Language/English/Vocabulary/Airport

Essential Airport English Vocabulary Words

Summer’s just around the corner. School’s almost finished for the year and many workers will be going on vacation. Maybe you’re going back home to your home country. Or maybe you’ll be heading (going) abroad (to another country). There are many different ways of visiting another country. You can travel by car, coach, train or ferry, but the most popular and quickest way to travel is by plane. And when you travel by plane, you have to obviously go to the airport. And no matter where you are, English is used at every single airport. Any airport can be really stressful, even if it’s in your own country. So imagine having to speak another language while you’re there!

Whether you’re an ESL student or someone who uses English professionally, we hope this blog post can help you improve your English so that you can start your vacation on a high note!

Airline (N)

The airline or carrier you fly with is the name of the company that owns the airplane e.g. Singapore Airlines, British Airways.

• I need to book a flight to Berlin next week. Which airline do you suggest I fly with?
• The cheapest airline that flies to Germany is Lufthansa. It’s a German carrier.

Arrivals (N)

When your plane arrives at the airport, your family and friends will meet you at arrivals.

• Jane, I’ll meet you in the arrivals lounge. I’ll be holding a sign to tell you I’m looking for you.

Board (V)

To board (a plane) means to go onto it.

• All passengers on Belle Air flight 2216 must go to the gate. The plane will begin boarding in 10 minutes.
• Susan is in a hurry to board the plane.

Boarding pass (N)

After you have notified the airline you are at the airport and you’ve checked your luggage, you will be given a boarding pass that shows you where the plane will be boarding and it will also show your seat number.

• Sir, this is your boarding pass. You will be boarding at gate 22 at 6.35.
• Susan submits her boarding pass in order to board the plane.

Boarding time (N)

Your boarding time is the time that people will be allowed to start entering the plane.

• Boarding will begin in approximately 5 minutes. We ask all families with young children to move to the front of the line.

Book (a ticket) (V)

When you book a ticket it means that you have reserved your place and paid for it.

• Hi, how can I help you?
• I’d like to book a return ticket to Paris, please.

Business class (N)

Business class is the area where people who are traveling for business purposes sit. It’s towards the front of the plane and the tickets are more expensive than normal tickets.

• We’d like to invite all our passengers flying in business class to start boarding.

Carry on (luggage) (N)

Your carry on luggage is the small piece of hand luggage that you are allowed to take with you onto the plane. These bags usually have to be a certain size and weigh less than 8kg.

• I’m sorry, but your carry on is too heavy. You will have to check it.

Check in (V/N)

When you check in, you notify the airline you have arrived at the airport. They will take your suitcase and give you a boarding pass. The area where you do this action is also called check-in.

• How many passengers are checking in with you?
• It’s a large school group. We have 45 people in our party (group).

Conveyor belt/carousel/baggage claim (N)

When your plane arrives, your bags and suitcases come out on the moving conveyor belt. Another word that you might hear for this is a carousel or baggage claim.

• All passengers arriving from New York can pick up their luggage from carousel 4.

Customs (N)

Before you’re allowed to enter the country, you must go through customs where you will be met by a customs officer. Here they will check if you’re bringing anything illegal into the country such as firearms (guns), drugs or too much money and they will ask you if you “have anything to declare?” If you’re not carrying anything that is forbidden, you should answer “no.”

Delayed (Adj)

If your flight has been delayed, it means that it’s late. Maybe it has been delayed because of bad weather, too much air traffic, or technical problems.

• Ladies and gentlemen, this is an announcement that flight NZ245 has been delayed. Your new departure time is 2.25.

Departures (N)

When you are leaving to go on a trip, you will need to go to the departures lounge where you will wait to board your flight.

• All passengers flying to Istanbul are kindly requested to go to the departures lounge.

Economy class (N)

Most people who travel by plane travel in economy class because the price is much cheaper.

• I’d like to book an economy class ticket to Rome next Friday.
• Would you like to make it return or one-way?
• A return ticket. I’d like to come back the following Friday.
• Okay then, for one week?

First class (N)

First class is the most expensive area of the plane. There is a lot of space to move. The seats are bigger and the service is better.

• Next time I want to fly first class.
• Why? It’s so expensive!
• I’m just too tall. I have no leg room in economy.

Passport

A small book from your government that lets you travel abroad.

International flight

A flight that starts in one country and goes to another country. A trip that takes you to different country.

• The American went on an international flight to Tokyo.

Domestic flight

A flight that starts in one country and ends in the same country. A trip that stays within the same country.

• The man took a domestic flight from Los Angeles to New York.

Terminal

Different sections of the airport where flights leave from and arrive at. These are sometimes divided into international terminals (going outside the country) or domestic terminals (for flights staying in the country. Larger airports have a lot of terminals that are divided up by airlines.

• My flight flies out of Terminal 1. It is the terminal for international departures.