkation is the geographic point where personnel arrive on a cruise vessel

Port of Embarkation – Port of Embarkation is the geographic point where personnel depart on a cruise vessel

Port of entry – Destination providing customs and immigration services.

Port-Directional – When facing forward, the side of the ship or aircraft that is on the left.

Porter – A person who handles luggage at an airport, train station, etc.; also called skycap or baggage handler.

Porthole – usually a round, sealed window in a shipboard stateroom.

Posada – a small country hotel (Spanish).

Positioning strategy – The development of a clear, unique, and attractive image for a company and/or product in the minds of target customers.

Positive space – space aboard a ship or aircraft that can be confirmed ahead of time.

Post-Cruise Vacation – a post-cruise vacation is a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of debarkation of the cruise.

PPDO – per person, double occupancy. Most tours and cruises are quoted this way; the average cost to stay in a particular location per day.

Pre- and post-trip tour – An optional extension or side trip package before and/or after a meeting, gathering, or convention.

Pre-Cruise Vacation – a vacation or getaway prior to a cruise in the town or region of the port of embarkation of the cruise.

Pre-deduct commission – When a distributor such as a travel agent takes up front the commission on a sale and sends the supplier the balance of the sales price.

Preferred Supplier – The selection of specific supplier(s) for priority promotion to customers and/or integration in travel packages in exchange for reduced rates and/or higher commission.

Preferred Vendor – The vendor(s) a company specifies as their first choice for travelers.

Preformed group – A pre-existing collection of travelers, such as affinity groups and travel clubs, whose members share a common interest or organizational affiliation.

Prepaid ticket advice – a form used when purchasing an air ticket to be picked up and used by someone else at another airport. E-tickets have reduced the need for this greatly.

Primary research – The collection of data specifically to solve the marketing problem at hand.

Prix fixe – meals offered at a fixed price, usually fairly low, consisting of several courses with no substitutions allowed. Common in Europe.

Profit margin – A dollar value that represents the markup of a product’s price over its costs.

Promotion mix – Promotion tools including advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and public relations.

Promotional group tour – A travel package composed of tour elements that match the specific needs and wants of niche customers who aren’t part of an organized or preformed group.

Promotional partnership – The combination of two or more companies to offer special incentives to customers.

Prop – referring to propeller-driven aircraft.

Property – A specific lodging structure, such as a hotel, and the ground on which it is built.

Property – A general term that may be used by a place of accommodation that denotes the facility.

Protection overbooking – The practice of blocking space that will likely be in excess of what will actually be needed.

Pseudo-agent – someone claiming to be a travel agent who really isn’t.  They often produce bogus ID cards, and can disappear when problems arise!

PST – Pacific Standard Time.

Psychographics – Measures of a person’s lifestyle. See also AIO variables.

Public relations (PR) – A management function that determines the attitudes and opinions of an organization’s publics, identifies its policies with the interests of its publics, and formulates and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and goodwill.

Public tours – See scheduled tour.

Published fare – an airfare that is listed in the carrier’s tariff.

Pull strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the customer level by generating awareness, interest, and desire so customers pull a product through a distribution channel by demanding it.

Purser – aboard ship, the person responsible for providing a wide array of services such as information, making change, stamps, etc. Found at the purser’s desk.

Purser-(Airline) – On a flight, the purser is the head flight attendant, responsible for overseeing the attendants and making sure travelers’ needs are met.

Push strategy – A marketing approach that creates demand at the distributor level by providing resellers with an incentive to push (sell) a product to end consumers.

Quad – a room suitable for four persons.

Quay – a pier – pronounced the same as “key”.

Query – The process of sorting and retrieving information from a database.

Quid – a monetary term for a British pound sterling.

Quota sample – A research sample that involves forming groups based on certain characteristics. A random sample can then be selected form the quota segments.

Rack rate – The published (brochure) rate for a travel component. The price of a hotel prior to discount.

Rate desk – the office of an air carrier that calculates fares for passengers and travel agents.

Reach – The measure of how many people in a market will be exposed to a certain advertisement via a specific medium.

Reasonable number – A forecast of the break-even point for a tour.

Rebate (ing) – the practice of returning part of an agency’s commission on a scale back to the client in the form of a rebate or “discount.” The trade-off is usually little or no personal/customer service. This is practiced often by “800 ” number travel sellers and others who deal in huge volume.

Receptive operator – A local tour company that specializes in services for incoming visitors, often for tour operator groups.

Reconfirm – to double-check a reservation.

Record locator – The number assigned to a reservation in the airlines number. This number is unique, as it will never be assigned again.

Record locator – the number assigned to one’s reservation in an airline’s computer system.

Red-eye flight – An overnight flight that leaves at night and arrives early the next morning.

Referral agent/agency – an ” agent ” that refers business to a travel agency in return for a commission or fee – often as part of a card mill operation

Registry – the formal registration of a ship’s ownership, and the country it is registered in (such as Panama, Liberia, Norway, etc.).

Reissue – the generation of a new ticket that is exchanged for another, due to a change of plans, dates, flights, etc. May involve additional fare, penalties and fees.

Relationship marketing – The process of building and nurturing ongoing, solid relationship with customers.

Repositionin g – the moving of a cruise ship to another home port for all of part of a season, such as the repositioning of ships to Alaska for the summer. Often these cruises are excellent bargains, but will involve one-way airfare home from the port of debarkation.

Res – short for “reservation”.

Research constraints – Those issues, such as cost and timing that will limit the scope of marketing research.

Reseller – See retailer and wholesaler.

Reservation fee – A customer payment for a certain percentage of the travel package price that’s made immediately after booking.

Responsible Tourism – Travel that extends beyond being merely environmentally responsible, to being culturally-conscious and economically-aware, locally.

Retail price – The actual price a customer pays for a travel element or tour.

Retail tour – See scheduled tour.

Retailer – A middleman, such as a travel agent, who sells directly to the customer.

Retirement travel – retirement travel is a category of travel referring to when a traveler is has retired from a career and commences to travel.  Travel done after retirement age.

Rollaway – a cot or other bedding that can be added to a hotel room to accommodate another guest. There is often an extra charge for this.

Romantic Destinations – romance destination and romance travel is a category of travel that involves travel involving a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love and often refers to travel associated with a wedding, honeymoon, wedding anniversary, babymoon or another type of romantic getaway.

Room Night – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.

Room Occupancy – In the hotel (hospitality) industry, a room night, room/night occupancy, is a measure of occupancy where a room is the unit of measure.

Room rates – The various rates used by lodging properties to price rooms. These include- day rate (usually one half the regular rate for a room used by a guest during the day up to 5 p.m.-sometimes called a use rate), flat rate (a specific room rate for a group agreed upon by the hotel and group in advance), group rate (same as flat rate), net group rate ( a wholesale rate for group business to which an operator may add a markup if desired), net wholesale rate ( a rate usually lower than the group rate and applicable to groups or individuals when a hotel is specifically mentioned in a tour folder), and published rate ( a full rate available to or advertised to the public-also called the rack rate.)

Rooming list – A printout of the names of all tour participants that also lists special lodging requests and provides a spot for the hotel or cruise ship to fill in the passenger’s room number.

Round trip – A flight to a single destination and a return.

Run-of-house (ROH) – refers to a hotel room, the type of which is assigned at the discretion of the hotel shortly before you arrive. Usually, the rates are lower.

Run-of-ship – cabin is assigned at the last moment, giving the cruise line the ability to shift accommodations as needed. Usually, you are guaranteed a minimum category of cabin, and sometimes get an upgraded stateroom at no additional cost. Most upgrades are from inside-to-inside cabins, or from outside-to-outside but occasionally an inside-to-ocean view upgrade will occur. It is not always worth the gamble though.

Run-of-the-house rate – A flat rate for which a lodging property agrees to offer any of its available rooms to a group. Final assignment of the rooms is at the discretion of lodging management.

Sabre® – A computerized travel reservation system.

Safaris – Today the negative hunting connotations of the word ‘safari’ are being rapidly replaced by more modern associations with socially and environmentally responsible travel. Safari travel typically implies that the journey will include game viewing and some time spent in wilderness areas (game reserves and national parks). A traditional is usually focused on seeing wildlife, but safaris are definitely not limited to game viewing.  Safaris are now for admiring wildlife and birds in the wild, along with a host of other adventures. Safaris have largely developed into vacation trips that actually benefit the wildlife by supporting local conservation efforts and wildlife sanctuaries. As opposed to hunting the animals, visitors get to encounter them and help make a difference in protecting the species. Safari companies either actively contribute towards conservation projects or help generate tourism revenue which is used to manage wildlife projects and game reserves. The modern safari is also a socially responsible journey designed to interact ethically with local communities and have a positive impact on local economies. The cultural interactions offered by reputable safari operators do not exploit local people. The local communities benefit from sustainable tourism through employment and financial gains from selling goods and services.

Sales margin – A term used by resellers to describe profit as a percentage of sales revenue.

Sample – The portion of a population chosen to represent the population being studied for research.

Saturday night stay – A requirement by the airlines that your travel must involve a Saturday night stay over in order to obtain our lowest fare.

Saturday night stay – In order to receive a specialty fare, a Saturday stay over is sometimes required.

Scandals tour – A light-hearted history tour that shows locations where interesting scandals took place.

Scheduled carrier – An airline that offers regularly scheduled flights between destinations.

Scheduled flights – Air flights that are publicly scheduled and promoted by major airlines.

Scheduled tour – A tour that’s set in a tour operator’s regular schedule of tour departures and that’s often sold to the general public. Also called public tour or retail tour.

Sea bands – a product resembling a bracelet that is worn on the wrists and operates via acupressure.

Wearers claim that seasickness can be avoided by their use, thus eliminating the need for drugs such as Dramamine, etc.

Sea legs – the ability to move around on a ship without losing balance and without sea sickness.

Secondary information – Research data that was collected by another company or person and usually for a purpose that’s different than the research objectives and tasks at hand.

Sectioning system (GPS) – system of satellites that allows miniature radio receivers on earth to pinpoint one’s location within a few feet. Most cruise ships make use of this system to navigate the world’s oceans.

Segment – a “leg” or part of a journey, usually in reference to an air itinerary. One take-off and landing during air travel constitutes a “segment”.

Segment – One leg or portion of a trip. The segment begins when you board the plane and ends when you de-board the plane. (I.e. A connecting flight from San Francisco to New York through Chicago equals 2 segments)

Self-drive – a rental car (British term).

Service non comprise – in French, meaning “service not included”.

Shells – Preprinted brochures with photos, illustrations, and graphics but no text; also called slicks.

Shore excursio n – tours that are purchased as an option when visiting ports of call while on a cruise; can sometimes be bought before you cruise.

Shore excursion – A land tour, usually available at ports of call, sold by cruise lines or tour operators to cruise passengers.

Shoulder season – a period of time between high and low seasons, where prices at a destination are between their highest and lowest, and the crowds are thinner.

Shoulder season – Those periods between the peak and off season when destination demand is moderate.

Sightseeing companies – Organizations that provide local guided tours.

Sightseeing guide – See driver/guide.

Sightseeing tour – Short excursions of usually a few hours that focus on sightseeing and/or attraction visits.

Simple random sample – A sample that draws a group of respondents randomly from all members of the population.

Single Room – A room that is only guaranteed to comfortably accommodate one guest. May also be called a “Standard Room.”

Single Supplement – An additional charge added to a solo traveler, when prices were originally quoted for dual occupancy.

Sleeper – the sleeping compartment aboard a train.

Soft adventure – an outdoor travel experience that is not especially physically demanding, such as a canyon horseback trail ride or a hot-air balloon flight.

Sommelier – A wine professional, usually hired by the most upscale restaurants and establishments, on staff to primarily suggest wine and food pairing to patrons.

Spa – a resort area centered around a mineral springs, hot springs and the like, typically where one can find massage, hydrotherapy, exercise, steam baths, etc.

Special event tour – A travel package that features major happenings, such as concerts or sporting events, as the reason for the journey.

Special fare – Any fare that deviates from normal pricing (typically discounted).

Special interest tour – a tour catering to the needs of a specific interest, such as bird-watching, whale-watching, river rafting, mountain biking, rain forest exploration among many others.

Split itinerary – An itinerary in which part of the group does one thing while the other part does something else.

Split Ticket – Issuing multiple tickets for one round-trip journey. This is done to reduce the total cost of the entire reservation.

Sports Tourism – sports tourism refers to travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event staying apart from their usual environment.

Stabilizer – a device on most all cruise vessels, to reduce pitch and roll when at sea – the movement that can cause seasickness. Stabilizers are often pulled in at night in order to allow faster speeds when traveling between ports of call.

Standby – Referring to a passenger who does not have a confirmed seat on the intended flight.

Star Service – a critical guide describing in detail many hotel and cruise ship properties. Can be subjective, as it is based on someone’s opinion, but provides a travel agent with a non-commercial point-of-view.

Starboard – the right side of a ship.

Stateroom – A private cabin or compartment with sleeping accommodations on a ship or train.

Step-on guide – A tour guide who boards a motorcoach to give detailed, expert commentary about the city or area being visited.

Stern – the rear of a ship.

Stopover – a planned stayover in a city for a day or more, while enrooted to another destination. Sometimes adds significantly to the cost of an air ticket.

Strategic plan – A report that describes a company’s mission statement, goals, objectives and strategic actions.

Student visa – permission to enter a country, issued to a student, normally for the purpose of attending school in that country.

Subcontractor – A local operator who provides services for a wholesaler.

Suite – a hotel accommodation with more than one room, or sometimes a single room with distinct sleeping and living areas and often a kitchenette. A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation denotes a class of accommodations with more space and amenities than a typical accommodation room. Luxury or upscale accommodations often have a scaled range of suites progressively increasing in size, luxury and amenities starting with a junior suite and culminating in the largest and most luxurious suite which is often called a presidential or royal suite.

Supplier – any company that supplies travel and/or related services to the traveling public. The actual producer and seller of travel components.

Surface – travel over land that does not involve an aircraft.

SWOT analysis – A summary of a company’s strengths and weaknesses, and the environmental opportunities and threats that will most influence it.

T&E – Travel and Entertainment expenses.

Target market – The group of customers who will be the focus of a company’s marketing efforts.

Tariff – a schedule of prices/fares.

Telemarketing – Direct marketing via the telephone.

Tender – a small boat or ferry that carries passengers from an anchored cruise ship to the pier at a port of call. Many ships are too large for existing port facilities at some destinations, and so they anchor just off shore and “tender “their passengers in for their visit.

Terminal – A building where clients report for trips via train, plane, etc.; also called a depot or a station.

TGV – the term applied to the French high-speed train system.

Theme cruise – a cruise devoted to a specific interest, such as big bands, country western, Star Trek, exercise and weight-loss, cooking and cuisine, and many more. There is usually a theme cruise to suit just about any interest.

Theme tour – A tour that’s designed around a concept of specific interest to the tour takers, such as history or sports.

Through passenger – a passenger who is not disembarking at a particular stop while enrooted to the final destination.

Ticket stock – Blank airline tickets.

Tickler system – A method for monitoring reservations and payments that’s arranged by date and points out late payments so customers can be contacted.

Tiered override pla n – When commissions rise proportionately with a corresponding increase in sales.

Tiered pricing – When suppliers offer different prices to receptive operators, tour operators, and group leaders, so each party can earn a profit by marking up the supplier’s price while still offering a fair price to customers.

Tour broker – See tour operator.

Tour catalog – A publication by tour wholesalers listing their tour offerings. Catalogs are distributed to retail agents who make them available to their customers. Bookings by retail agents are commissionable.

Tour Company – A tour company or tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a packaged vacation. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, vacation and itineraries.

Tour conductor – the person who accompanies and is in charge of a tour, often on a motor coach tour. See tour director.

Tour departure – The date of the start by any individual or group of a tour program or, by extension, the entire operation of that single tour.

Tour director – Also called tour manager, tour conductor, and tour escort. The person who is responsible for a group on tour and for most aspects of a tour’s execution.

Tour escort – See tour director.

Tour guide – A person qualified (and often certified) to conduct tours of specific locations or attractions.

See also step-on guide, city guide, on-site guide, and docent.

Tour manager – See tour director.

Tour manual – A compendium of facts about a destination, tour procedures, forms, and other information that a tour operator gives to its tour directors.

Tour menu – A menu that limits group clients to two or three choices.

Tour operator – A person or company that contracts with suppliers to create and/or market a tour and/or subcontract their performance.

Tour order – A voucher given to the purchaser of a tour package that identifies the tour, the seller, and the fact that the tour is prepaid. The purchaser then uses this form as proof of payment and receives vouchers for meals, porterage, transfers, entrance fees, and other expenses. See also voucher.

Tour planner – A person who researches destinations and suppliers, negotiates contracts, and creates itineraries for travel packages.

Tour rate – See group rate.

Tour series – Multiple departures to the same destination throughout the year.

Tour – A prearranged, prepaid journey to one or more destinations that generally returns to the point of origin, is usually arranged with an itinerary of leisure activities, and includes at least two travel elements.

Tourism – The business of providing marketing services and facilities for leisure travelers.

Tourist card – a card issued to a visitor in lieu of a visa, usually for a short duration visit.

Tourist – This is the majority of adult travelers, when not vacationing. Tourists may be couples, families, or just a person or two who visit locations.

Tours – a tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.

Tracking study – A survey of customers before and after implementing a promotion campaign to assess changes in consumer behavior.

Trans-canal – passing through the Panama Canal.

Transcon – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.

Transcontinental – Having to do with crossing a continent. For example, travel of this sort would be from one end of a continent to another.

Transfer – Local transportation and porterage from one carrier terminal to another, from a terminal to a hotel, or from a hotel to an attraction.

Transient Occupancy Tax – Also known as a Bed Tax, it is a City or County tax added to the price of the room.

Transient – A person who stays in a place for just a short while; not a permanent resident, such as a visitor or tourist.

Transit visa – A visa allowing the holder to stop over in a country or make a travel connection or a brief visit.

Transportation – Any method of moving travelers from one point in a journey to another, such as air, ship, rail, and motor coach travel.

Travel advisor – a travel advisor simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many advisors specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.

Travel advisory – a travel warning issued by the US Department of State, indicating a special caution should be taken in a country due to political unrest, natural disaster, or other special situation. These can be obtained from any good travel agent, on any area you are considering visiting.

Travel agency – Usually used in the travel industry to refer to an ARC-appointed storefront retailer.

Travel agent – A person or firm qualified to arrange for lodging, meals, transportation, cruises, tours, and other travel elements, typically on a commission basis. A travel agent simplifies the time-consuming and complicated process of planning travel for their customers in addition to providing consultation services and entire travel packages. They may book flights, cruises, rental cars and hotels, as well as resort stays and events. Agents cater to a wide demographic, serving both individuals and corporations. They may also concentrate in a special segment of travel; many agents specialize in leisure, business or group travel, or destination-specific journeys.

Travel component – Transportation, lodging, dining, attractions, entertainment, guide services, and other travel elements offered as part of a travel package.

Travel Destination – a place to which one is journeying.

Travel Experience – A travel experience or experiential travel (also known as immersion travel) as it is commonly referred to, is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.

Travel Institute – the primary educational and certification arm of the travel industry. Was formerly the “Institute of Certified Travel Agents” (ICTA), located in Wellesley, Mass.

Travel Insurance – Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses incurred while traveling, either internationally or within one’s own country.

Travel Itinerary – a travel itinerary is a travel plan or organization of your travel and involves all of the details, times and dates concerning things like airline, cruises and train transportation confirmations, hotel, villa and accommodation reservations, rental car information, restaurant reservations and much more.

Travel Policy – A fluid internal document, pertinent to the company’s culture that outlines the guidelines for business travel and expenses within a company.

Travel rewards – Travel reward programs are often referred to as a loyalty rewards program, and they are generally a campaign devised to generate repeat customers for a particular company by offering a point gratification system for the customers’ business. They are also meant to provide customers with a “thank you” for their loyalty to a company’s product or service. That benefit is typically some sort of discount on certain items or services. Travel specialist – a travel specialist is a travel agent or travel advisor that concentrates in a special segment of travel; many travel agents or travel advisors specialize in leisure, group or business travel, or destination specific travel.

Travel Tours – a travel tour is a journey for pleasure which includes the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group often led by a guide.

Traveler – One who travels.

Travelogues – Many travel websites are online travelogues or travel journals, usually created by individual travelers and hosted by companies that generally provide their information to consumers for free. These companies generate revenue through advertising or by providing services to other businesses. This medium produces a wide variety of styles, often incorporating graphics, photography, maps, and other unique content.

Trip director – An escort for an incentive company. Larger companies reserve this title for the person who directs all personnel and activities for a particular incentive trip.

Trundle Bed – Bed that stores itself under another bed, usually on casters. Often found in smaller hotel rooms or in cramped transport accommodations.

Turn – Airline parlance. A flight that leaves base and returns back to base in the same day. Also known as a turnaround.

Turnaway – A potential reservation that couldn’t be satisfied because the tour (or hotel, ship, etc.) was fully booked.

Twenty-four hour time – used extensively in Europe and other countries, 1pm becomes 1300 hours, 4pm is 1500 hours, etc., up to 2359 ( 1159pm ). Midnight is then considered 2400 or “zero ” hours. 1-20am is then 0120 or “one hour, twenty minutes “and so on. Most schedules and timetables in the majority of other countries are listed in the 24-hour format.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites – a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.

Unlimited mileage – No mileage restriction when renting a car.

Unrestricted fare – an airfare that has no special advance purchase, Saturday stay or certain days to travel requirements, and is usually refundable. Many full coach and most first-class fares are unrestricted. An airfare with no limitations. It is typically refundable and has no blackout days.

Upgrade – To move to a better accommodation or class of service.

USTOA – United States Tour Operators Association – a trade association which requires its members to be very financially stable and to have a million dollars or more in funds set aside for consumer protection against defaults. Visit www.ustoa.com for more information.

Value added tax (VAT) – a tax on goods in Europe, which under certain circumstances can be refunded.

Value season – similar to shoulder or low season, when pricing is lower. See off season.

Value – The relationship between the benefits associated with a product or service and the costs of obtaining the product or service. See also perceived value.

Value-added tax (VAT) – A type of tax system which adds a fixed percentage of taxation on products and services at each step of production or service delivery.

Value-based pricing – Pricing a product based on buyer perceptions of value rather than actual product costs.

Variable costs – Costs that change with sales or production levels.

Variance report – A summary of how much a company has gone above or below budget.

Verandah – a roofed-porch, such as connected to a cruise ship stateroom.

VIA rail – the Canadian railway system.

Villas – a large and luxurious country residence. A villa is a fancy vacation home. The word has been around ever since ancient Roman times to mean “country house for the elite.” In Italian, villa means “country house or farm.” Most villas include a large amount of land and often barns, garages, or other outbuildings as well.

VIP experiences – a VIP Experience is the most exclusive way to go behind the scenes or experience a travel destination, accommodation or mode of transportation.

Visa – usually a stamp in a passport allowing entry into a country for a specific purpose and a finite amount of time.

Visa service – a service that can expedite the processing of a visa, sometimes even at the last minute. A fee is charged that varies, depending on the nature of the service needed. Visas are usually stamped into the pages of a valid passport and are issued for varying reasons and periods of time. Not all countries require them, especially for United States Citizens.

Volume incentive – See override.

Volume purchase – The purchase of large quantities of a product or service.

Voucher – Documents that are exchanged for goods and service to substantiate payment that will be or already has been made.

Voyage – a voyage is a long journey involving travel by sea or in space.

Waitlist – A list of clients awaiting transportation or accommodations at times when they are not available. Waitlisted clients are confirmed as a result of subsequent cancellations.

Waiver – a written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something, such as insurance coverage for a trip, for example. Also, the formal acknowledgement of the waiving or dismissal of a requirement, such as a waiver of a penalty for late booking, etc.

Waiver – A written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something.

Walk-up – one who purchases an air ticket at the last moment, usually at the airport ticket counter.

Wants – Ways in which a person satisfies a basic need.

Wellness Travel – wellness travel is a category of travel for the purpose of promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities

Wet bar – the area of a hotel room that has a bar or other counter space with running water, used for the preparation of drinks.

Wholesale – Sale of travel products through an intermediary in exchange for a commission or fee generally at reduced tariffs.

Word-of-mouth promotion – Personal communication about a product or service from one customer to another.

World Travel Guide – a yearly publication that provides detailed information on most every country in the world, with entries on currency, transportation, climate, visa and passport requirements, sightseeing opportunities, etc. A primary book of knowledge for the professional travel agent.

Yield management – Calculating and analyzing the profits earned per customer.

World Travel Agency, LLC is owned and operated by Michael and Cheryl LaBaw. We are a husband and wife team dedicated to working together with our clients to insure they travel well. World Travel Agency, LLC is an independent affiliate of Andavo Travel, a Virtuoso® Member. Travel should be more than just a journey, it should be a series of unforgettable experiences. We work hard to ensure our clients’ trips are always stimulating, authentic and – above all else – fun... READ MORE

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Meaning of airline in English

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• The airline regularly offers last-minute bookings at bargain prices .
• Many airline passengers face lengthy delays because of the strike .
• The airline will launch its new transatlantic service next month .
• I won't fly with an airline that has a bad safety record .
• The 1990s saw a huge increase in the numbers of low-cost airlines.
• answering service
• clicks and mortar idiom
• conglomerate
• estate agent
• financial technology
• organizational
• organizationally
• parent company
• wholly-owned
• zombie company

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

airline | American Dictionary

Airline | business english, examples of airline, collocations with airline.

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enterprising

good at thinking of and doing new and difficult things, especially things that will make money

Fakes and forgeries (Things that are not what they seem to be)

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What is a layover? How it differs from a stopover, more flight term meanings explained

If you're not flying nonstop to your destination, you probably have a layover. Or, you might have a stopover. Or, you might just have a direct flight with a stop.

That's OK, that's why we're here.

Stops, layovers and stopovers are three different ways your flights can be broken up, and it's a good idea to know what's part of your itinerary, because it can change both what you're able to do with the time between legs and what protections are available to you if something goes wrong during your trip.

According to Loulu Lima, founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here , layovers are typically just a few hours and designed to give you some breathing room while changing planes, but stopovers are longer, sometimes days-long pauses between flights to give you a chance to explore an extra destination as part of your trip.

Tell us your story: Mobility device lost or damaged by an airline? USA TODAY wants to hear about it

"It really just depends on how the ticket is done," she said, noting that layovers and stopovers are typically multiple flights on the same ticket.

Here's how it all works.

What's the difference between a layover and a stopover?

► Layovers are probably the most common type of pause in an airline itinerary these days, and also may be called a connecting flight. Basically, a layover is the time an airline gives you to change planes between flights. On a layover that's scheduled by the airline, you'll likely be traveling on the same ticket for every flight included in the itinerary, and you may have some time to kill at the airport.

"It could be anywhere from 35 minutes, which is considered a legal connection, sadly, and it could be a layover of, I've never seen more than like 14 hours, but it could be a little longer," Lima said. 

Especially on long intercontinental routes, an overnight layover is not unheard of, and the airline may even allow you to claim your bags and head to a hotel before your next leg in the morning. With shorter layovers, baggage is typically sent right through to your final destination, although if your connection involves transferring from an international to a domestic flight, you may need to claim and recheck your bags for customs.

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► Long layovers approach stopover territory, which is, essentially, an even longer layover.

"A stopover is a legal stop (to) your trip," Lima said. "I'll use Icelandair as an example ... They have the ability for you to say, make a stop in Iceland for a couple of days before you move onto another destination." 

Lima added that with official layovers and stopovers, passengers typically have some level of protection if something goes wrong. For example, if the first flight on your itinerary is delayed or canceled and you miss the connection, airlines will have to reaccommodate you. However, she said, travelers sometimes create their own layovers or stopovers by buying tickets on different airlines or buying flights separately even on the same carrier, but on unlinked reservations. In those cases, she said, you can be on your own if something goes wrong.

"If one of those legs is not on the same ticket and something happens to my flight and I miss the other one, I'm not protected," Lima said. "You're truly at the mercy of the airlines."

She'll sometimes book unofficial layovers or stopovers for clients who want to visit extra cities on their trips, but Lima said she's always careful to build in a buffer and educate the travelers about what could happen if something goes wrong in those cases. 

How do I book a stopover to add a destination to my trip?

If you're not working with a travel advisor like Lima, who can book the stopover for you, you'll need to do a little extra legwork yourself.

On Icelandair's website, for example, itineraries that connect through Reykjavik include an option to add a stopover in Iceland on the booking page. Other carriers, like Hawaiian Airlines, may require you to use the multi-city itinerary search function to select the different flight legs individually. For complicated itineraries, it could be a good idea to work with a travel agent who is familiar with the individual carrier's rules, to make sure you have all the protections you need if something goes wrong. 

Nonstop vs. direct flight: What's the difference? 

Nonstop versus direct is very much a square versus rectangle problem.

All nonstop flights are direct, but not all direct flights are nonstop.

A direct flight can include a stop at another airport that doesn't require you to change planes.

Reader question: How do airlines decide where to fly?

"That just means you unfortunately have made your trip a little longer," Lima said.

Southwest Airlines and Breeze Airways are the airlines that are most known for having direct flights with stops on their schedules these days, with Breeze's direct stopping flights branded as "BreezeThru" service. 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected]

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What are the differences between airline classes?

How to understand and use different airline classes

Since the first commercial flight in 1914, the  airline industry has achieved many milestones , including introducing innovative amenities to entice travelers to fly the friendly skies. Today’s flight experience is, of course, vastly different from the inaugural commercial flight in 1914. One of the most notable differences is how much we pay for our journey and what’s included in the price. Flight prices today are really about getting from point A to point B. Another development has been the introduction of multiple classes of service and the variety of pricing schemes within each fare class, allowing you to only pay for the extras if you choose.

We’ve purchased our fair share of seats across all air carriers, and it’s clear not all seats and classes are equal. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about North American airline classes and what you can expect from each class. Read on for help choosing a seat, and then find that perfect flight on Cheapflights.com .

What are airline cabin classes? What airline cabin classes are there? What can you expect in Premium Economy on North American flights? What are fare classes? What does each letter of the fare basis code mean? How do fare class letters and miles work? How can you use fare classes when finding flights?

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1. What are airline cabin classes?

There are 4 cabin classes offered on most airlines: economy, premium economy, business, and first class.

“In the early days, all seats were first class,” said Seth Kaplan, managing partner of “ Airline Weekly ,” a subscriber-supported publication about the airline business.

“In the 1950s, airlines including  Delta Air Lines , began experimenting with coach flights at off-peak hours – in other words, not first class and coach cabins separated by a curtain, but entirely separate flights. Later they begin offering 2 cabins on the same flight, as we see today,” said Kaplan.

The number of seats increased after deregulation kicked in, calling for more seats to make more profits per flying mile, said Stephen Carbone, who has worked for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Seats were wider because the airlines were subsidized, so they could afford flying fewer people to more obscure locations. This was changed with the introduction of the hub-and-spoke routing system,” said Carbone. “Destinations were now decided by passenger numbers, which brought about the concept of how many seats can we legally and safely fit.”

Depending on the airline, some seats have shrunk over time while others have remained the same across all classes of service. See our guide to how to pick the best airline seat and which airline has the best legroom   for secure the best seat.

2. What airline cabin classes are there?

While there are 4 airline cabin classes, some airlines only often one — coach. But a seat in coach class on 1 carrier can be vastly different from an economy seat on another airline. Many airlines have the same airplane models in their fleets, but they configure the interiors differently, so it’s important to look at the seating map not only for the airplane type but also the airline you are flying. Using another airline’s map may not be accurate. If your airline doesn’t provide airplane seating charts, call and speak with an agent, who should be able to provide guidance.

Here is what you can expect in each class:

Economy: Whether you call it coach, standard, main cabin, or “cattle class,” economy is the most basic class. The seats here are the narrowest, ranging from 16 inches to just over 19 inches wide and the seat pitch, the distance from one seat to the seat in front or behind it – what travelers often refer to as “legroom” – ranges from 30 inches to 34 inches. These days, economy offers little more than a seat that will get you from point A to point B. Some airlines like jetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines offer free snacks and beverages and in-flight entertainment systems. Delta Air Lines offers 3 classes of service: Delta One (180-degree flat-bed seat featuring Westin Heavenly bedding and a dedicated flight attendant on cross-country U.S. flights and long-haul international flights), first class (up to 8 inches of additional legroom, up to 5.4 inch seat recline, and a wider seat-back screen), and main cabin. Main cabin is further divided into 3 “experiences” based on seat size and location: Delta Comfort+, Main Cabin, and Basic Economy. Some low-cost carriers like Allegiant Air , Frontier Airlines  and Spirit Airlines only offer coach class.

Premium economy: Virgin Atlantic was actually the first airline to incorporate the concept of premium economy back in 1992. Since then, dozens of airlines have picked up the concept. Once only found on international flights, premium economy is widely available on flights within North America. The slightly comfier premium economy offers wider seats and more legroom at a comfier price than business or first class on most airlines. Some airlines categorize economy and premium economy under main cabin. Typically physically partitioned on international and some long-haul flights, the “premium” in premium economy is the added space and sometimes location of seats in more desirable locations, like the front of the aircraft. On international flights, premium economy may not only be physically separate from economy class, but it may also offer additional perks like complimentary or better food, a greater baggage allowance and amenity kits. Premium economy often refers to the “better” seats on an aircraft on domestic flights.

3. What can you expect in premium economy on North American flights?

• Alaskan Airlines: Alaskan Airlines’ passengers can book  Preferred Plus Seats , which are located in row 6 and in the exit rows on select flights. The seats offer the same 3 inches of recline as the standard seats do (except in row 16, which doesn’t recline) but more legroom: a 36- to 40-inch seat pitch.
• Allegiant Air: Allegiant Air has all-coach configurations on its planes, but select flights offer Legroom+ seating, which offers a larger seat pitch of up to 34 inches, and  Giant Seats , which have wider seats, comfy headrests and more legroom. There are 6 Giant Seats per plane, in the front row and mid-cabin emergency exit row, on planes that fly to and from Hawaii and several Western U.S. cities.
• American Airlines: American Airlines’ Main Cabin Extra offers seats with more legroom at the front of the plane starting at $20.
• Delta Air Lines: Delta Airlines’ Delta Comfort+ seat offers up to 4 extra inches of legroom, dedicated overhead bin space, and priority boarding.
• Frontier Airlines: Travelers who opt to upgrade to Frontier Airlines’  Stretch   seating get to enjoy in-flight service first, get off the plane first, and sit in seats that are laptop friendly and offer more legroom: 33 inches to be exact on all aircraft types.
• Hawaiian Airlines: Hawaiian Airlines’  Extra Comfort   seating, available only on the Airbus A330, features a 36-inch seat pitch; priority boarding at the gate, complimentary on-demand in-seat entertainment and a personal power outlet.
• jetBlue: Options for more legroom on jetBlue include  Even More Space   seats, which offer up to 38 inches of legroom. There are 7 rows of Even More Space seats on the Airbus A320 and both Airbus A321 configurations and 4 rows on the Embraer 190 (rows 1, 12, 13 and 14), offering passengers more legroom, early boarding and more.
• Porter Airlines: On Porter Airlines , travelers can upgrade to a  premium seat , which offers more legroom, at the time of booking for $20 (Flexible and Freedom fares) and $40 (Firm fares). Premium seats are located at the front of the plane (Row 1, Seats A and B; and Row 2, Seats A, B, C and D).
• Southwest Airlines: There is no assigned seating on Southwest Airlines and all seats are coach class. Southwest’s sole upgrade option is  Business Select , which guarantees, among a variety of perks, priority A1-15  boarding, allowing passengers who upgrade to pick the seats they want and have a place to stash their carry-on luggage.
• Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines offers their  BIG FRONT SEAT  for those who prefer more space. BIG FRONT SEAT options are located in the front of the plane, have a 36 inch pitch and are 25 inches width, with a full 6 inches of additional legroom compared to the airline’s standard Deluxe Leather seats. The BIG FRONT SEAT option can be purchased for a fee during or after booking, based on availability.
• United Airlines: United Airlines ’ Economy Plus seating offer more legroom and wider seats and is available as a one-time purchase or as an annual subscription.
• Virgin America: Virgin America ’s Main Cabin Select  offers roomier seats with a 38-inch pitch (6 extra inches of legroom).
• WestJet: WestJet ’s premium economy fare a  Plus   seat that affords travelers a variety of amenities, including more legroom. Located in the first 3 rows of the Boeing 737 aircraft, Plus seats have a 36 inch seat pitch. Plus seats are also located in the first four rows of the Boeing 767 aircraft and have a 38 inch seat pitch.

Business: The happy medium between coach class and first class is business class. Pioneered by airlines like Pan Am and Qantas , Business class was born after deregulation of airlines when international first-class fares skyrocketed, discounts in economy were common, and full-fare coach travelers were not happy. Business class is a completely different class from economy, and airlines have increased the quality in this category so much that some have replaced first class with business class or, as was the case with now-defunct Continental Airlines, combined the privileges of business class with the luxuries of first class into what the airline called BusinessFirst when it launched in the early 90s. On some airlines like Delta Air Lines, international flights may offer business class service in lieu of first class. The experience ranges from a wider seat that reclines back but doesn’t lie flat, full meal service, in-flight entertainment and an amenity kit on American Airlines, to a seat that converts to a full lie-flat seat, personal minibar, multi-course meals served on fine china and a full bar area complete with bartender and canapés on Emirates .

First Class: Passengers can’t get upgraded any further than first class, which is a luxurious experience that varies depending on the airline. The experience of first class can range from jetBlue’s Mint , which features a 6-foot, 8-inch lie-flat seat with adjustable firmness and a massage feature, a door for privacy, in-flight entertainment and full meal service to Etihad’s The Residence , a 3-room suite with living room, bedroom with a double bed and private bathroom with shower.

4. What are fare classes?

The service classes of economy, premium economy, business, and first class are further divided into fare classes, which appear as a letter on your ticket. Each seat on an airplane is put in a fare class, which each come with their own set of rules and price. What might look like a random letter on your ticket is actually a valuable piece of information that shouldn’t be overlooked.

A ticket’s fare class (also called a booking class or fare bucket) is represented with one of the 26 letters of the alphabet. Originally, booking codes were standardized by the International Air Transport Association , a trade association for airlines, but booking codes are now determined by each airline. Most airlines have a different fare class for each letter of the alphabet, and this varies by airline: F is first class, C and J are typically business class, and Y is usually economy, regardless of the airline. The assignment of letters to each fare class isn’t arbitrary. Take C for business class, which derives from Pan Am ,  which was one of the first airlines to introduce a new class of service for business and full-fare economy passengers called “Clipper Class.”

The fare class letter denotes information like how much your ticket costs, how many airline miles you’ll accrue for the flight, and the amount of flexibility you have to change your reservation. Airlines, reservation systems and travel agents use fare classes to keep track of tickets sold and fare class availability. This one letter is often the difference between you paying hundreds of dollars more or less for your ticket than the person next to you.

Airlines want to get the most they can for each seat while also aiming for a full flight, so ticket prices fall within particular fare classes or buckets to help control inventory and how many tickets can be sold at a particular price. Each fare class has its own price, fare rules, including how much mileage is earned for the airline’s loyalty program and if the ticket can be changed or not. There are also “hidden” fare classes for frequent flyer awards and elite upgrades that are not normally shown in travel searches.

To control inventory while aiming to get as many passengers to pay as much as possible, airlines divide the seats into buckets. Airlines use an algorithm that takes into account factors like the number of seats on a flight, departure and destination airports, the time of day, the time of year, and the expected breakdown of leisure and business passengers to determine how many seats get assigned to each bucket for a particular flight. It’s hard to gauge how many seats are allotted to each bucket, but once the seats within a bucket are sold for a flight, the bucket isn’t replenished. To control inventory and maximize profit, airlines don’t release these numbers. Only travel agents and airline staff or travelers who subscribe to services like Expert Flyer can see how many seats remain in each class.

Fare classes vary by airline, so it’s important to consult the airline directly for confirmation about what each letter means. The letters within each fare class have a hierarchy. When reading an airline’s fare class chart, read from top to bottom and left to right. For example, on American Airlines, F and J are both full-fare first class/business class, but F is higher than J. Hierarchy becomes meaningful when you’re looking to upgrade or standby for a flight.

The fare class code is just the beginning. Each ticket also has a fare basis code, an alpha or alphanumeric code that describes the fare you bought, making it easy for airline staff and travel agents to quickly access the fare rules for a ticket. Each airline sets their own fare class codes that range from 3-8 characters. Almost always, the fare basis code begins with a letter that denotes the class of service. What follows after may refer to the season, how many days in advance the ticket needed to be purchased, minimum and maximum stay requirements, whether a fare is valid on a weekday or restricted to weekends only,  or whether the fare is one-way or round-trip. additional fare rules like non-refundable or to signify the fare is a child fare or infant fare. If you have an itinerary made up of multiple fare codes, you may be restricted by the limitations of the most restrictive portion, so check with the airline to ensure you understand the fare rules and restrictions.

When searching for airline tickets by classes, you only need to concentrate on the first letter.

5. What does each letter of the fare basis code mean?

Flights within Canada:

• J, C, D = Business Class (flexible) | Premium Rouge
• Z, P = Business Class (flexible) | Premium Rouge
• O = Premium Economy
• E, N = Premium Economy (lowest)
• Y, B = Latitude
• M, U, H, Q, V, W, G = Flex
• S, T, L, A, K, F = Tango

Flights between Canada and the U.S.:

Flights between Canada and Sun Destinations (Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America)

• J = Business Class (flexible) | Premium Rouge
• C, D, Z, P = Business Class (lowest) | Premium Rouge
• M, U, H, Q, V = Flex
• W, G, S, T, L, F, A, K = Tango

Flights between Canada and International Destinations (Europe, Israel, Asia, Australia, and South America)

• O = Premium Economy (flexible) | Premium Rouge
• Alaska Airlines
• F, P = First Class
• Y, S = Economy
• M, B = Discounted Economy
• H, Q, L, V, N, K, G, T, R, W = additional economy seats with the most restriction
• U = complimentary upgrades
• Z = Refundable Main Cabin awards

Allegiant Airlines

The all-coach airline offers Giant Seats and Legroom+ seats on select flights for an additional fee.

• American Airlines
• F, J = Full Fare First Class/Business Class
• A, P, D, I, R = Discount First/Business
• Y, W = Economy
• H, K, M, L, W, V, G, Q, N, S = Economy
• B – Basic Economy
• Delta Air Lines
• F = First Class
• P, A, G = Discounted First/Delta Premium Select
• J = Business
• C, D, I, Z = Business and Discounted Business
• W = Premium Economy (Available on flights operated by Air France , Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Australia )
• W = Delta Comfort
• Y, B = Economy
• M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X, V, E = Economy, Discounted and Deeply Discounted Economy
• R, O, S, N = Award Travel
• Hawaiian Airlines
• F, P, C, A = First Class (Inter-Island and Transpacific flights)
• J, P, C, A = Business Class (international flights)
• Y, W, X, Q, V, B, S, N, M, I, H, G, K, L = Economy (Inter-Island flights)
• Y, W, X, Q, V, B, S, N, M = Economy (Transpacific and International flights)
• I, H, G, K, L = Additional Economy seats with the most restrictions. (Transpacific and International flights)
• Porter Airlines

Tickets are classified as Firm, Flexible, and Freedom , which determines fares and rules.

• Southwest Airlines

Tickets are classified as Business Select, Anytime, Wanna Get Away, Senior Fares, and Rapid Reward Companion Pass .  

• Spirit Airlines

The all-coach airline offers passengers the option to purchase a BIG FRONT SEAT for an additional fee. There are 10 on the airline’s A319 aircraft and 4 on the airline’s A320 and A321 aircraft, according to the airline’s fact sheet .

• United Airlines
• F, J = First Class
• A, D = Business First
• C = Business
• Z, P = Business Class
• M, E, U, H, Q, V, W, S, T, L, K, G = Discounted Economy
• N = Reward travel
• Virgin America
• J, C, D = First Class, which includes no change or cancellation fees, 2 free checked bags, meal service, 55-inch seat pitch, 165-degree reclining massaging chair and priority boarding.
• W = Main Cabin Select with no change or cancellation fees.
• Z, Q = No change or cancellation fees, 1 free checked bag, free food, drink and movies, 38-inch seat pitch and priority boarding.
• Y = Main Cabin with no change or cancellation fees and 1  free checked bag.
• V, B, H, E, U, M, I, L, S, N = Main Cabin with no change or cancellation fees and 1 free checked bag, 32-inch seat pitch, and seat-back entertainment.

Tickets are classified as Member Exclusive, Econo, Flex, Plus Lowest, and Plus Flexible .

6. How do fare class letters and miles work?

Frequent-flyer miles aren’t based on the number of miles flown. The fare class determines how many airline miles you will accrue for the flight. Some fare classes offer double or triple miles while other classes offer no miles. Depending on your objective, achieving status on an airline or booking the cheapest ticket possible, reviewing the mileage accrual chart for your chosen airline may be an important factor in choosing which flight to book.

The following are links to each North American airline’s mileage accrual charts for eligible published fares. These charts denote the relationship between the fare class letters and miles passengers receive who fly in these classes.

• Allegiant Air

7. How can you use fare classes when finding flights?

Most airline websites allow for searching for flights by fare class by selecting the advanced booking options. Expert Flyer allows users to search for flights by fare code. When shopping for tickets on airline websites, the fare code is displayed toward the end of the booking process, either when selecting flight options or just before submitting payment. Typically, there is a correlation between the fare class and the price of the ticket; the cheapest fares are the lowest fare classes. Tickets that have more perks and fewer restrictions have higher fare classes (and, most often, higher prices).

What fare class do you typically purchase when you fly? Share your preferences in the comments and start your next flight search on Cheapflights.com .

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Definition of airline

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of air line  (Entry 2 of 2)

Examples of airline in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'airline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1844, in the meaning defined above

1813, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near airline

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“Airline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airline. Accessed 26 Jun. 2024.

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Airport Travel Terminology 101 – The Ultimate Guide

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In this article, we’ll be explaining all the terms that you need to know about airports and airline travel in general . If you’re a frequent traveler, chances are that you might not even know all of these terms. Plus, a lot of them are used in the wrong context, and over here, we’ll be breaking down their correct usage. In this airport terminology guide, we’ll cover everything there is to know – from booking flights to airplane-specific terms.

Booking Flights (Purchasing Airline Tickets)

Domestic flight.

A domestic flight means a flight that starts and ends in the same country, with no stops in other countries along the way. Domestic flights are usually much quicker and they’ll have fewer security checks along the way.

International Flight

An international flight means a flight that takes off from one country and lands in another one. These flights are more complicated because passengers need to go through Customs and Immigration in the arrival country.

Direct Flight

A direct flight refers to a flight that flies directly from one destination to another one, with no connections in the middle. A direct flight could include a refueling stop if it’s too long, but passengers won’t be able to exit the plane during this time. Direct flights are usually faster, but they’re more expensive than connecting flights.

Non-Stop Flight

A non-stop flight is very similar to a direct flight – it flies directly from one destination to another one with no connections in the middle. The only difference between a direct flight and a non-stop one is that non-stop flights won’t even stop to refuel. The airplane will take off from the starting airport and land only at the final destination.

Connecting Flight

A connecting flight refers to a flight that involves at least three airports. To get from the starting airport to the destination one, the airplane will stop in one or more airports somewhere along the way. Passengers will need to get off the plane there and wait for several hours for the next one. Connecting flights may include flights from multiple airlines as well. Usually, connecting flights take longer, but they’re also cheaper.

Layover is a term that’s used for connecting flights. It refers to any of the connections along the way. As an example, you could say that you’re flying from California to New York, and you’ll have a layover in Dallas (where the plane will be stopping in the middle). During layovers, passengers need to exit the aircraft and wait in the transit area for the next flight. Layovers may last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours.

A stopover is a very similar term to a layover – it refers to the connections in connecting flights. The only difference is that stopovers are longer. There is no specific time limit when a layover becomes a stopover, but usually, airlines refer to stopovers when they’re talking about overnight connections (you have to spend the night in the airport waiting for the next flight).

A transfer is another similar term to a layover because it also refers to the connections in connecting flights (when you’re transferring from one plane to another). The only difference is that “transfer” is usually used when talking about very short layovers, usually 2 hours or less. That said, this isn’t followed by everyone, and some people use “transfer” as a synonym to “layover”.

Transit is a very similar term to a transfer because it also refers to short connections in connecting flights. The only difference is that when you’re transiting, you’re exiting and entering the same airplane, but when transferring, you’re entering a different airplane. For transits, usually, the same airline ticket is used.

Split Ticket

Split ticket refers to connecting flights when each part of the flight is bought separately on different tickets. Sometimes buying a combined ticket from a third-party provider (or an airline), which has all of the flights in a single booking, is more expensive than buying a ticket for each of these flights yourself. 

Interline Agreement

An interline agreement is another term that’s related to connecting flights. Airlines group together and form interline agreements, which allow each airline participating to sell tickets for other airlines in their connecting flights. For example, if you’re buying a connecting flight from American Airlines, and a part of this connecting flight is operated by United, then probably United has an interline agreement with American Airlines. This is better for passengers because they can purchase everything on a single ticket. Interline agreements also apply to checked luggage. If two airlines have interline agreements, then on connecting flights your checked luggage will automatically be transferred to the other airline during the layover, which means that you won’t have to do it yourself.

Onward Ticket / Onward Flight

An onward ticket means a booking with two or more international flights. Some countries require all incoming travelers to have onward flights, which basically shows proof that they are intending of leaving the country eventually. For example, if you’re flying from New York to London and after a week you’d be returning back from London to New York, it would be considered an onward flight. You could also not return to New York, and fly anywhere else, as long as it isn’t in England, and it would still be considered an onward flight.

Outbound / Outward Flight

Outward (or outbound) flight refers to bookings with return flights included in them, and it refers to the first flight. For example, if you’re flying from New York to Paris and after two weeks returning the same way, the outward (outbound) flight is from New York to Paris.

Inbound Flight / Return Flight

Inbound (other called return) flight is used when talking about bookings with return flights included in them, and it refers to the second flight. For example, if you’re flying from New York to Paris and after two weeks returning the same way, the inbound (return) flight is from Paris to New York.

A Leg of the Flight

When we’re talking about “legs of flights”, we’re talking about specific flights on connecting flights. For example, for a flight from Barcelona to New York with a connection in London, the first leg of the flight would be Barcelona – London, and the second leg from London to New York.

Long-Haul Flight

Long-Haul flights just mean very long flights, usually 8 hours or more. All trans-Atlantic (crossing the Atlantic Ocean) and trans-Pacific (crossing the Pacific Ocean) flights are considered long-haul flights.

Online Check-In

Checking in online means finalizing your booking through the airline’s website or app, before arriving at the airport. For every booking that you purchase, you’ll need to check-in online (or at the airport), and during this process, you reserve a specific seat on the airplane and get a boarding pass, which you’ll need to print before arriving at the airport. Online check-in usually opens 24 hours – several weeks before the flight, and it’s cheaper to check-in online than to check-in at the airport .

Boarding Pass

Boarding passes are essentially printed (or electronic) airline tickets. Passengers can get them after checking in online or checking in at the airport. They show the passenger’s personal details and flight details, including the flight number and the correct seat.

Hidden City Ticketing

Hidden city ticketing refers to purchasing a connecting flight, and internationally missing the last leg of the flight . Sometimes, purchasing a connecting flight and only flying the first part of the flight is cheaper than purchasing a direct flight.

Read Next: What Happens if I Don’t Show Up for a Flight? (Guide)

Frequent Flyer Points / Miles

People who participate in airline advantage programs accumulate frequent flyer miles (or points) for every mile each flight does. These points can be redeemed for new bookings, upgrades, and other extras.

Flight Itinerary

The flight itinerary refers to the whole process of getting from one point to another. This includes all flights you’ll be taking, any taxis, trains, buses, or airport shuttles, and hotel bookings.

Booking Number

Each passenger gets a unique booking number whenever they purchase a new flight, and it’s usually sent over email. It’s used for checking-in and any other places where the airline needs to understand which booking you’re talking about specifically.

Flight Number

Each flight gets assigned a different flight number, which can be found in your booking or your boarding pass. It’s used to understand which terminal and gate each flight is departing from or arriving to. Flight numbers and their according gates are usually displayed on screens inside airports.

Travel Insurance

When booking a flight, sometimes airlines will offer travel insurance. Some countries require all travelers to have one and some not. Even if they aren’t required, you should get travel insurance, which will do many things but most importantly cover any medical expenses if anything goes wrong during your vacation.

Pre-Selecting Seats

Airlines usually offer passengers the option to pre-select their seats when checking in for an additional fee. This will let you choose which seat specifically you want to get. All other passengers will get assigned random seats.

Luggage Terminology

Baggage / luggage.

When talking about air travel, baggage or luggage means all the bags that passengers are taking with them on the flight. This may include suitcases, backpacks, trunks, totes, duffel bags , purses, instrument cases, sporting equipment, and anything that’s within the right size restrictions.

Tip: Looking for new luggage? Check out these 11 most durable luggage brands

Luggage Allowance

Luggage allowance refers to the size and weight requirements for luggage . Each airline has different size and weight restrictions, and they’re usually different for different types of luggage (checked luggage, carry-ons, and underseat luggage).

Checked Luggage

Checked luggage is the largest and heaviest type of luggage that passengers can bring, which is handed over to the airline employees at the airport, and it’s then stored on the plane in the cargo area. Usually, it’s a paid service and passengers need to pay 20-50$ for each checked bag. Although the size and weight restrictions differ between airlines, usually checked luggage needs to be under 62 linear inches (height + depth + width) and under 50 or 70 lbs.

Hand Luggage

Hand luggage is all luggage that passengers are allowed to bring on the plane, including carry-ons and underseat luggage.

A carry-on is a larger type of hand luggage, and airlines usually allow each passenger to bring one free of charge. Carry-ons need to be stored in the overhead compartments on airplanes, and most commonly, they need to be under 22 x 14 x 9 inches in size.

Tip: Looking for a new carry-on? I’ve been using the Travelpro Maxlite 5 carry-on suitcase for many years now, and it’s still going strong. It’s super lightweight, spacious, and I love its smooth-rolling spinner wheels. I couldn’t recommend it enough! 

Personal Item / Underseat Luggage

Personal items (other called underseat luggage) are a smaller type of hand luggage, and each passenger is usually allowed to bring one free of charge. Personal items need to be stored under the passenger seats in front of each passenger, which means that they’re the most accessible type of luggage. The size and weight restrictions differ very heavily for them between different airlines, but most commonly they need to be under 16 x 12 x 6 inches in size .

Oversized / Overweight Luggage

Oversized luggage refers to luggage over the size limits and overweight luggage over the weight limits. Oversized/overweight hand luggage usually needs to be checked in for additional check-in fees, and oversized/overweight checked luggage sometimes is allowed, but for very expensive fees, ranging between 100-300$ for each bag.

Due to potential security threats, the 3-1-1 rule limits the number of liquids each passenger is allowed to bring on the plane in their hand luggage. The 3-1-1 rule stands for “3.4 oz, 1 quart-sized bag, 1 person”, and it basically means the following: In hand luggage, each passenger has to store all liquids and gels in bottles no larger than 3.4 oz (100 ml), all of them must be stored in 1 quart-sized, transparent bag, and each passenger can have only 1 bag. This bag of liquids, other called “toiletry pouch”, needs to be taken out of the bag for separate screening when going through security.

Tip: Instead of getting a new Ziploc for your toiletries for every new flight, get a dedicated, transparent toiletry pouch .

Read Next: Are Liquids Still Banned on Airplanes in 2022?

Baggage Tag

When talking about baggage tags, usually people are referring to two things. The first one is personal baggage tags , which contain personal information about the passenger. Anyone can choose to attach them to their luggage in case it gets lost. The other one is luggage labels (or luggage stickers), which airlines attach to all checked bags whenever they’re checked in. These labels include information about who the bag belongs to and where is it heading.

Baggage Handling

Baggage handling refers to moving checked luggage from the airport check-in desks to the airplane, and when the plane lands, unloading luggage and getting it to the baggage claim area. It’s done by the baggage handlers and transporting it on various luggage conveyor belts.

Navigating the Airport

Large airports are usually split into multiple terminals , sometimes even upwards of 4-6 different terminals. Each terminal has all the facilities needed to operate individually. You can find out the right terminal for your flight by checking your booking confirmation or looking up the flight number on the airport’s website.

Gate Number

Gate number refers to the exact location within the airport where your flight is departing from. Each flight departs and arrives at a different gate . Gates are numbered and usually, each airport terminal contains about 20-100 gates in total.

Pier / Concourse / Satellite

Piers, Concourses, and Satellites are parts of airport terminals, and each one houses about 5-20 different airport gates. It’s just a way for airports to split their terminals into smaller pieces, so it’s easier for the passengers to find their right gates. Usually, each airport terminal has about 2-10 different piers/concourses/satellites, and they’re numbered with letters, such as A, B, C, and so on. When you find out which gate your flight departs from, you need to find out which pier/concourse/satellite it’s located in, and follow the directions within the airport.

Check-In Desks

You’ll usually find check-in desks right after you enter the airport. Passengers who haven’t checked-in online need to check in at the check-in desks. They’re also used for checked luggage – passengers who have checked luggage need to go to the check-in desks and hand it over to the airline employees. Check-in desks usually open 2-4 hours before the flight departure.

Luggage Drop-Off Points

Some airports also have dedicated luggage drop-off points, which are useful for people who have checked luggage, but who’ve already checked in online. That way they don’t need to wait in the long lines at the check-in desks.

Security is the part of the airport where all passengers are screened for dangerous and prohibited goods . Passengers go to security once they’ve gotten their boarding passes and dropped off their checked luggage. Only passengers with valid boarding passes are let through . During security, passengers need to go through screening machines and pass their luggage through x-ray scanners. After going through security, passengers enter the international, duty-free area of the airport.

Baggage Claim

Baggage claim is the area of the airport where passengers can receive their checked luggage after landing.

Conveyor Belt / Baggage Carousel

Checked luggage is transferred through airports on a giant maze of conveyor belts, which removes the need for employees to carry it by hand. When talking about conveyor belts and baggage carousels specifically, usually airports are talking about the baggage claim area. Over there, all checked bags from a single flight are put on a single, spinning carousel, and the passengers can pick their own bags from them.

Arrivals is an area in the airport accessible by the general public, where passengers arrive after leaving planes that recently landed, and where other people can come and meet them.

Read Next: Guide: How to Pick Someone up From the Airport

Departures is the area of the airport which deals with outgoing flights. It contains check-in desks, baggage drop-off desks, security, gates, and the transit area. When you arrive at an airport for an upcoming flight, you need to go to departures.

Lost Baggage

Lost Baggage is the part of the airport that deals with lost, damaged, delayed, and missing luggage.

Customs and Immigration

Customs and Immigration is a part of the airport, where passengers arriving from international flights are screened. The customs officers look for any goods that are prohibited from entering the country, illegal items, and any goods that the customer might have to pay a tax on.

Airport Lounge

Airport lounges are luxury areas of the airport, and they’re only accessible by people participating in frequent flyer programs or for high entrance fees. Passengers can spend their time there waiting for upcoming flights. Airport lounges are usually equipped with showers, fine dining, sometimes even separate rooms for sleeping, massage chairs, and similar extras.

Landside is the part of the airport that’s accessible by the general public. It includes everything up to security, including check-in desks, baggage drop-off points, ticket counters, info desks, and arrivals.

Airside/ Transit Area / Secure Area

Airside (other called transit or secure area) is the international, duty-free area of the airport. Passengers need to go through security to enter this area, which is why it’s also sometimes called a secure area. Often on connecting flights, passengers won’t need to exit the airside transit area, because this would mean that they’d need to get additional paperwork for entering the layover country.

Airport-Specific Terms

When talking about duty-free items , we’re talking about items that are purchased from the duty-free shops in the airside transit area of the airport. They’re called “duty-free” because this area is considered international, so no additional taxes have to be paid to governments, which makes them slightly cheaper. You can bring duty-free items on board the flight and they’re excluded from the 3-1-1 rule.

International Airport

An international airport has all the facilities needed for arriving and departing international flights. This usually just means that the airport has Customs and Immigration facilities and that their staff (sometimes) are trained to speak multiple languages.

Domestic Airport

A domestic airport is an airport that only accepts domestic flights. It doesn’t have any customs and immigration facilities.

Short-Checking Baggage

Short-checking baggage is related to connecting flights. Most commonly on connecting flights with layovers, checked luggage is automatically routed to the final destination without the passenger needing to do anything. But sometimes, especially on very long layovers, the passenger might want to access their checked luggage during the layover, and that’s where short-checking your luggage comes in. When checking in your luggage, you can ask for the employee at the check-in desk to short-check your bag, which means that you will receive it when you land at the layover airport.

Checking Baggage to Final Destination

Checking baggage to the final destination is a term that’s used when talking about connecting flights. It means that checked luggage will automatically be sent over to the final destination and you won’t be able to access it during the layover.

Rechecking Baggage

Rechecking baggage is also related to connecting flights and layovers. Sometimes, when you land in the layover country, you’ll have to pick up your checked luggage from a carousel, go through customs, and recheck it again for the next part of the flight at the check-in counters. This whole process is called rechecking luggage.

Moving Sidewalk (Moving Walkway)

Moving sidewalks, other called moving walkways are used in large airports to speed up the time it takes for passengers to arrive at their gates. Because airports are so large, it often takes 20-30 minutes to get to your gate, which is why airports use moving sidewalks, which essentially are long, vertical escalators, or extra-long treadmills.

TSA stands for Transport Security Administration, and it’s the main airport security agency in airports within the United States. Over there, TSA is used as a synonym for “Security”, because they’re the agency that’s in control of security screening.

TSA PreCheck / Global Entry

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are both paid programs used by frequent travelers. By participating, passengers can wait in shorter, expedited lines at the security, and take off fewer items when going through the scanners.

FAA stands for Federal Aviation Administration, and it’s the main airline regulator in the United States.

IATA stands for International Air Transport Association and they’re the main airline regulator worldwide. They govern about 80% of the total fights worldwide.

Escort / Gate Pass

An escort or gate pass is a special document that gives access to someone to enter the secure airside area of the airport, to accompany a minor, the elderly, or a person with special needs. They’re usually issued by airlines or airports.

Import Tax (Customs Duty, Tariff)

Import tax, other called customs duty or import tariff, is the tax that sometimes passengers need to pay for importing duty-free items. When passengers go through Customs and Immigration, the officers look at all the items each passenger is bringing into the country. If they’re over specific limits (different for each country, but, for example, 10 bottles of perfume or strong spirits), the officers will ask the passenger to declare them and pay Customs tax (usually, 5-30%).

Airport Shuttle

An airport shuttle is usually a taxi, minivan, or bus that offers a shared ride from the airport to the nearest city center. They’re usually cheaper than hiring a taxi or Uber, but more expensive than using public transport.

Flight-Specific Terms

The runway is a large stretch of tarmac, where the airplane lands / takes off from.

Airspace means all the air directly above a certain country. You might hear the pilot say “We’re now entering China’s airspace”, which just means that you’re flying directly above China.

Turbulence means a sudden shift in the airflow, which makes the airplane feel like it’s being shaken around. It’s completely normal, and when the pilot announces that some turbulence is to be expected, the seatbelt sign will turn on, and all passengers will have to fasten their seatbelts.

Emergency Exit Seats

Emergency exit seats refer to the row of seats directly next to the emergency exits. Passengers usually prefer these seats, because they offer much more legroom.

Take-off refers to the airplane taking off from the tarmac and starting to fly. When the pilot announces “prepare for take-0ff” expect more shaking than usual, and everyone must be seated during take-off.

Boarding refers to passengers boarding the airplane.

Overhead Compartments

Overhead compartments refer to the enclosed storage compartments directly above passenger heads, where carry-ons need to be stored. They must remain closed during take-off, landing, and turbulence, and passengers are able to access them once again when the seatbelt sign turns off.

In-Flight Entertainment

In-Flight Entertainment refers to the entertainment systems on airplanes. Usually, it’s just a built-in screen at the back of each seat, where you can watch movies and TV shows, read the news, listen to music, and so on.

First / Business Class

Passengers usually are split into multiple classes, with the lowest class being economy, then premium economy, then business class , and then first class. Each class above economy gets better upgrades, such as more leg-room (even horizontal beds), better entertainment systems, finer dining, and so on.

Cargo hold refers to the area of the airplane below the main deck, where all the checked luggage is stored.

Cabin refers to the area of the airplane accessible by the passengers, where they’re seated and their hand luggage is stored.

Cockpit refers to the pilot’s cabin at the front of the aircraft.

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The Important Difference Between Non-Stop and Direct Flights

By Cynthia Drescher

"Have you ever in your life seen a domestic flight so crazy?" one woman posted on Facebook. "Look at this! It stops five times between Boise, Idaho and Birmingham, Alabama!" In her simple search for a flight home, the user had stumbled upon a complex itinerary marketed as a direct flight. How could this be correct? Direct means non-stop, right? Wrong.

This confusion is common, as "direct" is one of the most misused terms in modern travel. Knowing its true definition, and those of related terms like "non-stop" and "connecting," will be the saving grace you need to avoid booking flights that may be twice as long...and twice as involved.

A direct flight is from one airport to another, but includes stops in one or more cities along the way. The flight number or aircraft and your boarding pass remain the same, however, until the final destination is reached. You may be able to stay onboard during the stop or, if local regulations call for it, made to disembark with all your carry-on luggage , only to re-board again, re-stow your luggage, and re-take your assigned seat.

Notable direct flights include British Airways 001 from London's City Airport to New York-JFK, with a refueling and immigration stop in Shannon, Ireland; South American domestic services like Cusco to Lima, with a stop in Arequipa, Peru; and the impressive Singapore Airlines Flight 25, which travels east from New York to Singapore, briefly stopping in Frankfurt.

Matthew Ma, co-founder of the popular airfare sale website The Flight Deal , says the distinction is important.

"Ask for non-stop if you want a non-stop. We avoid 'direct' flights when non-stop is available, because direct flights involve stops and extra travel time, and it is possible to miss a connection should any portion of your direct flight be delayed or canceled."

The term “direct” became popular in the early days of commercial air travel, when propeller aircraft had to hop-scotch around the country, or even a region, in order to travel from point A to point B. They were marketed as “direct" services in that they flew between major destinations, stopping along the way for fuel or passengers, but required no plane changes or separate tickets.

A historic example is Northwest Airlines in the 1940s, which stretched its service for a coast-to-coast flight between New York and Seattle, a route termed the “Northwest Passage” in marketing materials. Duke University’s digital repository of American print advertising contains several ads for it , including one with the line that “it puts a big slice of America–clear across the top of the country–on a swift, direct, coast-to-coast air line for the first time.” That swift, direct path included no fewer than ten stops along the way, and travelers ticketed from New York to Seattle could expect landing and taking off again in Detroit, Chicago , Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck, Billings, Butte, Missoula, Spokane, Wenatchee, Yakima, and Portland. By 1949, that direct service was [streamlined] (https://repository.duke.edu/dc/adaccess/T1527) and sold as the “shortest to Seattle” option from New York, still encompassing a flight of 14.5 hours with stops at Minneapolis and Spokane.

Complex direct flights like this still exist, and knowing to ask for a "non-stop" can save you from ending up on them. Looking to fly from Honolulu to Guam? Ask for a non-stop and you'll be put on United Flight 201, a trip of just more than seven hours on a spacious Boeing 777. Ask for a direct—or don't specify a preference—and you could find yourself on United Flight 154, the infamous "Island Hopper," a 14-hour saga of stops at tiny Pacific islands, flown with the smaller Boeing 737.

Direct flights can also potentially strand passengers, as with Royal Jordanian 's Detroit to Amman service, which stops in Montreal during the winter season and requires travelers have a Canadian transit visa or to be visa exempt .

A non-stop flight is from one airport to another, without any stops along the way. When airlines began adding faster, longer flying jet aircraft to their fleets in the late 1950s, the term “non-stop” became vogue. A Northwest jet could now fly you from New York to Seattle without needing to stop, and ads in newspapers turned the focus to destinations beyond the coasts.

Connecting flights are from one city to another, with a layover stop in between to change planes. Each flight requires a separate boarding pass, but they're on one itinerary.

Examples of connecting flights include Virgin America 's service from Palm Springs to any of its other cities, with a layover and plane change in San Francisco , and flying WOW Air from Boston to Berlin , with the unavoidable stop and plane change in Reykjavik, Iceland .

Knowing the correct uses of "direct" versus "non-stop," and even "connecting," means you can clearly state your flight preferences to airline reservations and gate staff when making bookings or changing plans. And you won't wake up after a nice nap onboard to find you've landed on a remote Pacific island, when you should be within a taxi's ride of Waikiki.

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Domestic vs. International Flight: What’s The Difference? [Inc. Tips and Advice]

• By Site Staff
• February 2023
• In Travel Tips

You’ve got a trip planned that requires you to leave the country, and you’ve never traveled abroad. Naturally, you have some questions that need to be answered before you can even begin to plan your trip, like what is the difference between a domestic and an international flight?

As a family, we've been on our share of flights. Some international and some domestic. We have put together a handy guide to help you address your concerns and a whole lot more.

Updating this post in 2022 to add some more information - it's so great to be flying again!

First, let's talk about definitions.

What is a domestic flight?

A domestic flight is one that stays within the same country while an international flight is one that arrives in a different country.

What is an international flight?

If you live in the US, then a domestic flight would be one between one US state to another, or even within the same state.

If your landing destination is outside the borders of the USA, then you're on an international flight.

Most Americans have flown domestically at some point in their lives. After all, it is a big country. Unless you're willing to drive for many hours - and sometimes days - you'll need to board a plane when traveling between stats.

With that in mind, this post will focus mostly on international flights, and how they differ from domestic flights.

International Airports 

Your trip begins with an airport... so let's start this post there as well.

If you're visiting a new country, different from the one where your flight originated, then your flight is going to land at an international airport .

The international airport where you land will ask to see your passport, and possibly a visitor's visa.

They will ask you a few questions about your trip before letting you enter into their country. It's very rare but some people may be refused entry to a country at that point and sent on a flight back home (or to another destination).

This is what it looks when you enter the US, arriving on an international flight -

This picture was taken in the summer of 2015 when we entered the US. We arrived on an international flight from Israel, with a connecting flight in Rome.

That nice guy at the bottom of the escalators was welcoming Americans back home and directing everyone to the right lines for border control. There are always separate lines for returning citizens and visitors.

Domestic vs. International Airports

International airports allow you to travel all over the world, as opposed to domestic airports, which generally only allow flights within the same country.

The key difference here is that international airports are set up for border control and customs inspections .

With longer runways - to accommodate larger planes - and larger terminals, international airports are often also much more extensive than their domestic counterparts.

While it’s true that some domestic airports may have “international” in their title, these types of flights are often handled on an irregular (and sometimes very rare) basis and may not suit your schedule.

Domestic airports are built in a manner conducive to more localized travel, and as such, they cannot accommodate consistent international flights.

International airports typically handle both international and domestic flights.

Domestic airports typically only handle domestic flights.

With nearly 20,000 airports in the United States alone, you may feel overwhelmed with the sheer volume to choose from.

You may still need to use the services of one of those 20,000 if you choose to layover to a larger airport from a smaller, domestic one – and you may want to do this for many reasons – but you will mostly want to focus on international airports starting. You can then plan around the one you’ve chosen if need be.

Consider Passenger Volume

You may also want to consider passenger volume to help in decreasing your wait time and any potential delays.

However, keep in mind that the large airport where passenger volume is consistently high will be better equipped to handle all those people and suitcases. 

In other words, it's the unexpected peaks in passenger volume that you should be concerned about. 

Airports in the summer of 2022

We're back to traveling, now that covid restrictions have been lifted. That's both good and bad. 

Airports are understaffed because most of their personnel were laid off during the early stages of the pandemic. 

Airports and airlines simply don't have enough employees to handle all of the passengers and luggage they're seeing. 

It's not just in London.

This is a worldwide problem. Over the last two months, both my son and parents were on (different) international flights.

My son was lucky. He only experienced a single 8-hour delay on his way back from London. It was nerve-wracking, as there was no communication from the airline (did I mention understaffed?) but at least he finally made it on that flight back home).

My parents weren't so lucky.

They were flying from Tel Aviv to Chicago. After standing in long lines at the airport, they finally boarded their night flight. They even texted us this picture of my Dad on board the plane!

Then an hour later, they texted this picture -

They were asked to de-board the plane because of a minor technical issue. With no airport crew around to fix the issue right away, the flight had to be grounded.

They were told they would leave on the following flight the next day.

Then another email arrived, letting them know this was not happening. So they were moved to yet another flight. 

Two days later, the third flight finally took off - only an hour later than planned.

If you're planning any flight in 2022, at the very least, be extremely patient and be prepared for the worse.

But, back to more general information about international vs domestic flights.

Shopping at an International Airport

If you forgot to pack something – or you wish to stop and enjoy what they have to offer – all major airports include stores of many kinds, including gift shops, restaurants, and food courts.

And here's the thing -

International airports typically feature duty-free shops!

That's where luxury items and amenities can be purchased tax-free. By selling mostly to tourists who will be taking these items out of the country, many local and national taxes are waived.

What else is there to do in an international airport?

You will generally find WiFi services available, as well as locations for currency exchange.

Not only will you find the standard fare of shops and eateries, but some international airports also provide areas where passengers can rest and even take a nap.

Those areas are designated for those who may have become stranded or laid over. These days, they are usually reserved for business and first-class passengers.

More often, however, you will find hotels on the premises to allow for comfort and privacy. Anyone can use those - if they're willing to pay for their stay.

Airports are often massive (more on that below), and as such, you may find yourself in need of on-site transportation. Thankfully, you will often find services for just that, such as rail networks, curbside pickup, taxis, shuttle services, and buses.

If you need to leave your personal or rental car at the airport, many have parking garages for your convenience. This is highly beneficial if you don’t want to bother with an airport pickup or taxi service upon arriving home.

International Flights FAQ

Here are some of the questions people often ask about international flights. 

Do You Need a Passport to Book an International Flight?

Yes. Any time that you are traveling abroad, a passport is mandatory and required . You must also display your passport to enter the country to which you are traveling.

In some cases, you would also need a visa. 

As long as your passport is valid and in good condition, you don't need any additional forms of ID.

Do They Serve Meals on International Flights?

That depends. The answer used to be "absolutely", and meals are still featured on most transatlantic flights.

However, during shorter international flights, for example from one European country to another, they often serve only snacks and beverages.

On a low-cost flight, international or otherwise, you can purchase snacks and drinks but they're not included in the price of your flight ticket (unless you fly business or first-class - in which case, it depends).

The class in which you are traveling plays a significant role in the quality of your meals. We've only traveled in the economy until now. This is what a hot meal looks like when it arrives -

Nothing to write home about, in terms of the culinary experience.

However, I always say it's a welcome distraction on a long flight. Handling everything in such a small space is challenging and in a way, sort of entertaining.

When meals are served, you usually get a choice of vegan, vegetarian, kosher, low-sodium, and diabetic meals.

These all have to be pre-ordered when you book your flight or during the online check-in phase. If you don't tell them in advance, the airline won't have a special meal ready for you. Kids under 12 usually have their own kid's meals.

Do They Provide Blankets on International Flights?

In our experience, you do on transatlantic flights. Since airplanes are often rather chilly forms of transportation, it is generally standard fare to receive a blanket, as well as a pillow for use during the flight.

You're not supposed to keep the blanket though. They take them at the end of each flight and - presumably - wash and sanitize them for the next round of passengers.

This is what a good-quality typical flight pillow looks like -

Click here to see this pillow on Amazon

Check out our post on where to buy travel accessories for help finding all the comfort items you need for an international flight.

Some airlines really pamper you on transatlantic flights. On our flight to New York with Azerbaijan Airlines , we each received a small blue bag that had earplugs, an eye mask, a small toothbrush and toothpaste, and even a pair of blue socks!

Do You Get WiFi on International Flights?

While WiFi availability is growing rapidly in air travel, it isn’t available on all flights and with all carriers.

You will first need to check with your airline to ensure that they offer it, and then find out if your flight path has it as well. You can do this by looking at the coverage map on your potential airline’s website.

Not only will this service cost you, but it may also be limited in its functionality. Don't assume you'll be able to carry a Zoom call while in the air. You're likely to experience a relatively slow connection, so downloading your videos beforehand is recommended.

What Is a Transatlantic Flight?

As its name implies, transatlantic flights travel across the Atlantic Ocean, connecting passengers to the Americas (North, Central, and South), as well as the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

Depending on weather conditions, transatlantic routes – called North Atlantic Tracks (NATs) – change daily to compensate for any issues that weather may cause for aircraft.

For passenger convenience, eastbound flights are usually in operation during the night, while ones westbound operate during the day. Approximately 2,500 aircraft make transatlantic flights daily.

Transatlantic Flight Times

As mentioned above, the night-time hours of an eastbound flight will generally make landfall between 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM UTC. Conversely, daytime westbound flights will usually make landfall between the hours of 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM UTC. It can certainly vary though, so carefully check your tickets.

Transatlantic flights are obnoxiously long too. 

To be honest, I dread these flights. But, as long as you're prepared, they are eventually over. 

My tip: Stay hydrated. Yes, this means more bathroom trips, but getting up and walking around every hour or two is a good thing.

Should I Lock My Luggage When Flying Internationally?

For your peace of mind, you can lock your checked luggage when flying to any destination, provided you use a TSA-approved lock.

See this TSA-Approved lock on Amazon

TSA agents carry master keys that will unlock all approved luggage locks if they feel your luggage requires extra screening.

And don't assume that your carry-on luggage will be with you at all times. The last people boarding the plane may be asked to send their carry-ons in the cargo hold. So, you may want to lock those smaller items as well, or at least have a lock on them.

By the way, a TSA-approved lock does not guarantee anything once you're outside the US. 

When flying internationally, once you make landfall outside of the United States, local agents won't have those TSA master keys.

If they feel the need to look inside your luggage, you may run the risk of having your lock cut off for them to complete their inspection. 

That's why we prefer to keep our suitcases unlocked on international flights. 

Tips for Making International Travel Easier

Here are a few quick tips that could help you when traveling internationally.

1. Passports and visas

Lastly, and this is a big one, find out ahead of time if the country in which you are traveling has any entrance and exit fees .

That’s right; some won’t allow you to do either without paying a fee.

If that is the case, make sure that you have cash set aside for such a situation, or an international credit card open for international transactions.

2. Make copies of your passport

Take clear photos of your passport's main page. Keep them accessible on the cloud and also carry a printed copy with you.

Leaving a copy with someone back home is always a good idea too (a digital copy should be enough).

3. Carry some local money (and/or a credit card)

Talk to your credit card company to make sure your card will work overseas while traveling. If traveling to Europe, you may need to upgrade to a card with the new chip technology. We usually prefer to carry some cash for the first days on us, just in case.

4. Vaccinations

Most western countries don't require any vaccinations except for covid shots. Yes, one more thing to check these days.

And consider yourself lucky because when flying in 2021, you had to produce proof of vaccination and also a negative covid test. If you could travel at all, that is.

As for other vaccines. 

You don’t want to go through all the steps of planning for a trip only to find out at the last minute that you don’t have proper vaccinations. Check with your doctor well in advance to ensure that you’re up-to-date.

5. Carry your valuables and medications on you

Don't send your medications in your suitcase. Have at least a week's supply in the bag that you're carrying with you. The same goes for any valuables. Luggage can and does get lost.

We also carry a change of underwear and one set of clothes for each person in the trolley that we take on board the plane. Meds and everything that is absolutely necessary for the flight itself stays in our handbags or even pockets.

And again, some airlines may ask you to send your trollies too, right at the gate, so it's best to be prepared.

All of the above is especially true in 2022 - when your chances of losing luggage are higher than ever.

6. Get some food and an empty bottle for the flight

Even if food is served, I like to have some snacks with us. Just in case the boys don't like the food served, or that someone gets hungry in between meals.

Energy bars are a good alternative, as they're small and filling.

You can't carry a full bottle of water through security, so we buy one after passing the check and while waiting at the gate. During the flight, I get up and fill it up to keep hydrated.

7. Get up often during the flight

It's very tempting to just cocoon up during a long flight, avoiding drinking and bathroom visits. That's a huge mistake, especially for adult travelers.

It's very important to stay hydrated and move around to prevent blood clots from forming.

8. Lip balm and hand cream can come in handy

Airplane air is dry, so if you're prone to chapped lips and dry skin, get some with you in advance. Find small travel-size products. Any large tubes (larger than 100CC) will be taken away from you during the security checks.

What Are Some International Airports?

I've been asked for examples of international vs domestic airports. So, let's wrap up with some airport-name-dropping.

Here are some major international airports in the USA.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport

The Detroit Metropolitan Airport, or DTW, is one of the major international airports in the United States. Located in Romulus, Michigan, the DTW covers a massive 4,850 acres, with four runways totaling nearly 11 miles.

It averages over 35 million passengers every year, offering flights to 30 international destinations with 39 of the United States covered, as well. Not only the DTW Michigan’s busiest airport, but it also has one of the largest airline hubs in the country.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, or MSP, serves both the public and military for international flights. The MSP is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, juxtaposed within 10 miles of both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Covering 2,930 acres, it’s a little over half the size of the DTW, with approximately seven miles of total runway. Averaging nearly 38 million passengers annually, the MSP ranks fairly high in terms of busiest airports.

Las Vegas McCarran International Airport

The Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, or LAS, is another large international airport. Located in Paradise, Nevada, it covers 2,800 acres and has four runways that span over eight miles combined.

With nonstop flights to cities in Europe, Asia, and the United States, it serves almost 50 million passengers every year.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

The fourth busiest airport in the world (aircraft movement) and 15 th busiest in passenger traffic, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, or DFW, is located on the Dallas and Tarrant county line in Texas.

Clocking in at over 17,000 acres, it is the second-largest airport in the United States, so large that it has its own post office, medical emergency, police, and fire rescue. It serves more passengers annually than any other entry listed here – nearly 70 million.

Orlando International Airport

Located just six miles from downtown Orlando, the Orlando International Airport, or MCO, is the busiest airport in Florida. Open for public use, the MCO serves approximately 47 million passengers annually.

It covers over 13,000 acres, making this airport one of the largest in the United States, with four runways totaling nearly 10 miles in length.

What Are Some Domestic Airports?

Here are some popular domestic airports in the USA.

Dallas Love Field

The Dallas Love Field (DAL) airport was once Dallas, Texas’ main airport of use until the massive Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport opened in 1974. Located just six miles from Dallas, it sports roughly three miles of runways while serving approximately 16 million passengers annually.

Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport

A commercial and military airport, the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (or SAV) is located in Savannah, Georgia. With two runways that total just over three miles, it serves approximately 3 million passengers annually, with that number increasing every year.

The Savannah Air National Guard is located at the airport, serving to transport its personnel, as well.

John Wayne Airport

Serving Orange County, California, as well as the Greater Los Angeles area, the John Wayne Airport (SNA) serves over 10 million passengers every year. Smaller than others listed here, its two runways equal around 1.5 miles in total length.

The SNA is just 14 miles from the Disneyland Resort, while the famous LAX is 35 miles away.

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport

The Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) is another public airport located 3 miles from Manchester, New Hampshire. Its two runways total just over three miles in length.

The MHT generally serves around 1.5 million passengers annually and is New England’s fifth-largest airport in terms of passenger volume.

Palm Beach International Airport

The Palm Beach International Airport, or PBI, is located in Palm Beach County, Florida and has three runways that total just over three miles. It serves approximately 6.5 million passengers every year, with limited international flights.

These include seasonal routes to Montreal, and Toronto, Canada, as well as year-round access to the Bahamas.

Final words

Flying can be a fun experience, though the longer it gets, the more tedious it tends to get. Still, you can't do without it if you want to travel abroad. I hope you found this guide helpful. If you have more tips, insights or questions, don't hesitate to leave me a comment. And you may also want to check out this guide -

Flying with a teenager - what to bring on the plane

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Travel credit

Understanding travel credit options.

We offer different types of travel credit: Trip Credit, Flight Credit, and Travel Vouchers. Each type of travel credit has its own terms and conditions, so be sure to read them carefully before redeeming your credit. Keep in mind, travel credits can only be used to book flights, and can’t be used to pay for extras like seats or bags.

Extended Trip Credit

For Trip Credit issued on or after April 2, 2024, AAdvantage ® members have 12 months to use their Trip Credit when canceling their trip on aa.com or the American app and their AAdvantage ® number is included in their reservation. Non-AAdvantage ® members have 6 months.

Types of travel credit

*Can’t be used for extras like seats or bags.

**For Trip Credit issued on or after April 2, 2024, AAdvantage® members have 12 months to use their Trip Credit when canceling their trip on aa.com or the American app and their AAdvantage® number is included in their reservation. Non-AAdvantage® members have 6 months.

***When booked on aa.com, Flight Credit can only be applied to flights within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (U.S. currency only)

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If you received a travel credit, you can use it to book your next trip. Here's how to find and redeem your Trip Credit and Flight Credit.

Trip Credit

If you're an AAdvantage ® member, most Trip Credits will appear in your AAdvantage ® account.

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Step 1: Find your Trip Credit email

• Look for an email from American Airlines with the subject line ‘Your Trip Credit.’
• Your Trip Credit number is a 13-digit number that begins with ‘00115.’

Keep in mind there are separate ticket numbers for add-ons like seats, upgrades, and bags.

Step 2: Book and add your Trip Credit

• Go to aa.com and book your new flight.
• On the payment screen, select ‘Trip Credit.’
• Follow the prompts to pay using your Trip Credit.
• You may use a credit card to pay any remaining balance.

Flight Credit

If you're an AAdvantage ® member and had your account number listed in your reservation before cancellation, you can log in to your account and view available Flight Credit in your AAdvantage ® account.

Step 1: Find your canceled trip or confirmation email

• You'll need your 6-character confirmation code and 13-digit ticket number.
• American tickets have a 13-digit number that begins with '001'.

Step 2: View your canceled trip

• Go to aa.com and choose ‘Manage trips / Check-in’
• Choose ‘View canceled trips’ and enter your trip details.
• You’ll find your Flight Credit details on the ‘Your trip’ page.

Step 3: Rebook and add Flight Credit

• Go to aa.com and find your new flight.
• On the payment screen, choose ‘Add Flight Credit.’
• Enter the ticket number from your canceled trip and apply the credit.

Book a trip with your Flight Credit

General rules

• Trip Credit is non-refundable, non-transferable, non-returnable, may not be redeemed for cash, check or credit (except where required by law) and has no implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability or fitness.
• Trip Credit is void if bought, sold or bartered, advertised for sale or used for commercial or promotional purposes.
• We won’t replace Trip Credit if lost or stolen. This may include inadvertent deletion, forwarding or access of the email containing your Trip Credit number. Please guard the Trip Credit number as you would cash.
• Except where prohibited by law, we reserve the right to refuse, void, cancel, reject or hold for review any Trip Credit mistakenly issued in an incorrect denomination or issued or obtained, directly or indirectly, in connection with fraudulent actions, fraudulent claims, compensation abuse or in connection with any violation of these terms and conditions.

Expiration and validity

• Valid until 11:59 p.m. (CT) on the date listed on the Trip Credit, and we won't reissue it past the expiration date.
• We won't accept invalid or expired Trip Credit.
• We won’t accept Trip Credit with an invalid number or if we are unable to locate it within the American Airlines systems.
• To receive Trip Credit, your original ticket must be canceled before the departure of the first flight (or the ticket loses any remaining value and cannot be used for future travel).

Redemption and usage

• You may redeem Trip Credit on aa.com or by contacting Reservations. Trip Credit is not redeemable through any other channels, including airport ticket counters or travel agencies.
• When contacting Reservations, tell the agent you have Trip Credit and you want to use it to book your travel.
• Trip Credit is redeemable toward air travel on flights operated by American, American Eagle ® or flights marketed by American (designated with an AA*). You can’t use Trip Credit for payment of air travel on any other airline on aa.com.
• Contact Reservations to use Trip Credit for qualifying one world ® or other airline partner itineraries.
• Trip Credit is redeemable toward the base air fare and directly associated taxes, fees and charges collected as part of the fare calculation.
• You may not use Trip Credit for products and / or services sold separate from the fare price or for taxes, fees or charges in connection with AAdvantage ® award travel, American Airlines Vacations℠ or any other non-flight products and / or services sold by American.
• You may only use non-taxable Trip Credit for single-passenger reservations on aa.com.
• Contact Reservations to use Trip Credit for more than 9 passengers.
• The recipient of Trip Credit can use it to pay for travel for themselves or others.
• You may redeem up to 8 Trip Credits in a single transaction on aa.com or through Reservations.
• If the ticket price is greater than the value of the Trip Credit, you may pay the difference only with a credit card accepted by American.
• If the ticket price is less than the value of the Trip Credit, we’ll issue any remaining value on a new Trip Credit, delivered via email to the passenger ticketed on the Trip Credit redemption. You may choose to have the new Trip Credit email sent to your email address and then use the remaining value on a new reservation for yourself or someone else.
• You may not combine Trip Credit with the value of an existing ticket to pay for a new ticket.
• Flight Credit is non-refundable, non-transferable, non-returnable, may not be redeemed for cash, check or credit (except where required by law) and has no implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability or fitness.
• Flight Credit is void if bought, sold or bartered, advertised for sale or used for commercial or promotional purposes.
• We won’t replace Flight Credit if lost or stolen. This may include inadvertent deletion, forwarding or access of the email containing your Flight Credit number. Please guard the Flight Credit number as you would cash.
• Except where prohibited by law, we reserve the right to refuse, void, cancel, reject or hold for review any Flight Credit mistakenly issued in an incorrect denomination or issued or obtained, directly or indirectly, in connection with fraudulent actions, fraudulent claims, compensation abuse or in connection with any violation of these terms and conditions.
• Flight Credit is valid for 1 year from the date the ticket was issued. We will not extend or reissue once it expires.
• If you don't show for your flight, your ticket will no longer be valid or eligible for any credit.
• We won't accept invalid or expired Flight Credit.
• You may redeem Flight Credit on aa.com, in person at the airport or by contacting Reservations.
• When contacting Reservations, tell the agent you have Flight Credit and you want to use it to book your travel.
• The recipient of Flight Credit can use it to pay for travel for themselves only.
• Flight Credit is redeemable toward air travel on flights marketed and operated by American, by American Eagle ® carriers or on flights marketed and sold by American but operated by one of American’s codeshare or one world ® partners (i.e. flights designated with an AA*).
• Flight Credit is redeemable toward initial booking, the base air fare and directly associated taxes, fees and charges collected as part of the fare calculation.
• You may only redeem 1 Flight Credit for single-passenger trips on aa.com or through Reservations. In order to redeem up to 2 Flight Credits in a single transaction, you must contact Reservations.
• If the ticket price is greater than the value of the Flight Credit, you may pay the difference only with a credit card accepted by American.
• If the ticket price is less than the value of the Flight Credit, you can only use the value of Flight Credit needed for the current booking while remaining value will be issued as travel credit for future reservations.
• You may not use Flight Credit for products and / or services sold separately from the fare price or for taxes, fees or charges in connection with AAdvantage ® award travel, American Airlines Vacations℠ products or services or any other non-flight products and / or services sold by American.

Electronic travel voucher terms and conditions

• eVouchers are provided for U.S. customers only.
• eVouchers are non-refundable, non-transferable, non-returnable, may not be redeemed for cash, check or credit (except where required by law) and have no implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability or fitness.
• eVouchers are void if bought, sold or bartered, advertised for sale, or used for commercial or promotional purposes.
• We won’t replace eVouchers if lost or stolen. This may include inadvertent deletion, forwarding or access of the email containing your eVoucher number. Please guard the eVoucher number and PIN as you would cash.
• Except where prohibited by law, we reserve the right to refuse, void, cancel, reject or hold for review any eVouchers mistakenly issued in an incorrect denomination, or issued or obtained, directly or indirectly, in connection with fraudulent actions, fraudulent claims, compensation abuse or in connection with any violation of these terms and conditions.
• eVouchers are valid for 1 year from the date of issue, and we won’t reissue them past the expiration date.
• We’re not responsible for honoring invalid or expired eVouchers.
• We won’t accept an eVoucher with an invalid number or if we are unable to locate it within the American Airlines systems.
• You may redeem eVouchers only on aa.com or by contacting Reservations. eVouchers are not redeemable through any other channels, including airport ticket counters or travel agencies.
• eVouchers are redeemable toward air travel on flights operated by American, American Eagle ® , one world ® partners or on flights marketed by American (designated with an AA*). You can’t use eVouchers for payment of air travel on any other airline.
• Flights sold or originating outside the U.S., Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands or operated by other carriers are not eligible.
• eVouchers are redeemable toward the base air fare and directly associated taxes, fees and charges collected as part of the fare calculation.
• You may not use eVouchers for products and / or services sold separate from the fare price or for taxes, fees or charges in connection with AAdvantage ® award travel, American Airlines Vacations℠ or any other non-flight products and / or services sold by American.
• The eVoucher recipient can use it to pay for travel for themselves or others.
• You may redeem up to 8 eVouchers in a single transaction.
• If the ticket price is greater than the value of the eVoucher(s), you may only pay the difference with a credit, debit or charge card with a billing address in the U.S., Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands.
• If the ticket price is less than the value of the eVoucher(s), the unused amount will remain on the eVoucher until it reaches zero, at which time the eVoucher will be deactivated.
• You may not combine eVouchers with the value of an existing ticket to pay for a new ticket.

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What Is NDC and How Will It Affect Travel?

Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TDM, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly

by: Linda Hohnholz, eTN editor |

Launched and developed by the International Air Transport Association ( IATA ), NDC is a new standard of transmitting data that will allow airlines to distribute their content in real time – content such as travel extras like booking baggage, Wi-Fi and meals on flights, and special offers.

Airlines right now have the ability to push their new offers right away on their websites – things like a new premium economy cabin or a new baggage product. But for travel agents, it takes a long time to find these offers, and in most cases, they’re unable to find them.

Right now, when a traveler buys a ticket through an airline’s website, the airline can present offers through a frequent flyer number. But if that traveler were to book with a travel agent, information on these offers is not known to the travel agent. What NDC does is it replicates the content from their website to the travel agent’s channel, which should benefit the traveler.

Pushing this content through the intermediary to the travel agent, however, is very difficult because the tools are ancient. While the NDC system may mean more that the travel agent can offer, switching to this system from the current GDS system may mean additional expenses for the travel agent that require them to make changes to their business model. For now, NDC is a premium addition for online travel sites, not a necessity.

But what happens when the airline leaders who are gearing up go mainstream with NDC?

American Airlines has created a deadline of sorts on the whole NDC transformation when it announced to travel agencies and frequent flyer customers that it would be connecting to the new technology beginning April 3, 2023 . This means 40% of its fares will only be available to companies who have made the transition from GDS to NDC technology.

As other leaderboard airlines adopt similar practices, this will force more off-system bookings in 2023. This will increase costs, reduce visibility, break travel policies, and present care-of-duty risks and will likely go unnoticed because companies don’t have the data tools to track out-of-system bookings.

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is urging American Airlines to delay its plan to implement NDC until the end of 2023. The organization stated that more than 160,000 Americans work at travel agencies across the country and that “more work needs to be done if NDC implementation is to be achieved in a manner that promotes healthy competition and avoids massive disruption to air ticket distribution.”

ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby has said:

“Withholding such a substantial portion of its fares from critical independent distribution channels will have a serious negative impact on the traveling public, corporate travelers in particular.”

According to Traxo, Inc., provider of real-time corporate travel data capture, although NDC has been around already for a few years, it’s still in development and far from perfect, and there are risks posed by expected higher levels of out-of-system, non-compliant flight bookings as NDC finally becomes mainstream in 2023.

From a technical point of view, NDC is an XML-based coding language system, and although this language is supposed to be standardized, its implementation is dependent on the IT providers of each airline. This means that there is no actual “standard” to base it on. If each airline uses its own system, this will create countless connecting channels making it impossible for online travel agents to integrate the new technology.

Andres Fabris, CEO and Founder of Traxo, said:

“Other major US carriers, such as Delta and United, are carefully watching with keen interest to see how the industry reacts to AA’s deadline.”

“In 2023, we’re going to see more airlines offering more content solely via their NDC channels, as American Airlines will do from April onwards. Such actions mean corporate travelers will be forced to go out of system to book those fares. Such out-of-system bookings can pose significant challenges to TMCs and corporate travel managers as this ‘leakage’ not only often results in higher travel costs, but also reduce visibility of spend and control over policies.

“If corporations and agencies are not successful in booking away from AA, and AA’s direct market share remains neutral of shifts positive, it is highly likely other carriers will soon follow with NDC mandates and deadlines of their own.”

Full article: What Is NDC and How Will It Affect Travel? Copyright: eTurboNews – Travel Industry News – World Travel News

Airlink to implement New Distribution Capability (NDC)

Expedia Group’s adoption of Amadeus NDC technology to drive NDC content and volumes…

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These are the best airlines in the world, according to a survey of travelers — see the full list

• Airline ratings company Skytrax has released its 2024 list of the best airlines in the world.
• Qatar Airways took the top spot from Singapore Airlines, 2023's winner.
• No airlines from the US made it in the top 20.

Qatar Airways has reclaimed the title of best airline in the world after losing out in 2023, according to travel industry rating company Skytrax.

Skytrax announced the results of the World Airline Awards, which polled travelers from over 100 countries on their impressions of more than 350 airlines, at a gala on Monday in London.

Once again, airlines from Asia and the Middle East dominated the awards, sweeping the top six spots and taking 12 of the top 20.

European carriers accounted for seven of the top 20 spots, with Turkish Airlines ranked highest in seventh.

No airlines from the US made the top 20 after Delta Air Lines fell one spot in this year's rankings to 21st. Delta was one of only two US airlines to crack the top 50, with United in 42nd.

Here's a closer look at the 20 best airlines in the world for 2024 according to Skytrax:

20. Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines)

Saudia , which changed its name from Saudi Arabian Airlines last year, jumped up three spots to finish 20th in this year's rankings.

Saudia is Saudi Arabia's flag carrier and is a member of the Sky Team alliance. It's also one of the few major airlines in the world the not serve any alcohol on board its flights.

19. Etihad Airways

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways fell six spots in this year's rankings but managed to stay in the top 20 at 19th.

Etihad reintroduced its Airbus A380 fleet and its luxurious The Residence suite after a four year hiatus.

18. Lufthansa

Lufthansa jumped three spots to 18 this year. The German national airline is a member of the Star Alliance and recently introduced its first new aircraft with the long-awaited Allegris cabin .

17. Virgin Atlantic Airways

Virgin Atlantic jumped up five spots to 17th in this year's rankings. The British carrier, co-owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Delta Air Lines, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its founding this year.

16. Vistara

Vistara is ranked 16th for the second consecutive year and remains India's top airline. The carrier, founded in 2013 as a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, is in the process of merging with Air India .

Spain's Iberia fell one spot to 15th in this year's rankings. The Spanish national carrier is an Oneworld alliance member alongside its International Airlines Group sibling, British Airways.

14. Fiji Airways

Fiji Airways moved up one spot this year to 14th. Fiji Airways is now Oceania's only representative in the top 20 after Air New Zealand fell to 23rd this year.

13. British Airways

British Airways moved up five spots in the rankings to 13th place. BA is the highest-ranked of the International Airlines Group (IAG) carriers, which also include Iberia (15th), Aer Lingus (49th), and Vueling (56th).

British Airways also won this year's award for the world's most family friendly airline.

12. Hainan Airlines

Hainan Airlines dropped one spot to 12th this year. Hainan has consistently been China's highest-rated carrier and the only one of the country's four major airlines not owned by the Chinese central government.

11. Korean Air

Korean Air slipped one spot to 11th place this year. South Korea's largest airline is still awaiting final approval from the US government for its proposed merger with Asiana, which was announced in late 2020.

10. Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Airlines jumped two spots in the 2024 ranking to 10th place. Swiss, founded in 2002 following Swissair's bankruptcy, is the highest-ranking member of the Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa (18th), Austrian (28th), and Eurowings (70th).

9. Air France

Air France slipped two spots to 9th place this year despite winning a host of awards, including the world's best first-class catering, best first-class lounge dining, and best airline in Western Europe.

Taiwanese carrier EVA Air moved up one spot to 8th this year. The carrier is a subsidiary of container shipping giant Evergreen Group.

7. Turkish Airlines

In seventh place is Turkish Airlines . It's once again Europe's highest-ranked airline.

6. Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines dropped one spot to sixth this year. The Japanese flag carrier also won this year's award for the world's best premium economy cabin.

5. Cathay Pacific Airways

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific moved into the top five this year, up from eighth position in 2023. Cathay also took home the prize for this year's best economy-class cabin.

4. All Nippon Airways (ANA)

All Nippon Airways or ANA fell one spot to fourth place this year. Despite that, the Japanese carrier managed to snag awards for the world's best airport services and the best airline staff service in Asia.

3. Emirates

Dubai's Emirates Airline moves into the top 3 this year after spending 2023 in fourth position. Emirates remains the world's largest operator of the A380 Superjumbo, with more than 100 in its fleet.

2. Singapore Airlines

After spending 2023 as the world's best airline, Singapore Airlines is back in second place, a position it also held in 2022 and 2021. Second place is nothing to scoff at. The airline also picked up honors for the world's best cabin staff and the world's best first-class cabin.

1. Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways takes the No. 1 spot again after falling second behind Singapore Airlines last year. It's a familiar position for the airline, which also claimed top honors in 2022, 2021, and 2019.

This year, Qatar Airways also won awards for the best business class cabin and lounge.

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StarsInsider

The meanings of airline code words that passengers don't understand

Posted: June 26, 2024 | Last updated: June 26, 2024

When it comes to airplane travel, plenty goes on behind the scenes that most passengers are completely unaware of. Sometimes there's a lot of jargon being used by pilots and cabin crew that you might have heard without knowing exactly what it meant. And if flying is a stressful experience for you, not understanding certain terms can add to an already frustrating experience.

So click to discover common airline terms to keep you at ease during your next flight. 

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Wheels-up time

Wheels-up time refers to the point when a ground-stopped plane is expected to be fully flying. 

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All-call is a request that each flight attendant reports via intercom from his or her station.

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Doors to arrival and crosscheck

This announcement is usually used by the lead flight attendant to confirm that the emergency escape slides have been deactivated before the doors are open. 

Area of weather

Area of weather usually means a thunderstorm or an area of heavy precipitation.

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Last minute paperwork

The meaning of this phrase involves checking the plane's weight-and-balance record, revising the flight plan, or waiting for maintenance staff to finish updating the logbook. 

Holding pattern

A holding pattern is a defined area of airspace in which an aircraft enters a circular or racetrack-shaped route to delay landing. 

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The apron is any pavement that's not a taxiway or a runway, including areas where planes are parked or serviced. 

A red-eye is usually an overnight flight that arrives early in the morning.

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Nothing about conjunctivitis here! A pink-eye flight takes off earlier than a red-eye, but the difference is that it's not an overnight flight.

Ground stop

A ground stop is issued by air traffic control to prevent the system from having to handle too many planes. 

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This is a colloquial term for a jolt of turbulence. 

A pilot or flight attendant who is deadheading is basically traveling to a destination to be repositioned as part of an on-duty assignment. 

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Final approach

For the cabin crew and pilots, an airplane is on final approach during the latter portion of the descent. 

This is the area closest to the terminal where planes and vehicles are active, such as the aircraft parking zones.

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The galley is the aircraft's small kitchen, where flight attendants prepare food, snacks, and beverages.

This term refers to passengers who require special attention, such as those with mobility issues, or any other sort of extra assistance.

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Flight deck

The flight deck is another name for the cockpit—the part of an aircraft where the pilot and co-pilot sit and where the controls are. 

A runner is a late passenger who is literally running to catch their departing flight. 

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Cabin crew often call the bathroom the blue room, which is a reference to the blue liquid used in aircraft toilets.

Flight level

This is a way of saying how many thousands of feet the plane is above sea level. 

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A U.M. is an unaccompanied minor traveling alone and who is in the flight crew's care. 

First officer

The first officer, also known as co-pilot, is the second in command of the plane and sits on the right side of the cockpit. They wear three stripes on their shoulder to show their position. 

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A spinner is a passenger who stands in the middle of the aisle, confused and likely spinning to find their seat on the airplane.

Holding pen

The holding pen is the area surrounding the gate where passengers wait to board.

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Short for expect further clearance time, EFC is the estimated time you'll be cleared to depart from the hold. 

This refers to a passageway between terminals or ramps.

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Privo is short for provisioning and refers to every consumable item on the aircraft, including beverages, snacks, and meals. 

This is the seat used by flight attendants during takeoff and landing. It may not be the safest seat on an airplane, but it makes it easy for flight attendants to jump to attention.

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Aircraft equipment

Aircraft equipment means articles, including first-aid and survival equipment and commissary supplies, for use during flight.

Sources: (Independent) (Reader's Digest) (Business Insider) 

See also: What you should and shouldn't eat or drink on a flight

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Why airline bag fees have gotten so complicated — and expensive

Plus: what you can do to pay less.

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy was feeling stung after paying $40 per checked bag to fly United to a recent academic conference with her husband. So, for an upcoming work trip, she decided to search for a cheaper option.

Using Travelocity, she checked the price of a Spirit flight. Then it was time to add a bag.

“My jaw dropped when it was like, ‘And you’re going to have to pay $100 per bag,’” said the Tampa Bay law professor and author of the upcoming book “Corporatocracy.” Her reaction: “Well, screw it because once you add in the price of the seat and the price of your baggage, it’s the same high price as the price I was trying to avoid with like United and Delta and American.”

As Torres-Spelliscy discovered, adding a bag to your flight can dramatically increase the cost — and the cost can be a question mark until just before the airline asks for your credit card. While some companies have uniform bag fees, most embrace some sort of variation, whether it’s a discount of $5 for booking in advance or factors that only the carrier’s algorithm understands.

“It’s a nightmare,” said Kyle Potter, executive editor of the website Thrifty Traveler . “This is quite literally my full-time job and I’m constantly looking at our own stories that we’ve written about increases to bag fees. Is it still $30, but that one’s $40 but $35 if you pay online in advance?"

Bag-fee calculus

Figuring out how much your checked or carry-on luggage will cost on some airlines can seem like solving those algebra word problems you thought you’d never use: When are you flying? What’s the route? When will you pay? Enter it all in the calculator — or check an increasingly complicated section of the website — to find out.

On JetBlue , for example, bags cost more during peak travel times, and when purchased within 24 hours of a flight. Budget airlines including Spirit and Frontier have bag fee calculators — Spirit’s is the “Bag-O-Tron” — that spit out the cost for checked and carry-on bags after travelers enter their route and dates of travel. And even major airlines including American and United charge less when travelers pay online or in advance. Southwest remains an outlier, allowing a carry-on and two checked bags for free.

The fees are a far cry from the mid-2000s, when the biggest carriers didn’t even charge for the first checked bag. American introduced its fee in 2008 and others followed suit; most raised prices this year for the first time since 2018.

“How did we get here?” asked Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorksCompany , which consults on airline fees. He let out a heavy sigh before proffering his answer: “My industry loves to make things too complicated.”

His company estimates that bag fees generate more than $33 billion in revenue globally. In the United States, airlines collected more than $7 billion in bag fees last year, according to the Department of Transportation. Bag fees don’t get hit with the 7.5 percent federal tax that is charged on domestic airfare, making them more profitable for airlines.

Sorensen said airlines are looking to maximize the amount of money they’re bringing in — but also increase loyalty by providing discounts or free bags for people who have status with a particular airline or hold their branded credit card.

Creative pricing

Travel analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, said it was “inevitable” that airlines would vary their prices for bags as many have moved to a model of charging a low base fare and tacking on additional fees for the options that travelers want to use. He said some travelers could benefit from fees based on distance; rather than everyone paying a uniform price regardless of route, those on short hops could pay less than passengers flying cross-country.

And it makes sense for airlines to encourage travelers to pay for their checked bags in advance, he said, in part because that allows the businesses more time to plan staffing levels, cargo allowances and fuel needs.

“But at the same time this introduces a level of added complexity for travelers and uncertainty,” he said. “Trying to figure out what your checked bags will cost becomes more important and could eat into your total travel budget.”

Airlines say that when customers pay for bags in advance, it saves time at the airport and reduces lines. JetBlue, which adjusted its checked bag fees in March to charge more during peak travel times, said the changes were meant to help the airline cover the higher cost of transporting bags and return to profitability.

“By adjusting fees for added services that only certain customers use — especially during periods of highest demand for limited space in the cargo hold — we can keep base fares as low as possible and ensure customer favorites like seat-back TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi remain free for everyone,” the airline said in a statement.

Unwelcome surprise

Even before those changes, computer science professor Ravid Shwartz Ziv discovered that paying for his carry-on bag at the airport would come with some sticker shock: a $65 charge because he had booked JetBlue’s cheapest fare. On a later trip, he made sure to pay for his bag earlier at a cheaper price — but he said airport workers still made him pay the $65 amid confusion over his initial booking.

Making matters worse, he said his credit card flagged his attempt to pay at the airport as fraud and he was locked out of using it, ultimately needing a friend to cover the cost so he could catch his flight.

JetBlue recently announced it will no longer charge those who pay the cheapest fare for carry-on bags to “increase customer satisfaction.” Even so, “I probably will not go with them again,” Shwartz Ziv said.

For Nicole Willard, a preschool director in Portola Valley, Calif., bag fees are an essential part of her calculations when flying to visit family in Massachusetts, where she’s from. She often flies back with a checked bag full of favorite gluten-free meals and snacks from home. A JetBlue credit card holder, she was used to checking one bag for free and paying $45 for the second. Then, before a flight last year, she discovered that cost had gone up to $50 — posting on X that it was “just absurd.”

“I was a little peeved about it,” she said.

New federal rule

Citing the tendency of extra fees to “confuse consumers,” the Department of Transportation recently finalized a rule that will force airlines to disclose prices up front — at the first point where a fare and schedule are shown — for bags and for canceling or changing a reservation. Several airlines and an industry group have sued the department over the rule, claiming it is outside the DOT’s authority and arguing that it would confuse travelers.

“For once, I am speechless,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote on X in response to the lawsuit.

Airlines contacted by The Washington Post did not answer questions about how they plan to implement the rule. They are required to provide data on the fees to third parties like online travel agencies by Oct. 30, and display the fees themselves no later than April 30, 2025. The DOT will work with airlines to ensure their compliance.

Potter, of Thrifty Traveler, said he wouldn’t expect an airline like Spirit to display all the different prices a bag fee could be depending on when it was purchased along with the fare — just the cost of adding that bag online in the moment.

“I would like to think that there’s an easy enough way for Spirit, for example, to do this,” he said.

Tips to ease the bag-fee blow

For travelers trying to navigate the bag fee maze — or even avoid the fees altogether — Potter recommends sticking to a carry-on whenever possible, especially on airlines that allow one for free.

Passengers on budget carriers, which often charge for carry-ons, should use the airlines’ bag fee calculators to learn what a bag will cost them and decide early on how much they’ll pack.

“Adding it to your ticket as you check out is always going to be the cheapest time to do it,” Potter said. On some airlines, paying at the airport to check or carry on a bag can cost more than $75.

“It gets pretty disgusting in some cases to pay for that bag at the airport,” he said. “You’ve got to do the mental math at the time you’re booking your flight.”

More on air travel

Leave flying to the pros: Think you could land a plane in an emergency? Experts say you’re wrong . Here’s what you should actually do if something goes awry during a flight .

Pet peeves: Why do “gate lice” line up early for a flight ? Psychologists explained for us. Another move that annoys airline workers: abusing the flight attendant call button . For more on how to behave on a flight, check out our 52 definitive rules of flying .

Plane mess: Stories about extremely disgusting airplanes have been grossing out travelers. The question of plane cleanups became the subject of a recent debate after a flight attendant allegedly told a pregnant passenger to pick up the popcorn spilled by her toddler.

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How Delta made itself America’s luxury airline — and what United wants to do about it

Delta Air Lines  is the country’s most profitable airline. CEO Ed Bastian’s challenge is to make sure his carrier stays on top.

The airline’s unit revenue, the amount it brings in for every seat it flies one mile,  outpaced  its competitors’ last year. Delta’s share price has soared almost 23% in 2024, more than any rival in the rocky airline   sector, in a rally that’s outdone the  S&P 500 ′s. It expects free cash flow to rise as much as 50% this year to between $3 billion and 4 billion, and is eyeing a return to an investment-grade credit rating. And a stat any traveler would appreciate: Delta came in first in punctuality last year, with more than 83% arriving on-time, according to the Transportation Department.

Rival  United Airlines  — second to Delta in net profit margins — is circling. It says it could  grow   profits  even more this year.

“Knowing that there’s someone that thinks that they can take that mantle from us, that keeps us on our toes and keeps us continuing to drive hard,” Bastian told CNBC.

Delta has fashioned itself America’s premium airline. It has won over hordes of splurging travelers, many of them carrying  American Express  cards, Delta’s cash cow of a partner that generated almost $7 billion for the airline last year. Sales growth of Delta’s roomier and more expensive seats continues to outpace revenue from standard coach.

As they vie for luxury flyers, both Delta and United have  added more high-end seating  to their planes to cater to travelers who deem worthwhile a $300 surcharge for a few inches of extra legroom on a cross-country round trip, or 10 times as much for a seat in business class.

Bastian, a former auditor who said he took his first flight at age 25 for a business trip (New York to Chicago), is in charge of ensuring Delta lives up to its brand luster.

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On Wednesday,  Delta will take its next shot  in the battle for high-spending flyers when it opens its newest,  highest tier of airport lounge  at John F. Kennedy International Airport for passengers in its Delta One cabin, its top product that features lie-flat beds for longer flights.

At more than 39,000 square feet it will be Delta’s largest lounge, accented with pillows that have iconic zig-zag motif of Italian fashion house Missoni, its new amenity kit partner. It features complementary spa treatments, like ice globes and serum for jet-lagged eyes, along with showers, a full restaurant, and a deck overlooking the airfield, in a bet that travelers’ desire to treat themselves is here to stay.

Delta is taking a page from the playbooks of United and  American , which  already dedicate their swankiest lounges  to customers flying in long-haul business class. Delta plans to open Delta One lounges in Boston and Los Angeles later this year, and is studying airports where it could open others.

“The thing with this industry is no good idea goes uncopied,” said Raymond James airline analyst Savanthi Syth.

Meanwhile, United is placing huge orders for new  Boeing  and Airbus planes and remodeling hundreds of narrow-body cabins that feature seatback screens and bluetooth technology, a strategy that aims to cater to travelers in international business class or on the cheapest basic economy tickets.

“We haven’t exactly achieved the No. 1 profitability status in the industry, but I know we’re on our way,” United’s Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said in an interview last month. “If we continue to invest in our customers through great service and great products and great network, we know that will feed upon itself and it’ll help us achieve the financial results that we’re looking for.”

The airlines and American are approaching their 100th birthdays, and are trying to stay ahead — if not drive — shifting travel demand and still turn a profit.

United is adding to the more than 300 airports it serves. Figuring out the next hot destination is “part art” and “part science,” said Patrick Quayle, its head of network planning. The airline’s sprawling global network makes United the biggest U.S. airline by capacity and it recently launched service to places like Dubrovnik, Croatia and Amman, Jordan.

Quayle pointed to United’s addition of Cape Town, South Africa, which it first announced before the pandemic, as a success.

“Another airline has subsequently copied us. ... I might want to add based in Atlanta,” he said, alluding to Delta’s home city.

The latest changes come at a difficult time for a lot U.S. airlines. Labor and other costs swelled after the pandemic, eating into margins despite  record numbers of travelers . Added capacity in the U.S. market has forced carriers to  discount fares  in off-peak travel periods.

It’s tricky, and expensive, to change course. Even  Southwest Airlines  is facing  investor pressure  to add things like premium seating or  seat assignments  as its simple business model shows signs of age.

Meanwhile, U.S. consumers are  growing more selective : Some corporate leaders have lamented a spending pullback while others, like Delta’s CEO, are saying the opposite. Americans are still digging into the so-called experiences economy, and paying for more comfort along the way, according to Bastian.

“They may not be buying that new EV or that that new house, but they’re saying we’re going to go out and experience the world and invest in that experience,” he said. “And that’s why you see it happening in high-end concerts, high-end hospitality.”

‘Brick by brick’

When the U.S. was careening toward recession almost two decades ago, Delta’s leaders made a correct bet that travelers would eventually pay more to fly on its jets.

Delta was emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2007, which other U.S. carriers found themselves in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Former CEO Richard Anderson said the airline had to start with basics: Stop losing bags. Make sure flights didn’t get canceled and arrived on time. Clean up the cabins.

“It was about building the operation brick by brick,” said Anderson, who handed the reins to Delta’s former president, Bastian, in 2016. “It didn’t matter what you did with AmEx. If the flight canceled, you ruined your brand.”

Delta took better care to avoid maintenance problems. It also started ferrying planes to airports to avoid cancellations if a replacement aircraft was needed.

And the carrier tried to clean up its image, hiring a marketing firm that advised former President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Anderson said the airline needed to be consistent and not fly its mix of paint jobs and cabin interiors. It faced fresh competition from low-cost airlines like a then-spritely upstart out of Queens, N.Y. called  JetBlue Airways . Delta and United had both launched their own low-cost subsidiaries, but they discontinued them.

Delta executives knew they needed a brand to match if they were going to command a premium over competitors.

“One of the things about being a premium product is consistency, consistency in policy, consistency in appearance,” said Anderson. “If you got on a flight in Tokyo we wanted you to feel like you were home.”

After the string of changes, Delta’s performance improved. Corporate business travel contracts helped boost profits and still do, as business travel returns post-pandemic.

Delta had a key advantage over competitors. After it came out of bankruptcy, it merged with Northwest Airlines in 2008, allowing it to stabilize and expand around the world while other carriers floundered. The rest of the industry spent much of the next decade recovering from bankruptcies and a subsequent musical chairs of mergers that  left four big carriers in control of about three-quarters of the U.S. domestic market . Delta’s rivals were years behind the carrier on integrating their merged staff, operations, networks and fleets.

Bastian said the carrier’s focus on reliability has made life easier for not just its customers, but also its employees.

“They’re not having to explain for a cancellation or mishandled luggage,” he said. “They have time to serve rather than to apologize.”

Delta is also unique as the least unionized of the major U.S. airlines, at about 20%. In April, as campaigns were underway to organize its flight attendants and other workers, it again  raised worker pay . Flight attendants for Delta’s regional carrier Endeavor, which are unionized, have recently demanded compensation on par with the carrier’s mainline flight attendants.

Time to remodel

After Delta got the basics down, Bastian, 67, who joined Delta in 1998, said it was time for the airline to focus on more ambitious projects.

“You had the liberty to start investing in premium,” he said. “You started to figure out how to to make first class more available to customers.”

It has expanded in big-spending New York and Los Angeles, the country’s two largest air travel markets by revenue, according to aviation data firm OAG.

Delta also built up its host of global alliances, joint ventures and minority ownership stakes, giving it more reach. That includes its 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic, which already had a strong foothold in premium air travel and popular lounges.

“I think some of that heritage has made its way into the core of Delta,” said Virgin Atlantic’s CEO Shai Weiss. “I’m not suggesting we are the messiah for Delta, but there is no surprise that Delta and Virgin Atlantic see eye-to-eye on many things.”

The vast majority of the more than 940 million people that flew on U.S. airlines last year fly in coach, and Delta has tried to make its flights more desirable travelers on all sections of the plane.

It remodeled old and dated terminals, and built out its network of luxury airport lounges, which are tied to its lucrative credit card deal with American Express. It added seat-back televisions and better in-flight entertainment options, and in February 2023, it  announced  its long-awaited  free Wi-Fi  to customers enrolled in its SkyMiles frequent flyer program.

Delta has invested more than $12 billion to rebuild and update its U.S. hubs with soaring ceilings, new technology and in some lounges, a signature scent. (“It’s proprietary,” said Claude Roussel, who oversees Delta’s lounges, when asked what was in it.)

One of its latest efforts is its terminal and new Sky Club at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, alongside other airlines’ new terminals. A decade ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden famously said someone who was blindfolded and taken to that airport would think, “I must be in some third-world country.”

The airline faced big problems along the way like a dayslong system outage in 2016. And the worst of all: Covid-19. Like other airlines, Delta accepted billions in federal aid to weather the pandemic. The carrier successfully urged some  17,000 workers to take buyouts , hiring newer, lower-paid staff that lacked the experience of departed employees. Early in the process, Bastian said the newer workers gave the company a “juniority benefit.” The airline employed about 100,000 people in the U.S. as of the end of last year.

Delta and its competitors also pulled out of many small cities as the pandemic eased, isolating some smaller cities amid a shortage of regional jet pilots.

But international travel has proved resilient so far, as consumers show they are willing to shell out on experiences.

Luxury air travel? In the U.S.?

Luxury air travel and the United States didn’t go together for many years — and   might not still, if you ask well-heeled globetrotters.

U.S. airlines don’t offer on-board showers or  roomy suites  like those on the superjumbos flown by the likes of Etihad Airways or Singapore Airlines. But the U.S. air travel market, the world’s largest, has gotten a number of upgrades in recent years, and travelers have grown to expect the same convenience they get from their online shopping sites and ride-hailing and food-ordering apps.

“Delta’s not bougie by any stretch, but when your competitors don’t try very hard, it doesn’t take much,” said Henry Harteveldt, a former airline executive and founder of Atmosphere Research Group.

But as a rewards-credit card boom, strong consumer spending, social media envy and a wanderlust that predated the pandemic combined to boost demand, airlines executives were taking notice.

Delta’s sales from premium products are growing faster than revenue from its main coach cabin, a trend the airline forecasts will continue. Sales from Delta’s loyalty business, premium cabins and other streams comprise more than half of the carrier’s revenue.

Airlines have made big changes as they struggle to accommodate the big-spending travelers armed with elite status. Major carriers have all overhauled their frequent flyer programs to reward the biggest spenders instead of those that fly the most miles,   and made it harder to earn coveted elite status.

And at Delta and other airlines, many of the perks for luxury flyers come through lounges.

One of Delta’s Sky Clubs in Los Angeles International Airport offers a separate, dedicated security lane for customers flying Delta One, away from the masses at the airport. That feature will make it to the new JFK lounge later this year, a Delta spokesman said.

United and American Airlines have also worked to glam up and expand their airport lounges, access to which is a common perk with credit cards.

Delta  softened some restrictions  on Sky Club lounge access last year — which it made to end annoying and  unsightly long lines  to enter its exclusive airport real estate — after an uproar from customers.

'We’re constantly pushing each other'

Both Delta and United have issued sunny financial forecasts for this year, while many carriers are losing money or not pulling in similar profit margins.

“Watching [Delta] succeed, I became convinced that the product mattered and service mattered, and we have done that at United now,” United CEO Scott Kirby said at a JPMorgan industry conference in March.

And at an investor conference last month, he pointed to how the two are pulling away from the rest of the pack in profitability, particularly at big hubs.

United has made some big bets that paid off. It held onto its wide-body planes, when travel demand collapsed in the pandemic, and has benefitted from the surge in international travel.

With United on Delta’s tail, Bastian is trying to expand the airline’s reach. Bastian has attended the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and has announced new partnerships with  Lyft  and  Starbucks  for its loyalty program.

He says he can’t mystery shop on other carriers because he’s too recognizable, but said his team flies on competitors regularly to see what they can improve.

“We don’t own the market rights to innovation in our industry,” he said.

When asked what Delta can improve, Bastian threw kudos back to United for its detailed messages to travelers when there’s a disruption.

“They’ve done some nice things with their app,” he said. “I still think ours is better, but ... they’ve done a nice job in terms their communications with their customers and how they manage trip interruptions.”

Bastian added: “We’re constantly pushing each other.”

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Why Men Are ‘Rawdogging’ Flights

By Kate Lindsay

Everyone has their own tricks for staving off boredom on a long-haul flight. Some people load up on podcast episodes, others power through the available in-flight entertainment. But no one simply sits, staring silently at the real-time flight map on the screen in front of them, for the entirety of a trip. Right? Wrong. A small group of hardy men—the gender that brought you frat hazing and Logan Paul—are now doing exactly that, and for a variety of surprisingly solid reasons.

A 26-year-old Londoner named West (who asked to use only his first name) went viral in May when he posted about his decision to forgo any entertainment and pass a seven-hour trip watching the flight map. “Anyone else bareback flights?” he asked in the caption.

The concept—referred to in a vivid and perhaps unfortunate parlance as “rawdogging,” “flying raw,” and “bareback”—resonated with many in the comments on West's TikTok page, @WestWasHere . “Yup, from London to Miami this week…pure bareback no food or water,” one wrote. “I swear barebacking flights make it go quicker,” another added.

“I've got DMs on Instagram like, ‘Bro, you need to teach us how to bareback flights,’” West tells GQ .

“I am a nervous flier and generally cannot focus on anything on a plane—movies, TV shows, books, articles, whatever—with any success,” says Luke Winkie, a 33-year-old staff writer at Slate, who has used the flight map as his only in-flight entertainment for years. “For some reason I don't like processing new information when I'm in the air. I want to stick to things that are predictable and safe.”

For West, who has since posted multiple videos from his raw flights (including his longest, a 21-hour slog from London to Perth, Australia), the practice simply resulted from how much he has to travel for his work in the music industry. “I got sick of watching the same movies,” he says. West likens flying raw to meditation. “Visually, you are kind of impaired. You only get to look at the seat in front of you, to your right or left if you're at the window. All you hear is that drumming sound of the engine. It's just white noise.”

But West and others have also come to see rawdogging flights as a kind of challenge, like the Tough Mudder or No Nut November, the goal being to see how fully participants can deprive themselves of creature comforts, up to and including free snack and drinks and even bathroom visits. A true rawdogger takes no indulgences.

West says that the women who have commented on his videos are usually doing so to express shock. Taking flights raw seems to be a “masculine thing,” he says. “Everything's about looking cool. Most guys embrace it as a joke or like, ‘We are so hard. David Goggins has nothing on us.’”

Winkie agrees. “I don't think men have the same ‘treat culture’ that women do, which is frankly a shame,” he says. “A long flight, for women, is the perfect venue to organize an entire itinerary of treats, and I do think men tend to be more stoic and weird about the spaces in which they allow themselves to receive pleasure.”

Still, West says that a recent trip from London from Bali (20 hours) taught him that there are benefits to rawdogging beyond its meditative nature. His best ideas, he says, have come from the time spent locked into the flight map, just thinking. “I'm there like, Oh, we're flying over Afghanistan. Oh, we're going at 36,000 feet instead of 37,” he says. “Or like, Oh, I think that's a good idea as a new series on my TikTok.” The experience left him refreshed. “When I saw my mom [upon landing], she was like, ‘You have so much energy,’” he recalls. “And I'm like, I feel fine. I feel recharged. I feel like I've been able to have time to myself.”

The last benefit may be the most significant: Everyone else leaves you alone. West recalls how a man who was seated next to him in a middle aisle opted to squeeze past two people on his other side rather than disturb West. “He must have been like, ‘I do not want to bother him right now,’” West says with a laugh. “‘He's locked into this altitude.’”

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Aer Lingus industrial action begins – what does it mean for your flight?

Pilots at the irish airline voted 99% in favour of action in support of a 24% pay claim, article bookmarked.

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Pilots working for Aer Lingus have begun an indefinite “strict work to rule” in their pursuit of a pay claim.

Members of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) will also walk out on strike from 5am to 1pm on Saturday 29 June, aiming to disrupt the start of of the school holiday exodus for many families.

Millions of passengers are booked to fly on the Irish airline over the summer – including from the UK via Dublin to North America.

Aer Lingus says it told the union that “industrial action at this time of year would cause very significant disruption and have a devastating impact on customers and their families going into the summer holiday season”.

Talks held on Tuesday at the Labour Court in Dublin on Tuesday failed to make any progress in the dispute. Already, hundreds of flights have been cancelled.

The airline has decided to ground at least 26 flights each day during the first week of the work to rule as it seeks to minimise the risk of flights being grounded on the day, with many more on the day of the strike

Direct Aer Lingus UK services from Manchester across the Atlantic, and the Aer Lingus Regional operation – provided by a separate carrier, Emerald Airlines – are unaffected.

These are the key questions and answers.

What is the dispute about?

In a ballot in pursuit of a 24 per cent pay claim, pilots voted 99 per cent in favour of industrial action on an 89 per cent turnout.

Captain Mark Tighe, president of Ialpa, says the pay claim simply equates to inflation since the last wage rise in 2019.

“Aer Lingus have increased their profits by 400 per cent to €255m [£216m] last year,” he says. “Our pay claim is entirely affordable, and Aer Lingus management need to quickly change position if they want to avoid this dispute escalating.

“We are in this position because management have failed to provide us with a meaningful offer on pay that accounts for inflation and the sacrifices made by pilots to save Aer Lingus during the pandemic.”

He accuses Aer Lingus management of insisting pilots “sell their working conditions in exchange for any increase in pay”.

Captain Tighe says: “We are absolutely not prepared to do that, especially when Aer Lingus is making enormous profits.”

The airline says it hoped to “continue to engage in meaningful direct discussions on productivity and flexibility proposals to enable increased pay” but Ialpa refused it.

“Profitability levels in Aer Lingus are the lowest in the IAG group with operating margin significantly lower than pre-Covid levels, making continued investment in the business by IAG challenging,” the airline says.

“Investment of such profits in paying exorbitant increases to already very well-paid pilots is simplistic in the extreme.

“Ialpa demanded an unsustainable level of increase in pilot pay that was not supported by any increases in productivity or flexibility. Our pilots are highly regarded colleagues, and they are rightfully well paid for the work that they do.

“Aer Lingus pilots are more than fairly compensated compared to the market.”

The airline also says the union’s “failure to engage in the various independent processes in a responsible manner jeopardises our growth plans including our plans to fly to more destinations”.

What does a “strict work to rule” mean?

Pilots will refuse any flexibility with their work. Ialpa says the action will result in its members:

• “Not working overtime, or any other out of hours duties requested by management
• “Only working the published rosters and not accepting or working any amendments to published rosters
• “Not logging into the Aer Lingus portal or ‘e-crew’ [an online rostering system] outside of work hours.
• “Not answering phone calls outside of work hours.”

In a perfect world, the Aer Lingus operation would continue as normal. But aviation is a very dynamic industry and much can go wrong with the best-laid plans – including, for example:

• Mechanical problems
• Air-traffic control restrictions
• Bad weather
• Disruptive or ill passengers

Normally in any airline there is a degree of flexibility and goodwill among staff to adapt the operation in order to get people where they need to be. If that is removed by the pilots, disruption can swiftly ensue.

What sort of problems could arise?

Air-traffic control slot delays across Europe are common in summer, with pressure added by the closure of a large slice of airspace in eastern Europe. Being told to wait on the ground for an hour or more are not unusual. In such circumstances, airlines will typically shuffle their fleets and crews to minimise the disruption for everyone, but Ialpa indicates this will not be possible.

Across the Atlantic – an extremely important market for Aer Lingus from Dublin and Shannon – summer storms are common. An unexpected delay at, say, Chicago, could mean that the pilots go beyond the normal basic flight duty period.

The captain is allowed to extend the flight duty period by two hours “in the event of unforeseen circumstances” at his or her discretion. This will often mean the difference between completing a flight or leaving passengers stranded. The indication from the Irish pilots’ union is that flexibility would not be granted.

A scenario in which bad weather or a mechanical problem meant a long delay on the ground in the US could mean passengers stranded overnight, with the aircraft being stuck at an American airport rather than back in Dublin ready for its next mission.

What is the effect of the work to rule so far?

In response to the work to rule, Aer Lingus has cancelled an average of 26 flights per day during the first week of the action (with many more on the day of the strike).

Most are links from Dublin and Cork to the UK and Continental Europe. A daily round trip from Dublin to New York JFK is also grounded.

The airline says: “Customers whose flights are impacted will be communicated to directly via email/SMS, or through their travel agent, advising of their options. While we will endeavour to reaccommodate customers where possible the levels of disruption may not make this possible..“

What effect will the strike have?

Aer Lingus has cancelled almost 100 flights on Saturday 29 June. Most are to and from Dublin, though links from London Heathrow to Cork and Knock are also affected.

Transatlantic departures including flights to Washington Dulles and San Francisco have been rescheduled to swerve the strike, but a Saturday morning service to New York JFK and the evening return flight are axed.

The strike was called later than the work to rule. Ialpa’s Captain Tighe said: “We have been forced to escalate this dispute following a campaign of antagonism by Aer Lingus management directed toward our members.”

If my flight is disrupted, what are my rights?

You could decide not to travel and request a full refund (vouchers for future travel are also on offer, but you should always insist on cash).

The airline says you can “change your flight online” and that if the new one is cheaper – which frankly is extremely unlikely – any fare difference will be refunded.

But the vast majority of passengers will want to fly as close to their original plans as possible.

As an EU airline, Aer Lingus must comply with European air passengers’ rights rules. These stipulate a duty of care in the event of delays and cancellatioons.

Regardless of the cause of disruption, the airline must get passengers to their destination as soon as possible. For European destinations, that could mean Aer Lingus buying you a ticket on Ryanair.

In the event of a transatlantic cancellation, Aer Lingus could have to buy seats on Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United or WestJet. Given that so many flights are very heavily booked, though, it may take time to find spare seats.

For overnight delays, Aer Lingus must provide hotels and meals.

In addition, passengers are likely to be entitled to cash compensation of between €250 (£220) and €600 (£520).

How badly will UK passengers be affected?

During the school summer holidays in Northern Ireland, many families travel south to Dublin to fly to Mediterranean destinations. They are entitled to be found alternative flights if seats are available.

The Aer Lingus Manchester-North America operation is unaffected, as are Aer Lingus Regional flights from various UK airports to Dublin. But those regional flights often carry passengers who are heading for the US and Canada – using the excellent pre-clearance facility for US Customs and Border Protection, which means you arrive in an American airport as a domestic passenger.

Someone with a booking from, say, Birmingham via Dublin to Boston, could insist on being rebooked on Air France, KLM or another airline if seats are available.

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