Hello and welcome to the “Travel
English Course”! Today we’re going to go through the airport step by
step, learning important vocabulary and useful phrases along the way. Let’s
imagine you’re flying from New York City to Los Angeles.
At the check-in desk
Agent: Good afternoon! Where are you flying
to today?
You: Los Angeles.
Agent: May I have your passport, please?
You: Here you go.
Agent: Are you checking any bags?
You: Just this one.
Agent: OK, please place your bag on the scale.
You: I have a stopover in Chicago – do I need
to pick up my luggage there?
Agent: No, it’ll go straight through to Los
Angeles. Here are your boarding passes – your flight leaves from gate 15A and
it’ll begin boarding at 3:20. Your seat number is 26E.
You: Thanks.
Common phrases and vocabulary words:
- Instead
of “Where are you flying today?” the agent may
ask “What’s your final destination?” The answer will be
the same!
- You
can say “Here you go” when you give something to
somebody, as in this example when you give the passport to the agent.
- Check
your bags means
to put them on the airplane inside the cargo compartment. The small bag
you take with you on the airplane is called a carry-on. You
need to put your carry-on bags through the X-ray machine at security.
- The scale is
the equipment that tells you the weight of your luggage (for example, 45
kilograms)
- A stopover or layover is
when the airplane stops in a different city before continuing to the final
destination
- If
the agent says that your luggage will go straight through, it
means it will go directly to the final destination (and you don’t need to
pick it up during your stopover)
- Boarding
passes are
the tickets that permit you to enter the airplane
- When
a plane begins boarding, it means that the passengers start to
enter the plane. Usually boarding time is 30-60 minutes before takeoff
(when the plane leaves)
Extra Tips and Suggestions:
- If
you don’t know where the check-in desk is, you can ask an airport
employee, “Excuse me, where is the Delta check-in desk?” or, “Excuse
me, where is the American Airlines check-in desk?”
- If
your bag is heavier than the weight limits, or if your bag is larger than
the size limits, you may need to pay an oversized baggage
fee or overweight baggage fee (this can be $75
to $300). Some airlines in the United States also charge a fee
for ALL checked bags (usually $15 to $30).
- If
you have fragile or sensitive items in your bag that might break, you can
ask the agent, “Please mark this bag as ‘fragile.’”
- If
you want to ask if the flight will leave at the correct time, you can
say, “Is the flight on time?” The agent will respond
either “Yes” if the flight is on the correct schedule, or “There’s a
20-minute delay” (for example) if the flight will leave later than
expected.
Extra
security questions
- Agent: Did you pack your bags
yourself?
You: Yes. - Agent: Are you carrying any
firearms or flammable materials?
You: No. - Agent: Has your luggage been in
your possession at all times?
You: Yes.
*Be careful here – some agents ask if your luggage has been “in your possession at all times” and others ask if your luggage has been “outside your supervision (or possession) at any time.” The answer to the first question is YES and the answer to the second question would be NO. - Agent: Has anyone given you
anything to carry on the flight?
You: No. - Agent: Are you aware of the
regulations regarding liquids in your carry-on, which must 3.4 ounces or
less and placed inside a single quart-sized transparent plastic bag?
You: Yes.
* If you want to take any liquids on a flight in the United States, they must be 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less and you must put them all in a clear (transparent) plastic bag. Each passenger can take only one bag on the plane. If you have bigger bottles of liquid (like shampoo, wine, etc) you need to put them into your checked bag.
Going
through security
There are two pieces of equipment in security:
you put your bags through the X-ray machine, and you walk
through the metal detector. The X-ray machine has
a conveyor belt that moves your bags automatically through the
machine. You can put small items like keys or money into
plastic bins.
Agent: Please lay your bags flat on the conveyor
belt, and use the bins for small objects.
You: Do I need to take my laptop out of the
bag?
Agent: Yes, you do. Take off your hat and your
shoes, too.
(you walk through the metal detector)
[BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP]
Agent: Please step back. Do you have anything in
your pockets – keys, cell phone, loose change?
You: I don’t think so. Let me try taking off
my belt.
Agent: Okay, come on through.
(you go through the metal detector again)
Agent: You’re all set! Have a nice flight.
The phrase “you’re all set” is a common
expression that means “you’re finished and everything is OK.”
At the
gate
Airports
are divided into terminals (the major sections of the airport)
and each terminal has many gates. The gate is
the door you go through to enter the airplane. Here are a few announcements you
might hear while you are at the gate, waiting for the plane to board.
“Attention passengers of United Airlines
flight 880. There has been a gate change. United Airlines flight 880 will now
be leaving from gate 12.”
(Travel Tip: Know your flight number in English, so that you can pay attention to the announcement and know if you need to go to a different gate.)
(Travel Tip: Know your flight number in English, so that you can pay attention to the announcement and know if you need to go to a different gate.)
“United Airlines flight 880 to Miami is now
boarding.”
(this means it’s time for passengers to enter the plane)
(this means it’s time for passengers to enter the plane)
“We would like to invite our first- and
business-class passengers, Star Club Premium members, and passengers requiring
special assistance to board at gate 12.”
(this means that passengers who are “special” (first class, business class, or in the Star Club) or passengers who are elderly (old), disabled, pregnant, or with small children can go into the airplane first.)
(this means that passengers who are “special” (first class, business class, or in the Star Club) or passengers who are elderly (old), disabled, pregnant, or with small children can go into the airplane first.)
“We would now like to invite all passengers
seated in Zone 2 – that’s rows 16-35 – to begin boarding United Airlines flight
880 at gate 12.”
(look at your boarding pass to know your “zone number” and what “row” your seat number is)
(look at your boarding pass to know your “zone number” and what “row” your seat number is)
“We would now like to invite all passengers to
board United Airlines flight 880 to Miami at gate 12.”
(this means everyone can enter the plane)
(this means everyone can enter the plane)
“This is
the last call for United Airlines flight 880 to Miami, now boarding
at gate number 12.”
(this means it is the FINAL OPPORTUNITY to enter the plane before they close the doors)
(this means it is the FINAL OPPORTUNITY to enter the plane before they close the doors)
“Passenger John Smith. Passenger John Smith,
please proceed to the United Airlines desk at gate 12.”
(sometimes the announcement will call a specific passenger by name. The word “proceed” in this context is a formal way to say “go.”)
(sometimes the announcement will call a specific passenger by name. The word “proceed” in this context is a formal way to say “go.”)
On
the plane
The people who work inside the
airplane serving food and drinks are called flight attendants. Both
men and women who have this job are called flight attendants. Here’s
a conversation you might have on the plane:
Flight attendant: Chicken or pasta?
You: Sorry?
Flight attendant: Would you like chicken or pasta?
You: I’ll have the chicken.
Flight attendant: Anything to drink?
You: What kind of soda do you have?
Flight attendant: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Orange, and Dr.
Pepper.
You: A Diet Coke, no ice, please.
Flight attendant: Here you go.
You: Thanks.
Conversation Tips:
- If you didn’t understand what
the flight attendant said, you can say Sorry? or Pardon? to
ask him or her to repeat it.
- If you want to ask for
something, you can use the phrase “Can I have…” For
example:
Can I
have a blanket?
Can I have a pair of headphones?
(or: Can I have a headset?)
Can I
have some water?
Can I
have some extra napkins?
Can I
have a decaf coffee?*
* There are two types of coffee – regular
coffee, which has caffeine. This is the type of coffee that helps keep
you awake. There is also Decaf coffee - this is short for
“decaffeinated coffee” – and this type has no caffeine. It’s good to drink
decaf coffee if you like the taste of coffee, but you want to go to sleep soon.
- Finally,
if you need to stand up, but there is a person sitting between you and the
aisle, you can say Excuse me and make a motion to start
standing up. The person sitting next to you will understand and stand up
to let you get out of your seat.
