Air Travel Vocabulary Made Easy

Vocabulary

Airport Vocabulary

Practice how to use Airport vocabulary.

Introduction:

Host: Hello and welcome to the English Magnet. Today’s video: Air Travel Vocabulary Made Easy! With air travel becoming increasingly affordable and commonplace, it’s a significant part of many people’s lives, whether for work, visiting family, or vacationing in exotic destinations. Knowing the right vocabulary can make your airport experience much smoother. In this video, we’ll cover key terms related to getting to the airport, navigating the airport, being on the plane, and leaving the airport. Plus, we’ll explore essential phrasal verbs and common questions. Alright, let’s get to work!

Part 1: Getting to the airport

You’re at the very beginning of your journey!

Taxi / Cab: A car offering to transport people where they wish to in return for payment.

Shuttle: A bus or other vehicle that goes between a central location in town and the airport.

Public transportation: Systems of buses, trains and trams that run on fixed routes and are available to the public.

Terminal: The building where passengers check in, get on, or get off the aircraft. Big airports have more than one.

Baggage: Suitcases or other bags in which to pack personal belongings for travel. Luggage is the preferred word in British English (both are usually uncountable, use: pieces of baggage/luggage when in doubt)

Travel itinerary: A plan or schedule of a trip, including destinations, times, and activities.

Traffic: The movement of vehicles along a road or the number of vehicles moving along a road.

Rush hour: the time of day (typically in the morning before working hours and late afternoon or early evening) when traffic is at its heaviest. Avoid going to the airport during these periods.

Part 2: At the airport

Now some keywords for once you’re in the airport.

Check-in counter: The desk where you show your ticket and ID to receive a boarding pass.

Boarding pass: A document provided by an airline during check-in allowing someone to board a plane.

Security checkpoint: The place at the airport where you and your baggage are checked to make sure you’re not carrying anything dangerous.

Gate: The area where passengers wait to board the airplane. Usually they are identified with a letter-number combo… kind of like in a game a bingo, B12, G48!

Departure board: A screen showing the times at which planes are expected to leave. Expected is key here 😉

Customs: The place at an airport where officials check the baggage of international passengers. You only go through customs when you leave a country, not for domestic flights… these fly within a country.

Duty-free shop: A store at the airport where you can buy goods without paying tax on them. Typically alcohol, cigarettes and candies… very healthy 😉

Lounge: A comfortable area in the airport where passengers can wait for their flight.

Carry-on (baggage): Stuff you bring with you on the plane; a small backpack, a purse, a laptop, a small suitcase and even your pet in a crate.

Checked (baggage): Stuff in a suitcase not accompanying you on the plane, you usually leave it at the check-in counter.

On time – all is good, your plane is leaving when it should. Delayed – ouch, you’ll have to wait as your plane will leave later than expected, but it could be worse. Canceled – your flight just won’t happen, a tough pill to swallow!

Part 3: On the airplane

You didn’t miss your flight, nice!

Boarding: The action of getting on the plane.

Cabin: The space inside of an airplane where passengers sit.

Aisle: The walkway between rows of seats on a plane.

Window seat: A seat next to the window on an airplane.

Aisle seat: A seat next to the aisle on an airplane.

Middle seat: The seat between the window and aisle seats. It’s common courtesy to leave the armrests to the passenger in the middle seat. 🙂

In-flight entertainment: Movies, music, and other entertainment available to passengers during a flight.

Tray table: A small board stored in the back of the seat in front of you that can be used to hold food, drinks, or personal items.

Overhead compartment: The storage space above passengers’ heads in an airplane cabin.

Emergency exit: A special exit used for evacuating an aircraft in an emergency only!

Seatbelt: A strap that you fasten across your lap to keep you safe.

Turbulence: Irregular motion of the plane caused by air currents. These can be quite unpredictable, watch out!

Cabin crew/Flight attendants: Staff members who attend to the needs of passengers on a flight.

Part 4: Leaving the airport

You’re almost there, let’s get you to your final destination!

Immigration: The process of checking documents and verifying identities of travelers entering a country. (only after an international flight)

Passport control: The area where officials check passports and visas upon entry into a country.

Customs declaration: A form that lists items you are bringing into a country that may be subject to tax.

Transfer/Connection: The process of changing planes to continue your journey to a final destination.

Baggage claim: The area in an airport where arriving passengers collect their checked baggage.

Baggage carousel: The conveyor belt in the baggage claim area that delivers checked baggage to passengers. Please don’t ride it.

Currency exchange: A service allowing travelers to convert their foreign currency for local money. Check the rates online to avoid being taken advantage of. 🙂

Lost and found: The area where lost items are kept for passengers to reclaim.

Rental car: A car rented for a short period of time, often from an agency at the airport.

Ground transportation: Options for transportation from the airport, including buses, shuttles, taxis, and rental cars.

Hotel shuttle: A service provided by hotels to transport guests to and from the airport. Very convenient!

Part 5: Useful phrasal verbs

Plenty of phrasal verbs (verb + preposition on screen) are used in air travel. Let’s go over their meanings and some examples.

Get away

To leave a place often for a vacation or break.
Example: After a stressful week at work, she couldn’t wait to get away to the Bahamas for a relaxing holiday.

Set off

To begin a journey or trip.
Example: We set off for the airport at dawn to avoid the morning traffic at rush hour.

Drop off

To leave someone or something at a specific location like an airport.
Example: Can you drop me off at the airport at 5 AM for my early morning flight please?

See off

To accompany someone to a departure point to say goodbye.
Example: Her family came to see her off at the airport before her flight to Spain.

Get through

To pass through a process or location, often involving security or customs.
Example: We need to get through security quickly if we want to catch our flight on time.

Take off

The action of an aircraft leaving the ground and starting to fly.
Example: The plane is scheduled to take off at 8 PM, so we should be at the gate by 7:30.

Fill out

To complete a form or document.
Example: Please fill out this customs declaration form before we land.

Stop over

To make a short stay somewhere during a longer journey.
Example: We are stopping over in Dubai before catching our connecting flight to Sydney.

Touch down

The action of an aircraft landing.
Example: The plane will touch down in Riga at 3 PM local time.

Pick up

To collect someone or something from a specific location.
Example: I’ll pick you up at the airport, just tell me when your flight lands.

Part 6: Common questions

Traveling abroad or being away from home puts you in a situation where you might be in need of assistance since you’re out of your routine or comfort zone. So here is a list of common questions travelers tend to ask to ease their air travel experience. Let’s go over them:

When getting to the airport:

How do I get to the airport from here?

What is the best way to go to the airport?

How much time should I plan to go to the airport?

Is there a shuttle service to the airport?

How much does it cost to go to the airport?

At the airport:

Where is the check-in counter for my flight?

How many bags am I allowed to check in?

What is the baggage weight limit?

Can I get a window seat / an aisle seat? Is it free of charge? 😄

Where is my boarding gate?

On the airplane: (to a flight attendant)

Can I get a blanket / pillow / drink / earphones?

Is it possible to change seats?

When will meals be served?

Could you help me put my suitcase in the overhead compartment?

What should I do in case of an emergency?

Leaving the airport:

Where is the baggage claim?

What happened to my checked baggage? Can I get a voucher?

What is the best way to go to town?

Where is the ground transportation area?

Is there a currency exchange at the airport?

Feel free to ask your counterpart to repeat if you didn’t understand. And a ‘sorry’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ generally go a long way too. 🙂

Wrap up

Host: There you go, air travel vocabulary made easy. Hopefully, you’ll have the chance to put this material into practice soon. And if you’re in the mood, watch more of our videos perhaps while waiting at your gate before boarding! A link to some free material to practice by yourselves can be found in the description below. Keep practicing, and you’ll get the hang of it. Thank you for watching. Until next time!