Airline Vocabulary

This page lists English words and phrases used in the international airline industry. Each word is shown with its contextual meaning and an example sentence.

After reviewing this vocabulary, you may like to try our airline vocabulary quiz.

word part of speech	meaning	example sentence
airfare noun	cost of a plane ticket	The cost of your meal is covered in your airfare.
aisle noun	the long empty space that you walk down	Please keep your bags out of the aisle so that nobody trips.
aisle seat noun	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 verb	help	Please wait until everyone is off the plane so that we can assist you.
baggage noun	the bags and suitcases that travellers put their belongings in	I'm afraid your baggage got on the wrong airplane.
baggage, luggage claim noun	place where you pick up your baggage after arrival	The announcement will direct you to the correct baggage claim.
blanket noun	warm covering	If you feel cold I can get you a blanket.
boarding pass noun	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 adj	up and down movement of the aircraft	It might be a bumpy ride because we are flying through a storm.
cabin noun	interior of the aircraft	There is no smoking allowed inside the cabin.
call light noun	a button passengers can press to get a crew member's attention	If you need anything, just press the call light.
captain noun	the person who is in charge of the plane	Would the kids like to go and meet the captain?
charter noun	discount airline	If you take a charter it will cost you half as much.
cockpit noun	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 adjective	feel good physically, able to relax	Because you have long legs you might be more comfortable in an aisle seat.
complimentary adjective	free of charge	We offer complimentary coffee or tea, but you have to pay for alcohol.
co-pilot noun	person who helps the captain fly the plane	If the captain gets sick the co-pilot can take over.
domestic adjective	within the same country	You should be at the airport two hours ahead of time for domestic flights.
emergency exit noun	section of the plane that opens in the case of an accident	Are you comfortable sitting next to the emergency exit?
e-ticket noun	airfare purchased on the internet	You will need to present your identification along with your e-ticket.
excess baggage noun	heavier/more bags than you are allowed	You can either pay for your excess baggage or leave one of your bags behind.
first-class noun/adj	more expensive seating, with better services	When you sit in first-class you get a better meal to eat.
gate noun	place where passengers go to wait to board a plane	Gate 3B is down this hall and to your right.

headset, earphones noun	device that allows passengers to listen to music or a movie	We will be coming around to sell headsets for five dollars.
international adj	worldwide	For international departures, go up one level.
jet lag noun	tiredness due to travelling through different time zones	I'm used to travelling now. My body doesn't suffer from jet lag anymore.
land verb	returning to the ground after being in the air	We will be landing in Tokyo in approximately ten minutes.
life vest, life jacket noun	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 noun	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 adj	more passengers than available seats	The flight is overbooked. Four of our passengers will have to wait for the next flight.
overhead bin/compartment noun	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.
oversized baggage adj	items that do not fit in suitcases	Infant car seats and sporting equipment can be picked up at the oversized baggage counter.
oxygen mask noun	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 noun	document that proves a person's identification and nationality	Please have your passport out when you go through security.
pilot noun	the person who drives the plane	The pilot is circling over the airport until it is safe to land.
refreshments noun	drinks and snacks	It's a short flight, so we will be serving refreshments but not a meal.
row noun	a number of seats beside each other	You are in seat B of row nine.
runway noun	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 noun	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 noun	man or woman who provides service for passengers during a flight	Ask one of the stewardesses for a pillow if you're tired.
stopover noun	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 noun/verb	when the plane leaves the ground	We are next in line to take off on this runway.
taxi in, out verb	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 verb, noun	when the aircraft wheels land on the ground	That was a very smooth touch down.
turbulence noun	rough flight	This turbulence should only last a few minutes.
wheelchair noun	a seat for pushing elderly, disabled, or injured people	A steward will take you to the gate with a wheelchair.
window seat noun	seat next to the window where passengers can look out	If your child wants a window seat I can move you back a row.