Airline Vocabulary
Word | Meaning | Example sentence |
airfare | cost of a plane ticket | The cost of your meal is covered in your airfare. |
aisle | the long empty space that you walk down | Please keep your bags out of the aisle so that nobody trips. |
aisle seat | the seat that is next to the aisle | I'll give you an aisle seat in case you need to walk around with the baby. |
assist | help | Please wait until everyone is off the plane so that we can assist you. |
baggage | the bags and suitcases that travellers put their belongings in | I'm afraid your baggage got on the wrong airplane. |
baggage, luggage claim | place where you pick up your baggage after arrival | The announcement will direct you to the correct baggage claim. |
blanket | warm covering | If you feel cold I can get you a blanket. |
boarding pass | part of the ticket that you give to the crew as you step onto the plane | Your must present your boarding pass at the gate. |
bumpy, rough | up and down movement of the aircraft | It might be a bumpy ride because we are flying through a storm. |
cabin | interior of the aircraft | There is no smoking allowed inside the cabin. |
call light | a button passengers can press to get a crew member's attention | If you need anything, just press the call light. |
captain | the person who is in charge of the plane | Would the kids like to go and meet the captain? |
charter | discount airline | If you take a charter it will cost you half as much. |
cockpit | the part of the plane where the captain and his co-pilots sit | We aren't doing any more tours of the cockpit because it's almost time to land. |
comfortable | feel good physically, able to relax | Because you have long legs you might be more comfortable in an aisle seat. |
complimentary | free of charge | We offer complimentary coffee or tea, but you have to pay for alcohol. |
co-pilot | person who helps the captain fly the plane | If the captain gets sick the co-pilot can take over. |
domestic | within the same country | You should be at the airport two hours ahead of time for domestic flights. |
emergency exit | section of the plane that opens in the case of an accident | Are you comfortable sitting next to the emergency exit? |
e-ticket | airfare purchased on the internet | You will need to present your identification along with your e-ticket. |
excess baggage | heavier/more bags than you are allowed | You can either pay for your excess baggage or leave one of your bags behind. |
first-class | more expensive seating, with better services | When you sit in first-class you get a better meal to eat. |
gate | place where passengers go to wait to board a plane | Gate 3B is down this hall and to your right. |
headset, earphones | device that allows passengers to listen to music or a movie | We will be coming around to sell headsets for five dollars. |
international | worldwide | For international departures, go up one level. |
jet lag | tiredness due to travelling through different time zones | I'm used to travelling now. My body doesn't suffer from jet lag anymore. |
land | returning to the ground after being in the air | We will be landing in Tokyo in approximately ten minutes. |
life vest, life jacket | a blow-up device that you put on in an emergency over water | Please take a moment to locate the life vest under your seat. |
motion sickness | a bad feeling in the stomach that passengers get during a rough ride | There is a paper bag in front of you in case you experience motion sickness. |
overbooked | more passengers than available seats | The flight is overbooked. Four of our passengers will have to wait for the next flight. |
overhead bin/compartment | place above the seats for storing luggage | You'll have to put your bag under your seat because all of the overhead bins are full. |
over-sized baggage | items that do not fit in suitcases | Infant car seats and sporting equipment can be picked up at the over-sized baggage counter. |
oxygen mask | a device that goes over a person's face, provides air in case of cabin air pressure loss | Put your oxygen mask on first before putting one on your child. |
passport | document that proves a person's identification and nationality | Please have your passport out when you go through security. |
pilot | the person who drives the plane | The pilot is circling over the airport until it is safe to land. |
refreshments | drinks and snacks | It's a short flight, so we will be serving refreshments but not a meal. |
row | a number of seats beside each other | You are in seat B of row nine. |
runway | the strip of land that an airplane takes-off and lands on | The plane almost missed the runway because it was such a bad storm. |
seatbelt | device that holds passengers in their seats | Please remain in your seats while the seatbelt light is on. |
steward (male), stewardess (female), flight attendant, air host | man or woman who provides service for passengers during a flight | Ask one of the stewardesses for a pillow if you're tired. |
stopover | touching down at more than one airport during a flight | It's not a direct flight. We're making one stopover in Toronto. |
take off | when the plane leaves the ground | We are next in line to take off on this runway. |
taxi in, out | driving an airplane to the correct place for taking off or deboarding | Please remain in your seats until we taxi in to the gate. |
touch down | when the aircraft wheels land on the ground | That was a very smooth touch down. |
turbulence | rough flight | This turbulence should only last a few minutes. |
wheelchair | a seat for pushing elderly, disabled, or injured people | A steward will take you to the gate with a wheelchair. |
window seat | seat next to the window where passengers can look out | If your child wants a window seat I can move you back a row. |
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