Dashboard

Tomasalexandra03@gmail.com

Profile

Log Out

NAVIGATION

10

148

c-overview

This Content

AMGT 314 | A/L Business Org. and Management | 1-2 PM | MWF(c_67958)

JOHN MARVIN LUMAUAG

INSTRUCTOR

CONTENT

ASSIGNMENTS

QUIZZES

MORE

TOPICS

Airline and Airport Terminology 101 (PRELIMS)

Airline Jargon and Lingo (PRELIMS)

August 29, 2023 12:51 AM

Airline and Airport Terminology 101 (PRELIMS)

Terminology Used in Airports and In-Flight

Have you ever found yourself sitting in an uncomfortable chair in the airport, or buckling up in the
airplane itself, only to realize that everyone is speaking in some sort of code and you didn’t get the
memo?

Airport jargon can be extremely confusing, but if you learn a few of the basic meanings beforehand,
then the airport shouldn’t be too much of a foreign experience.

Air travel terms can be broken up into two separate categories: on the ground, and in the air. Let’s start
with lingo that you will hear while your feet are still on the ground.

Add-on

Add-ons are optional extras that you can purchase at an additional fee when booking a flight. This could
be things like additional baggage or seat upgrades.

Agent

An agent, or in travel terms a ‘travel agent’, is a retailer of holidays or flights such as Alternative Airlines.

Aircraft

Is a flying vehicle. Can include aeroplanes/airplanes, helicopters and airships.

Airport

Is where aircraft stay, or park, when not in flight. It is where they take-off and land from.
Airport Code

A code given to each unique airport. They are three digits in length. For example, LAX for Los Angeles
International Airport.

APIS

Advance Passenger Information System is information about the travellers including date of birth, travel
document details (passport) and nationality. It is required by some airlines, agents or countries before
travelling.

App

Short for application, is a piece of software which is downloaded to a smartphone or tablet. In terms of
travel and airlines, some airlines have their own app in which you can check booking and flight details or
check-in online.

Arrival Area

Within an airport, an arrival area is the area of the airport designated to incoming airplanes and their
passengers. This is also known simply as Arrivals.

ATC

Is an acronym for Air Traffic Control and refers to the staff that work at ground level to manage the
aircraft in airspace.

Baggage

Any type of luggage, including bags and suitcases that is taken on the airplane. See below for checked
baggage and hold baggage to see the difference between them. The amount of baggage, whether
checked or hold, will vary depending on the airline you are flying with. This can be found on your travel
itinerary, or by checking with the airline you have chosen.
Baggage Area

Or baggage reclaim, is an area in airports dedicated to deal with checked baggage. These often have
moving belts where checked baggage is placed by staff and rotated around so that passengers can
collect their baggage.

Base Fare

This is the lowest price and most basic part of a ticket before any add-ons, taxes or extra charges have
been added.

Boarding Pass

A ticket issued to the traveller after checking in, either online or in person at the airport. It has traveller
information, seat number and flight information on it.

Cabin

The section of the aeroplane in which passengers travel. In bigger planes this is often split into areas of
classes, with business and first at the front and economy at the back of the cabin.

Carrier

The company responsible for transportation of people or cargo. In terms of aviation, this is the airline.

Carry-on Baggage

The bags that you are allowed to carry on to the plane with you. There are restrictions in what you can
take in this baggage with you, such as liquids or weapons, but be sure to check the airline that you are
flying with to see their policy on this. There are also often restrictions in the amount or size of carry-on
baggage that you are allowed, so be sure to check this too. It is also known as hand baggage. Read about
the difference between carry-on baggage and a personal item here.
Ceased Operations

When an airline has to terminate all of its flights and stop running as a business. This is usually due to
the airline going bust after financial troubles, but can also be for other reasons, such as being banned by
aviation authorities.

Checked Baggage

Also known as hold baggage, is baggage that goes in the hold of an aircraft throughout the duration of a
flight, so is not able to be accessed during the flight.

Check-in

The process of confirming your presence on a flight. Online check-in is much more common now and is
recommended by us due to saving money and time, however, most airlines will still offer checking in at
the airport with airline staff.

Classes

The section of the cabin that you sit in. Each have different features and prices, with first and business
class often offering comfier seats and more legroom in exchange for a higher price. Although names may
differ between airlines, there are typically 3 types of classes on a plane; first class, business class and
economy class.

Codeshare Flight

A codeshare flight is a flight which is operated by another airline than the one you purchased with,
whilst sharing the same flight number. For example, you buy a flight on airline X's website, which is
operated by airline Y. The flight will be on airline Y's plane, and you will usually check-in with airline Y.
These are different to Interline flights, despite often being confused for each other.

Combi Aircraft

A combi aircraft is a specific type of aircraft that can carry passengers and cargo, either at the same time
or separately.
Commuter Flight

A commuter flight is a particular type of short-haul flight that people use to commute from home to
work.

Connecting Flight

A connecting flight is a flight itinerary which takes at least one stop between the original destination and
final destination. For example, it could go from New York -> Istanbul -> Mauritius rather than a non-stop
flight which would go from New York direct to Mauritius. Each flight would have a different flight
numbers or it would be classed as a direct flight. For more information on connecting flights, please visit
our connecting flights page.

Currency

The type of money that a country uses to trade in. At Alternative Airlines, we accept bookings of flights
in 7over 160 different currencies to suit you.

Deadhead

A pilot or flight attendant who is deadheading onboard a flight is one who is traveling to a destination to
be repositioned as part of an on-duty assignment. "This is not the same as commuting to work or
engaging in personal travel," he clarified.

Departure Area

Also simply known as departures, is an area within an airport which is designated to outbound flights
and leaving passengers.

Deplane

is to Get off the plane.

Direct Flight
A direct flight is a flight between two places that doesn’t change flight numbers. This means that it could
have an intermediate stop so isn’t non-stop as you may think, but doesn’t require any change of aircraft
for the passenger.

Domestic Flight

Or internal flight, is a flight which takes off and lands within the same country. For example when flying
in the USA from New York to Miami.

Duty-free

Retail outlets found in the international zone of airports that are exempt from national taxes and duties,
known as duty-free shops.

ETA

Estimated Time of Arrival is the time that an airplane is expected to arrive at its destination.

Excess Baggage

Luggage which has been checked-in but is bigger or heavier than the airlines baggage allowance. Paying
for excess baggage is often very costly, so be sure to check the airline allowances before travelling and
checking that you comply.

Fare Families

Fare families are the different categories of travel options that are included within the price of your
ticket when you purchase a flight.
Flexible Flights

Flexible flights are flights that allow a passenger to change the date and time of the flight before
departure, per the airline's rules.

Flight

The act of flying from one destination to another. See Domestic Flights and International Flights to see
different types.

Flight Attendant

Or cabin crew, are members of staff who ensure the safety of passengers whilst often providing a service
for them.

Flight deck

That place in the front of the plane with all the buttons and dials.

Gates

The area where passengers wait in the airport before boarding the plane.

Hangar

A hangar is a large garage where airplanes are stored, maintained and repaired when not in use.

Hold Baggage

See checked baggage above.

Hybrid Airline
A hybrid airline is an airline that operates with a low-cost model but provides a service that is more
similar to a full-service carrier.

IATA

Stands for the International Air Transport Association, which is a trading association which sets
standards worldwide for safety, sustainability, security and efficiency. At Alternative Airlines, we are an
IATA accredited agent.

Inbound

An inbound flight is a flight which is coming in to the airport, or coming in to a destination.

Indirect Flights

Indirect flights - A indirect flight is a flight which goes via at least one other destination between origin
and final destination. The traveller will often have to leave the plane at this middle destination.

Intercontinental Flights

An intercontinental flight is a flight that flies from one continent to another.

Interline

Interlining is where travellers use multiple different airline companies to reach their final destination.
Sometimes there is a formal agreement between different airline carriers to streamline a connection,
such as baggage transfer or joint ticketing. However, it can also be due to the traveller booking
separately, and so they are responsible for their own luggage and connections.

International Flight

A flight in which the country that a plane takes off from is different to the country in which it lands in.
For example, when flying from Atlanta, Georgia (USA) to Sao Paulo (Brazil).
J

Jumpseat,

The uncomfortable fold-down chairs located at the cockpit and near aircraft doors.

Jumpseater

An off-duty crew member hitching a ride when there is no passenger seat available. This makes you sort
of homeless and generally standing around the bathrooms in flight.

Landing

Is the final part of a flight journey, where it returns to ground level on the runway.

Layover

Similar to a stopover, where there is a break between connecting flights, but lasts less than 24 hours. For
more information on short layovers, please visit our guide to short layovers.

LCC

A low-cost carrier (LCC), or low cost airline is a airline which is run at lower and discounted rates and
fares. They aim to provide a standard seated ticket, with extras such as baggage at extra fees. An
example of a LCC in the USA is Southwest Airlines.

Long Haul Flight

Refers to a flights of a certain length. Some airlines define a long haul flight by time, typically ranging
from 6-12 hours, with other airlines who categorise by journey distance length, for example Air France
who define long haul as intercontinental flights.

Low Season
Also known as off-peak season, is the less populated time to visit a destination. Often months where
children are at school, or weather is worse. It is often cheaper to book flights in this off-peak season.
Check out the low season months for many destinations here.

Medium Haul Flight

A medium-haul flight is a direct or non-stop flight that last between 3–6 hours.

Multi-city

Multi-city, multi-hop or multi-leg flights are where travellers break up their journey by stopping off at
different destinations along the way. Visit our page on multi-city itineraries to see how to book one with
Alternative Airlines.

Narrow body aircraft

A narrow body aircraft is a type of plane that is narrow in width.

Name change

A name change is the process of changing the name on your flight ticket.

No-fly zones

No-fly zones are areas of the world where airlines are not allowed to fly over.

No show

A no show is when a passenger, usually purposely, doesn't show up for their flight.

Non-Rev
Not to be confused with deadheading, a non-rev (non-revenue) passenger is an airline employee or their
certified friends and family flying on a deeply discounted airline ticket. These flights are generally on a
standby basis and for personal travel needs, non-work-related. Non-rev tickets generate no income for
the airline and are subject to availability.

Legacy Carrier

Non-stop Flight

A non-stop flight is a direct flight which has no stops en route between start and end destination. They
are different from direct flights which is where a flight number doesn’t change from start to end, but
may have a stop in the middle.

Non-transferable

A type of ticket which is only intended for one particular passenger. It can not be transferred to another
person.

Online Check-in

The process of confirming your attendance on a flight which is done online by the traveller. This can be
done by most airlines, and is beneficial as in-person check-in often incurs charges by some airlines.

Open Jaw Flights

Open Jaw flights are separate flights that go from an original destination to a second destination, with
the second flight going from a third destination to the original first destination. It is then up to you to
decide how you travel from the second destination to the third destination. Read our page on open jaw
flights to see how you can book them with Alternative Airlines.

Outbound

An outbound flight is a flight which is leaving or departing the airport or destination.

Overhead Bins

The area of the plane cabin located over the seats for storing luggage.

Personal item

A small piece of baggage that passengers can bring onto their flight with them, usually alongside their
carry-on baggage. This baggage is typically a laptop bag, purse or small backpack.

Here's the difference between a personal item and carry-on baggage.

Pilot

The person in charge of flying a plane. They sit in the cockpit of the front of a plane, often with a co-
pilot.

Record Locator/PNR

Nope, a record locator isn’t a hipster looking for some vinyl at the nearby Goodwill. It’s the
alphanumeric codes that are six characters long, created when an airline reservation is made. Often
used in conjunction with a PNR (Passenger Name Record), these two terms are what the airlines use to
store travelers’ itineraries, names, and flight information into their reservation databases. The codes
often look like this: XT4D32, and are displayed on confirmation emails and usually on your boarding
pass.

Revenge Travel

Revenge travel is a term coined to describe the high demand for travel after the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic disrupted a lot of travel plans for a lot of people. For a lot of people, the best way to get
revenge is to get back to what they love doing — traveling.

Red-eye Flight
A type of flight categorised by the time that it flies. They usually take off late in the evening, after 9pm,
and land early in the morning, typically before 6am. The term ‘red-eye’ comes from the concept that it
people can’t always sleep on planes, and these fly when people usually sleep, resulting in red and tired
eyes. Read more about what red-eye flights are and how to buy them with alternative airlines here.

Runway

Part of the airport which is designated to planes take-off and landing activities, characterised by it's long
strip of concrete.

Short-haul Flight

Is based on the distance of a flight length. American Airlines class short-haul flights as anything less than
3,000km, whereas Air Berlin base this on categories of locations, defining short-haul as anything from
Germany to the rest of Europe or Northern Africa.

Stopover

This is the break between two connected flights which usually lasts more than 24 hours. It is usually
planned to break up a long, tiresome journey. Read this blog to find out how to plan the perfect
stopover.

Stow

Means securing you baggage in either the overhead bins or under your seat securely during flight,
especially during takeoff and landing.

Surface Sector

Is the same as open-jaw flights. Refers to having a section of travelling on the surface as opposed to the
air, by any means chosen. For example, they may fly from Brasilia to Mumbai, then travel on the surface
of the earth to Kathmandu, and then fly back to Brasilia.

T
Take-off

The part of the flight at the beginning of its journey. The plane goes from stationary to airbourne after a
high-speed period on the runway.

Tarmac Delays

A tarmac delay is a delay in a flight after the passengers have boarded the aircraft. This is usually
because the plane cannot take-off on schedule or after the plane has landed but the passengers are not
allowed to disembark the aircraft.

Terminal

An airport terminal is a building where passengers arrive to get on and off aircraft amongst other things
such as checking in, dropping off or picking up luggage, and go through security. In some larger airports,
there are more than one terminal so be sure to check on your booking reference or check-in details to
know which terminal you have to go to, however, there is often transport provided between terminals.
For example, JFK in New York have 8 terminals, each designated to a particular airline or group or
airlines.

Tower

The location in the airport in which the ATC staff overlook and observe the runway and hangars to
control airplanes.

Transatlantic Flights

A flight which travels from one side of the transatlantic ocean to another. For more information on what
they are and how to book one with Alternative Airlines, read on here.

Transcontinental flight

A transcontinental flight is a flight that flies from one side of a continent to another.

Transferable Airline Ticket

A transferable airline ticket is a type of airline ticket that can be transferred to and used by another
person if the person's whose name was originally on the ticket can no longer take the flight.

Unaccompanied Minor

An unaccompanied minor is a child who is not escorted by an adult. Generally, children under 12 can not
travel unaccompanied, and each airline has different rules regarding minors travelling alone, with some
even providing escort services at a fee. It is important to check the individual airline’s policy regarding
unaccompanied minors, as some airlines raise the age to 14 or different and some airlines will charge a
considerable amount more than others for an escort service.

Ultra Low-Cost Carrier

An ultra low-cost carrier is an airline that operates with a low-cost business model.

Wide Body Aircraft

A wide body aircraft is a type of aircraft that can carry a large amount of passengers due to the width
the plane.

Copyright © Altimeter 2023. All Rights Reserved

Dashboard

Tomasalexandra03@gmail.com

Profile

Log Out
NAVIGATION

10

148

c-overview

This Content

AMGT 314 | A/L Business Org. and Management | 1-2 PM | MWF(c_67958)

JOHN MARVIN LUMAUAG

INSTRUCTOR

CONTENT

ASSIGNMENTS

QUIZZES

MORE

TOPICS

Airline and Airport Terminology 101 (PRELIMS)

Airline Jargon and Lingo (PRELIMS)

September 2, 2023 11:22 PM

Airline Jargon and Lingo (PRELIMS)

Airline Jargon and Lingo

AOG: Aircraft On Ground. The A/C is broken and won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.
APD: Air Passenger Duty, the tax of at least £13 payable by anyone aged two or above on a flight from a
UK airport. From April 2019, the long-haul rate for passengers in anything other than economy class
rises from £156 to £172; for economy travellers it remains at £78.

Arrival time: according to the EU, the time at which the flight reaches the gate and at least one of the
doors is open. This is the definition used for the purposes of claiming compensation.

Bumping: denying boarding to passengers with confirmed reservations who turn up on time for the
flight on which they are booked. This typically happens when an airline has sold more seats for a flight
than there are on the aircraft, on the basis that some passengers will almost certainly fail to turn up. In
many locations, including the European Union and the US, passengers are entitled to compensation for
overbooking.

Carrier Imposed Charge: nothing to do with governments or airports, but a fee that British Airways,
Virgin Atlantic and other airlines apply to try to make extra cash. Its origins lie with the sharply rising
cost of fuel in the early years of the 21st century. Airlines imposed fuel surcharges as a way of saying,
basically: “We’ve put our fares up but it’s not our fault.”

However, there was a second, more significant effect: anyone redeeming frequent flyer points had to
pay the surcharge, which devalued their points and increased airline earnings. Even when fuel prices
subsided, carriers kept these surcharges in place. Unlike other taxes, there is generally no right to a
refund if you do not travel.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): the UK regulator for air travel.

Cabotage: the right a foreign airline has to fly passengers domestically, eg easyJet between Paris and
Nice, Ryanair between Rome and Catania.

Canx: cancelled, usually referring to a flight

Chapter 11: also known, disparagingly, as the “carwash”. A form of bankruptcy previously popular
among US airlines which provides a company with protection against creditors while at the same time
allowing it to continue to trade. Airlines renegotiate with workers and suppliers to reduce the cost base.

Classes: the first and most obvious meaning is the division of an aircraft into different cabins. While
many low-cost airlines are one-class only, on many BA long-haul flights there are four passenger classes:
World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business class) and
First. The generally accepted letters to describe these are Y, W, J and F. Less obviously, individual cabins
are divided into classes for the purposes of selling. For example, “economy light” on Virgin Atlantic is
classed as T.

Codesharing: an arrangement that allows airlines to apply their own two-letter IATA code (eg AF for Air
France, BA for British Airways, VS for Virgin Atlantic) to another airline’s flight. In reality it is the aircraft
that is shared, not the code. As an extreme example which goes into double figures, the morning KLM
flight from Paris CDG to Amsterdam is shared with Jet Airways, Air France, Czech Airlines, Delta, Gol
(Brazil), Garuda Indonesia, Kuwait Airlines, Xiamen Airlines (China), China Eastern and Vietnam Airlines.

This enables airlines to boast of a wider route network, and offer more flight possibilities, than they
could otherwise do.

BA says codesharing “provides a simple, convenient and transparent service that increases customer
choice”.

Damp lease: one of three forms of leasing to cover operations, usually longer term than ad-hoc charters.
With a damp lease, you rent the plane and the pilots, and supply your own cabin crew. A wet lease
means the cabin crew comes too; it its also known as ACMI, short for “aircraft, crew, maintenance and
insurance”. Dry leasing means you simply rent the plane (like car hire) and supply your own personnel.

Direct flight: you travel in the same plane to your destination but do not necessarily go non-stop. Air
New Zealand’s daily departure from Heathrow to Auckland is direct, but not non-stop (it refuels in Los
Angeles). The same applies to British Airways to Sydney (via Singapore) and EVA Air to Taipei (via
Bangkok).
Etops: Extended Twin-engine Operations over water, the concession that allows a plane with two
engines to take a route that is more than an hour’s flying time (with only one engine working) from a
suitable diversion airport. This allows aircraft to fly straighter, quicker and cheaper courses. The longest
Etops allowance is 370 minutes (six hours, 10 minutes), approved for the Airbus A350. The only part of
the planet from which suitably equipped aircraft are excluded is a small patch of Antactica.

EU261 (or, more correctly, EC261): the European air passengers’ rights rules which specify obligations
for airlines in the event of cancellations, overbooking and long delays. The regulations apply to all flights
from EU airports, and flights from airports outside Europe which are operated by EU carriers.

The rules are split into a duty of care which is obligatory regardless of the cause, and cash compensation
of between €250 and €600 when the airline has caused the problem.

Extraordinary circumstances: the only excuse for not paying compensation – typically bad weather, air-
traffic control restrictions or security issues.

Fifth-freedom: the right, under the 1944 Chicago Convention on international air travel, for an airline to
fly between two points, neither of which is in its home country. Examples: Ryanair (of Ireland) flying
from Manchester to Naples, easyJet Europe (of Austria) connecting Amsterdam and Barcelona and Wizz
Air (of Hungary) linking Luton and Tel Aviv. All airlines from EU member states enjoy automatic fifth-
freedom rights within the Union.

FIM: flight interruption manifest, originally a paper voucher issued by an airline after it has cancelled a
flight for a replacement departure on a different airline. Even though paper tickets disappeared around
a decade ago, the term has remained in use to indicate a passenger being switched to another carrier.

FOP: form of payment. Credit card provides the maximum protection; cash the least.

GDS: global distribution system, of which Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport are by far the market leaders.
They provide the interface between individual airlines’ reservations systems and travel agents. Besides
flights, they also handle car rental and accommodation.
Grandfather rights: at slot-constrained airports, of which Heathrow and Gatwick are the most extreme
examples worldwide, the entitlement to continue to fly a route – or to sell the slots.

HAG: have a go. A term used by check-in staff for a passenger who arrives after the check-in deadline
but is permitted to try to get to the gate in time to catch the plane. Very rare these days.

Hotac: hotel accommodation.

IATA: International Air Transport Association, the airlines’ trade association. Headquartered in Montreal.

ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organisation, the UN body that regulates global aviation (and strays
into areas such as the dimensions and flexibility of passports). Also headquartered in Montreal.

IRROPS: “irregular operations,” such as problems caused by WX (poor weather) or an AOG (aircraft on
ground).

LAGs: liquids, aerosols and gels, which cannot be carried in cabin baggage in quantities above 100ml.
Term may include foods such as cheese.

Legacy airline: a traditional carrier, such as British Airways, Lufthansa or Qantas, which pre-dates the
“no-frills revolution”. They generally have the benefit of a long-established route network, and the slots
involved, but the disadvantage of employment arrangements negotiated when airlines were able to get
away with charging absurd fares and running inefficient operations.

Load factor: the proportion of seats on an aircraft filled by fare-paying passengers. If 162 out of 180
seats on an Airbus A320 are occupied by people who have paid for the seats (as opposed to airline staff,
freeloading journalists etc), then the load factor is 90 per cent. While load factors were typically in the
70-75 per cent range a generation ago, today airlines strive for 90-95 per cent. But these figures
generally include no-shows.
Locator: the code of six letters and numbers (sometimes seven) that identifies your booking in an
airline’s reservations computer. Also called a PNR (passenger name record). In an era when paper tickets
are thankfully history, keeping a record of the PNR can be very useful. And if you don’t have a PNR for an
online booking, there’s a chance the purchase hasn’t gone through.

MCT: minimum connecting time. An airline’s or airport’s stipulation of the least time you should leave
between your scheduled arrival and the departure of your connecting flight. At small airports,
particularly in Scandinavia, it can be as low as 10 minutes. Even at giant Frankfurt the maximum MCT is
45 minutes, whether you are flying internationally or domestically. But once multiple terminals get
involved, MCTs extend tiresomely. Between Heathrow Terminals 4 and 5, MCT is 1 hour 45 minutes;
some connections in Madrid’s absurdly strung-out airport are 2 hours 45 minutes.

If you don’t mind taking a risk, then you can arrange “self-connects” which undercut the MCT – for
example booking a flight from Milan Malpensa Terminal 2 which departs in less than the stipulated 90
minutes margin. But if it goes Tango Uniform because of a delay with the first flight, you lose. Not
recommended if you have checked baggage.

Network carrier: an airline such as Air France, British Airways or Lufthansa that operates a wide range of
flights from one or more hubs (Paris, Heathrow, Frankfurt) and offers connecting flights on this network.
Largely synonymous with legacy carriers.

NDC: New Distribution Capability, the standard developed by IATA to transform communication
between airlines and travel agents. The airline industry wants to offer more than simply a seat from A to
B, instead offering a more personalised product – possibly with personalised prices – and NDC is the
communications protocol that allows this.

No-show: if you fail to reach the check-in desk before the deadline stipulated by the airline, or are not at
the boarding gate in time, then you are classed as a no-show. On “legacy” airlines you will typically have
the rest of your itinerary cancelled without notice or compensation. On most no-frills fares you lose the
money paid for the flight. Theoretically you can apply for a refund for taxes and charges, but the process
is sometimes made so difficult that people rarely bother.

Open jaw: flying out to one airport and back from another. This is a possibility of which many passengers
seem unaware. For example on a trip around Australia, the worst solution is to book a return ticket to
Sydney, the furthest big city. Far better to, say, book outbound to Sydney and inbound from Perth – to
avoid doubling back. Any kind of fly-drive trip, eg San Francisco-Los Angeles, can benefit from an open-
jaw ticket, and on many routes there will not be an increase in the fare

Operational difficulties: meaningless excuse for whatever has gone wrong this time.

Oversold: overbooked, ie selling more seats for a flight than the number the plane actually holds.
Common practice in aviation, because of the large number of no-shows.

Pushback: the moment at which your aircraft begins to be pushed back from the stand by a tug, officially
the departure time of the flight. At some smaller airports, there may be no need to push back because
the aircraft continues the wide turn with which it arrived.

Quad S: an indication on your boarding pass with the abbreviation SSSS which means Secondary Security
Screening Selection – an extra layer of security at US airports. Passengers on secret watch lists, or who
booked very late for a flight, or paid cash, or whose travel history is of interest, may find themselves
experiencing extra pat-down searches or searching interviews at the departure gate.

Reprotect: transfer to another airline, usually in the event of IRROPS such as a mechanical failure or a
scheduling change. Carriers are often reluctant to do this, but the CAA is insisting they do in many cases.

Seat pitch: the distance between the front of one seat and the front of the next, usually measured in
inches. On British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights in economy it is generally 30-31 inches; on some
short-haul flights it can be less.

Self-loading cargo: pejorative term for passengers (sometimes also SLF, for “self-loading freight”).

Short-shipped: luggage not shipped at all (ie left behind at the departure airport)
Slot: permission to land and take off from an airport at a specific time. May be used to describe a long-
term concept (eg Qantas has slots at Heathrow to operate daily flights to and from Melbourne and
Sydney) or an on-the-day restriction. The captain of a Jet2 flight from Manchester to Malaga may say,
“We have a slot to be airborne at 9.47, so we’ll wait at the gate a little longer.”

Standby: in the latter part of the 20th century, this was the optimum way to find cheap long-haul flights.
Airlines sold empty seats shortly before departure for way below the normal prices – eg £100 one-way
from London to New York in the days when that sort of fare was unknown – though even once onboard,
it was possible to be tapped on the shoulder just before take off and asked to surrender your seat to a
full-fare paying executive.

Nowadays, “standby” refers only to prospective passengers who are waitlisted for an apparently fully-
booked flight, and are hoping for no-shows.

Status: if you are waitlisted, your status will be shown as WL. If you are confirmed, it will say OK or HK.
But that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a seat, since the flight may be oversold.

Tango uniform: not in great shape, often used in the sense “it’s gone tango uniform” to describe a newly
bankrupt airline or, less seriously, a missed connection.

Taxes: actual taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, plus a whole range of charges from to the per-passenger
handling fee charged by the airport.

UTC: Coordinated Universal Time, congruent with Greenwich Mean Time, by which all airlines’
operations are calibrated. Times on schedules are shown in local time throughout.

VAT: Value Added Tax. Not payable on air fares to, from or within the UK, though many environmental
campaigners say it should be, since air travel is not an essential.

White tails: aircraft that have been built without a specific customer. Also planes that show no owner on
the tail but which are hired in to cover aircraft shortfalls by airlines.
WX: weather; among pilots, used for routine forecasts; more widely, implying poor weather which has
disrupted operations.

ALEXANDRA JANE TOMAS

NAVIGATION

10

148

c-overview

This Content

AMGT 314 | A/L Business Org. and Management | 1-2 PM | MWF(c_67958)

JOHN MARVIN LUMAUAG

INSTRUCTOR

OVERVIEW

CONTENT

ASSIGNMENTS

QUIZZES

MORE

TOPICS

Airline and Airport Terminology 101 (PRELIMS)

Airline Jargon and Lingo (PRELIMS)

September 2, 2023 11:22 PM

Airline Jargon and Lingo (PRELIMS)

Airline Jargon and Lingo

AOG: Aircraft On Ground. The A/C is broken and won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.

APD: Air Passenger Duty, the tax of at least £13 payable by anyone aged two or above on a flight from a
UK airport. From April 2019, the long-haul rate for passengers in anything other than economy class
rises from £156 to £172; for economy travellers it remains at £78.

Arrival time: according to the EU, the time at which the flight reaches the gate and at least one of the
doors is open. This is the definition used for the purposes of claiming compensation.

Bumping: denying boarding to passengers with confirmed reservations who turn up on time for the
flight on which they are booked. This typically happens when an airline has sold more seats for a flight
than there are on the aircraft, on the basis that some passengers will almost certainly fail to turn up. In
many locations, including the European Union and the US, passengers are entitled to compensation for
overbooking.

Carrier Imposed Charge: nothing to do with governments or airports, but a fee that British Airways,
Virgin Atlantic and other airlines apply to try to make extra cash. Its origins lie with the sharply rising
cost of fuel in the early years of the 21st century. Airlines imposed fuel surcharges as a way of saying,
basically: “We’ve put our fares up but it’s not our fault.”

However, there was a second, more significant effect: anyone redeeming frequent flyer points had to
pay the surcharge, which devalued their points and increased airline earnings. Even when fuel prices
subsided, carriers kept these surcharges in place. Unlike other taxes, there is generally no right to a
refund if you do not travel.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): the UK regulator for air travel.

Cabotage: the right a foreign airline has to fly passengers domestically, eg easyJet between Paris and
Nice, Ryanair between Rome and Catania.

Canx: cancelled, usually referring to a flight

Chapter 11: also known, disparagingly, as the “carwash”. A form of bankruptcy previously popular
among US airlines which provides a company with protection against creditors while at the same time
allowing it to continue to trade. Airlines renegotiate with workers and suppliers to reduce the cost base.

Classes: the first and most obvious meaning is the division of an aircraft into different cabins. While
many low-cost airlines are one-class only, on many BA long-haul flights there are four passenger classes:
World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business class) and
First. The generally accepted letters to describe these are Y, W, J and F. Less obviously, individual cabins
are divided into classes for the purposes of selling. For example, “economy light” on Virgin Atlantic is
classed as T.

Codesharing: an arrangement that allows airlines to apply their own two-letter IATA code (eg AF for Air
France, BA for British Airways, VS for Virgin Atlantic) to another airline’s flight. In reality it is the aircraft
that is shared, not the code. As an extreme example which goes into double figures, the morning KLM
flight from Paris CDG to Amsterdam is shared with Jet Airways, Air France, Czech Airlines, Delta, Gol
(Brazil), Garuda Indonesia, Kuwait Airlines, Xiamen Airlines (China), China Eastern and Vietnam Airlines.

This enables airlines to boast of a wider route network, and offer more flight possibilities, than they
could otherwise do.

BA says codesharing “provides a simple, convenient and transparent service that increases customer
choice”.
Damp lease: one of three forms of leasing to cover operations, usually longer term than ad-hoc charters.
With a damp lease, you rent the plane and the pilots, and supply your own cabin crew. A wet lease
means the cabin crew comes too; it its also known as ACMI, short for “aircraft, crew, maintenance and
insurance”. Dry leasing means you simply rent the plane (like car hire) and supply your own personnel.

Direct flight: you travel in the same plane to your destination but do not necessarily go non-stop. Air
New Zealand’s daily departure from Heathrow to Auckland is direct, but not non-stop (it refuels in Los
Angeles). The same applies to British Airways to Sydney (via Singapore) and EVA Air to Taipei (via
Bangkok).

Etops: Extended Twin-engine Operations over water, the concession that allows a plane with two
engines to take a route that is more than an hour’s flying time (with only one engine working) from a
suitable diversion airport. This allows aircraft to fly straighter, quicker and cheaper courses. The longest
Etops allowance is 370 minutes (six hours, 10 minutes), approved for the Airbus A350. The only part of
the planet from which suitably equipped aircraft are excluded is a small patch of Antactica.

EU261 (or, more correctly, EC261): the European air passengers’ rights rules which specify obligations
for airlines in the event of cancellations, overbooking and long delays. The regulations apply to all flights
from EU airports, and flights from airports outside Europe which are operated by EU carriers.

The rules are split into a duty of care which is obligatory regardless of the cause, and cash compensation
of between €250 and €600 when the airline has caused the problem.

Extraordinary circumstances: the only excuse for not paying compensation – typically bad weather, air-
traffic control restrictions or security issues.

Fifth-freedom: the right, under the 1944 Chicago Convention on international air travel, for an airline to
fly between two points, neither of which is in its home country. Examples: Ryanair (of Ireland) flying
from Manchester to Naples, easyJet Europe (of Austria) connecting Amsterdam and Barcelona and Wizz
Air (of Hungary) linking Luton and Tel Aviv. All airlines from EU member states enjoy automatic fifth-
freedom rights within the Union.
FIM: flight interruption manifest, originally a paper voucher issued by an airline after it has cancelled a
flight for a replacement departure on a different airline. Even though paper tickets disappeared around
a decade ago, the term has remained in use to indicate a passenger being switched to another carrier.

FOP: form of payment. Credit card provides the maximum protection; cash the least.

GDS: global distribution system, of which Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport are by far the market leaders.
They provide the interface between individual airlines’ reservations systems and travel agents. Besides
flights, they also handle car rental and accommodation.

Grandfather rights: at slot-constrained airports, of which Heathrow and Gatwick are the most extreme
examples worldwide, the entitlement to continue to fly a route – or to sell the slots.

HAG: have a go. A term used by check-in staff for a passenger who arrives after the check-in deadline
but is permitted to try to get to the gate in time to catch the plane. Very rare these days.

Hotac: hotel accommodation.

IATA: International Air Transport Association, the airlines’ trade association. Headquartered in Montreal.

ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organisation, the UN body that regulates global aviation (and strays
into areas such as the dimensions and flexibility of passports). Also headquartered in Montreal.

IRROPS: “irregular operations,” such as problems caused by WX (poor weather) or an AOG (aircraft on
ground).

LAGs: liquids, aerosols and gels, which cannot be carried in cabin baggage in quantities above 100ml.
Term may include foods such as cheese.
Legacy airline: a traditional carrier, such as British Airways, Lufthansa or Qantas, which pre-dates the
“no-frills revolution”. They generally have the benefit of a long-established route network, and the slots
involved, but the disadvantage of employment arrangements negotiated when airlines were able to get
away with charging absurd fares and running inefficient operations.

Load factor: the proportion of seats on an aircraft filled by fare-paying passengers. If 162 out of 180
seats on an Airbus A320 are occupied by people who have paid for the seats (as opposed to airline staff,
freeloading journalists etc), then the load factor is 90 per cent. While load factors were typically in the
70-75 per cent range a generation ago, today airlines strive for 90-95 per cent. But these figures
generally include no-shows.

Locator: the code of six letters and numbers (sometimes seven) that identifies your booking in an
airline’s reservations computer. Also called a PNR (passenger name record). In an era when paper tickets
are thankfully history, keeping a record of the PNR can be very useful. And if you don’t have a PNR for an
online booking, there’s a chance the purchase hasn’t gone through.

MCT: minimum connecting time. An airline’s or airport’s stipulation of the least time you should leave
between your scheduled arrival and the departure of your connecting flight. At small airports,
particularly in Scandinavia, it can be as low as 10 minutes. Even at giant Frankfurt the maximum MCT is
45 minutes, whether you are flying internationally or domestically. But once multiple terminals get
involved, MCTs extend tiresomely. Between Heathrow Terminals 4 and 5, MCT is 1 hour 45 minutes;
some connections in Madrid’s absurdly strung-out airport are 2 hours 45 minutes.

If you don’t mind taking a risk, then you can arrange “self-connects” which undercut the MCT – for
example booking a flight from Milan Malpensa Terminal 2 which departs in less than the stipulated 90
minutes margin. But if it goes Tango Uniform because of a delay with the first flight, you lose. Not
recommended if you have checked baggage.

Network carrier: an airline such as Air France, British Airways or Lufthansa that operates a wide range of
flights from one or more hubs (Paris, Heathrow, Frankfurt) and offers connecting flights on this network.
Largely synonymous with legacy carriers.

NDC: New Distribution Capability, the standard developed by IATA to transform communication
between airlines and travel agents. The airline industry wants to offer more than simply a seat from A to
B, instead offering a more personalised product – possibly with personalised prices – and NDC is the
communications protocol that allows this.

No-show: if you fail to reach the check-in desk before the deadline stipulated by the airline, or are not at
the boarding gate in time, then you are classed as a no-show. On “legacy” airlines you will typically have
the rest of your itinerary cancelled without notice or compensation. On most no-frills fares you lose the
money paid for the flight. Theoretically you can apply for a refund for taxes and charges, but the process
is sometimes made so difficult that people rarely bother.

Open jaw: flying out to one airport and back from another. This is a possibility of which many passengers
seem unaware. For example on a trip around Australia, the worst solution is to book a return ticket to
Sydney, the furthest big city. Far better to, say, book outbound to Sydney and inbound from Perth – to
avoid doubling back. Any kind of fly-drive trip, eg San Francisco-Los Angeles, can benefit from an open-
jaw ticket, and on many routes there will not be an increase in the fare

Operational difficulties: meaningless excuse for whatever has gone wrong this time.

Oversold: overbooked, ie selling more seats for a flight than the number the plane actually holds.
Common practice in aviation, because of the large number of no-shows.

Pushback: the moment at which your aircraft begins to be pushed back from the stand by a tug, officially
the departure time of the flight. At some smaller airports, there may be no need to push back because
the aircraft continues the wide turn with which it arrived.

Quad S: an indication on your boarding pass with the abbreviation SSSS which means Secondary Security
Screening Selection – an extra layer of security at US airports. Passengers on secret watch lists, or who
booked very late for a flight, or paid cash, or whose travel history is of interest, may find themselves
experiencing extra pat-down searches or searching interviews at the departure gate.

Reprotect: transfer to another airline, usually in the event of IRROPS such as a mechanical failure or a
scheduling change. Carriers are often reluctant to do this, but the CAA is insisting they do in many cases.
Seat pitch: the distance between the front of one seat and the front of the next, usually measured in
inches. On British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights in economy it is generally 30-31 inches; on some
short-haul flights it can be less.

Self-loading cargo: pejorative term for passengers (sometimes also SLF, for “self-loading freight”).

Short-shipped: luggage not shipped at all (ie left behind at the departure airport)

Slot: permission to land and take off from an airport at a specific time. May be used to describe a long-
term concept (eg Qantas has slots at Heathrow to operate daily flights to and from Melbourne and
Sydney) or an on-the-day restriction. The captain of a Jet2 flight from Manchester to Malaga may say,
“We have a slot to be airborne at 9.47, so we’ll wait at the gate a little longer.”

Standby: in the latter part of the 20th century, this was the optimum way to find cheap long-haul flights.
Airlines sold empty seats shortly before departure for way below the normal prices – eg £100 one-way
from London to New York in the days when that sort of fare was unknown – though even once onboard,
it was possible to be tapped on the shoulder just before take off and asked to surrender your seat to a
full-fare paying executive.

Nowadays, “standby” refers only to prospective passengers who are waitlisted for an apparently fully-
booked flight, and are hoping for no-shows.

Status: if you are waitlisted, your status will be shown as WL. If you are confirmed, it will say OK or HK.
But that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a seat, since the flight may be oversold.

Tango uniform: not in great shape, often used in the sense “it’s gone tango uniform” to describe a newly
bankrupt airline or, less seriously, a missed connection.

Taxes: actual taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, plus a whole range of charges from to the per-passenger
handling fee charged by the airport.
UTC: Coordinated Universal Time, congruent with Greenwich Mean Time, by which all airlines’
operations are calibrated. Times on schedules are shown in local time throughout.

VAT: Value Added Tax. Not payable on air fares to, from or within the UK, though many environmental
campaigners say it should be, since air travel is not an essential.

White tails: aircraft that have been built without a specific customer. Also planes that show no owner on
the tail but which are hired in to cover aircraft shortfalls by airlines.

WX: weather; among pilots, used for routine forecasts; more widely, implying poor weather which has
disrupted operations.

Copyright © Altimeter 2023. All Rights Reserved