| |
2 letter codes (Two letter codes)
To simplify communication in the airline world, IATA (International Air Traffic Association) has designated all scheduled airlines with two letter codes. These are used in reservations, tickets, timetables and fare tables. Don't confuse them with the tw
ABC
Advance Booking Charter
A charter that requires a minimum advance booking period.
ABP
Able Bodied Passenger.
May be selected to sit near the emergency exit on an aircraft.
Accompanied/Unaccompanied Baggage.
Accompanied baggage is carried in the same vehicle as the passenger (and may be checked or unchecked). Unaccompanied baggage is carried separately as cargo.
ACFT/EQT
Aircraft Type
Ad Hoc Schedule
A variation, addition or cancellation from the basic schedule of one or more flights on single dates.
Administrating Carrier
The airline which controls the operation of a flight.
Air Passenger Duty
Charge payable on tickets for flights departing from the UK.
Air Passes
Designed for travelers who want to make many domestic flights in one country (ie USA). The flights all need to be on the same airline and have to be bought outside of the country in which they will be used. The passes are made up of a minimum number of
Aircraft Configuration
Planned utilisation layout of aircraft interior space.
Aircraft
A transport vehicle which is certified as airworthy by a competent aeronautical authority.
As used herein, the definition may include surface vehicles, the bookings and traffic handling for which are dealt with in a similar manner to that used for aircraft.
AIRIMP
Reservations Interline Message Proceedures - Passenger (ATC/IATA)
Airline Code
A two letter code indicating an airline, air company or air carrier - see 2 letter codes.
All-Cargo Aircraft
A version of an aircraft type which carries cargo and mail only.
Alliance
A term for airlines that have grouped together - formed an alliance - to give them a stronger identity and larger market share.
examples are StarAlliance, Oneworld and Skyteam.
Alliances
Where two or more airlines collaborate in for example offering loyalty rewards.
examples are StarAlliance, Oneworld and Skyteam.
AOC
Air Operators Certificate.
ARCS
Airline Routing and Connections Service
ARINC
Aeronautical Radio Incorporated
Arrival Times
All timetables give the time that the flight will arrive in local time.
ARS
Airline Reservation System
ASK
Available seat kilometres. A transport measure calculated as the product of the number of aircraft seats available for sale and the kilometres flown.
ASM
Ad hoc Schedules Message
(IATA)
ATA
Air Transport Association of America
Available Seat Miles
A transport measure calculated as the product of the number of aircraft seats available for sale and the miles flown.
BAA
British Airports Authority
Baggage Allowance
The free luggage allowance an airline will carry for each traveller.
Travellers are able to take more luggage by paying an Excess Baggage Charge. Depending on the route the allowance will either be by piece (numbers of bags or cases) or by weight.
Baggage Hold
The part of the plane where the baggage is stored. The traveller's luggage is handed over at the Check In desk at the departure airport.
Basing Point
A location to and from which air fares are established.
Block Spacing
An allocation by one airline to another of a number of seats on some of its flights, which the airline sells to the travelling public through its own marketing and distribution system.
Budget Airlines
Also known as 'No Frills' or Low Cost' Airlines. They operate schedules (regular timetables) in the same way as the larger airlines, but with lower fares.
They fly on shorthaul routes and sometimes in and out of less popular airports.
Bulkhead
A Rigid partition
CAA
Civil Aviation Authority
Cabin
Inside area of the aircraft. Usually there are separate cabins for First Class travellers, Business Class travellers and one or more cabins for Economy Class travellers.
Capacity Limitation Agreement
An agreement between carriers, commonly airlines, stipulating the maximum capacity to be offered by each carrier on a particular route.
Cargo
Any goods carried on an aircraft
Carrier
Another term for the airline or company that operates flights from one airport to another.
The term is used in many legal documents.
CAT
Clear Air Turbulence. The disturbanc caused to an aircraft when flying through inclement weather or air pockets
Certificate of Airworthiness
Document issued by a national civil aviation authority to certify that an aircraft satisfies its safety and other criteria.
Certificate of Seaworthiness
Document issued by a national maritime authority to certify that a ship satisfies its safety and other criteria.
Charter Airlines
An aircraft which has been hired by one or more operators, usually for the package holiday market.
Most seats are sold only as return flights for 7 or 14 night stays. The flights sometimes depart and arrive at inconvenient times and passengers are unable to change their bookings. Seats are normally sold with accommodation.
Circle Pacific Fare
A special fare offered by some Pacific carriers which allows passengers to fly to Pacific Rim destinations (Australia, Asia, North and South America) usually including four stopovers.
Additional stopovers available at an extra cost, one condition is that the passenger must travel in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.
City Pair
The origin and destination cities of an aircraft flight.
Class Override
Class which overrides that from a previous board point
Class
Segregation of passengers according to the fare paid or facilities and services offered.
Code Share
Term used when two airlines share a flight operation.
There are two flight numbers, but only one aircraft.
COM
Comment
Commercial Duplicate Flight
A flight where the operating airline allows seats/space to be sold by one or more than one airline and all participants to such an agreement sell their seats/space on that flight under their own flight designator.
Compartment
A space designated within the aircraft for the carriage of passengers or deadload.
Configuration
See Aircraft Configuration
Conjunction Tickets
A set of two or more airline tickets to cover a single itinerary.
The tickets are stapled together and issued at the same time, which constitutes a single contract of carriage.
Connections/Connecting Services
Indicates that on a particular route, the traveller will have to change planes and flight numbers - make a transfer connection - at an airport enroute.
Also known as Transfer.
Container
See Unit Load Device
CRS
Computer Reservation System
Daily
Every day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.
Data Element
A data element is a sequence of alpha-numeric characters which, depending on their specific context and position, has a unique meaning, eg Flight Designator, Days of Operation
Data
A representation of facts, concepts or instructions in a formalised manner suitable for communication, interpretation or processing by human beings or by automatic means.
Deadhead
Aircraft or another vehicle travelling without passengers or cargo, or airline or another carrier's employee travelling free.
DEI
Data Element Identifier
Denied Boarding Compensation
Payment by an airline to a passenger with a confirmed reservation for a specific flight not honoured by the airline.
Commonly given as a result of overbooking
Departure Times
All timetables give the time that the plane will depart in local time.
DES/DESI/DESIG
An Airline Designator code
Destination
The travellers final arrival city.
A journey or itinerary can have many destinations but each flight sector has only one.
Direct Flight
Where the plane goes diretly from the departure city to the arrival city and the traveller does not need to change planes.
Sometimes a direct flight makes an intermediary stop where the plane lands at an airport enroute, but if the passenger doesn't have to change flights, its still known as a direct flight.
Domestic Airline
An airline operating services entirely within one country
Domestic Flight Leg
A flight between two stations to which the same ISO country code applies.
Domestic
A flight that takes off from one airport and lands at another airport in the same country.
ie New York to Los Angeles is a domestic flight as both airports are in the USA.
Dry Lease
Refers to the leasing of an aircraft only
Dupe/Duplicate Leg
A single, non-operational leg of a flight that, for commercial/technical reasons is displayed under more than one flight number by the operating carrier, or is displayed by a different Airline Designator/Flight Number by an airline other than the operatin
Economy Cabin
For travellers with Economy Class tickets.
On an aircraft, there may be two or more Economy Class cabins.
EJT or EFT
Elapsed journey time or elapsed flying time.
Elapsed (Journey) Time
is the term used to explain 'real flying time' or 'actual journey time'. Because the flight timetables use local times for departure and arrivals, it is not easy to see how long each flight will actually take. OAG Travel Planner shows you the actual len
Empty Leg
An empty flight between two consecutive scheduled stops
Eg, occurs when a charter flight takes passengers in one direction but returns empty rather than waiting for a return load.
Excess Baggage Charge
An extra charge made by the airline if the travellers baggage exceeds the free allowance.
FAA
Federal Aviation Authority
FFP
Frequent Flyer Programme
Where airlines offer rewards to regular travellers with the airline and its partners.
Flag Carrier
A carrier designated by a government to operate international services.
Flight Numbers
Letters and numbers unique to each flight.
Flight numbers always begin with two letters which indicate the airline. Example, flight number MS865 is the flight number that Egyptair (MS) uses for their flight from Bangkok, Thailand to Cairo, Egypt.
FLT/Flight
The operation of one or more legs with the same Flight Designator
Frequent Flyers
Travellers who belong to airline Frequent Flyer Programmes.
Frequent Flyers
A range of rewards and incentives that encourage business travellers or regular travellers to use the same airline for all their requirements. The more frequently a traveller flies with the selected airline, the better will be the rewards or benefits.
Funnel Flight
A flight composed of two or more member flights which is identified by the Airline Designator and Flight Number of one of the members. Only one Airline Designator/Flight Number is operational on any one leg but a leg may have multiple, non operational Fl
Also known as Complexing, Starburst, W or Y flights.
GDS
Global Distribution Systems.
Hypothetical Fare Construction Points
Airline term to describe points (ie airport) included in an itinerary in order to construct a lower fare.
Also known as fictitius construction points.
IATA
International Air Transport Association, body which regulates many of the world's scheduled airlines.
ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organisation
Identifier
A character or group of characters used to identify or name an item of data and possibly to indicate certain properties of that data.
Indirect Route Principle
Airline term used to describe the general rule allowing passengers paying full fares on IATA airlines to deviate from the direct route between any two points without extra payment, as long as the maximum permitted mileage for the route listed in the tarif
Infant
A child normally under the age of two.
Intermediate Stop
When the plane lands at airports between the departure city and the arrival city.
The traveller does not usually have to change planes.
International Flight
Describes a flight which takes off from one country and then lands in another.
The term is used to separate International Flights and Domestic Flights. Amsterdam, Netherlands to Athens, Greece is an example of an international flight.
Jetlag
Temporary state of feeling in ill health following a long journey across several timezones.
The traveller has difficulty adjusting to the timezone of their destination and may feel sick, lethargic and have difficulty concentrating.
Joint Operational Flight
A flight on more than one airline operates one or more of its legs.
K
When shown as 23k is the weight allowance shown on a ticket.
Example, 23k is a maximum free baggage allowance of 23 kilos.
Landing Card
A document which must be completed by a passenger prior to arrival in order to gain entry to the country.
Layover Scheduled
interruption of a journey, usually overnight, either at the passengers request or necessary because of a lack of a connecting service.
Leased or Blocked Space Flight
A flight where the operating airline leases (or blocks) some seats/space to one or more other airlines and all participants to such an agreement sell their seats/space on that flight under their own designator (s).
Leg Room
Term used to indicate how much space there is between an aircraft seat and the one in front. The technical term is 'pitch'.
Leg
A leg is another word for 'sector', ie each section of a journey or trip.
Example, a traveller could be told that the London to Paris leg of their trip would be either by air or by Eurostar train.
Links (OAG Links)
OAG propriety schedule update remote access system
Long Haul
A flight of more than 4 hours.
On long haul flights the amount of space and comfort a traveller enjoys has a real effect on their feeling of wellbeing on arrival at their destination.
Lounge
Airport Lounge/Executive Lounge/VIP Lounge
A part of the airport where travellers can spend time between check in and boarding the plane. Many airlines provide special lounges exclusively for Business and First Class passengers.
Loyalty Programmes
Reward programmes that encourage business travellers to use the same airline or hotel chain for all their travel arrangements.
These programmes are also known as 'Frequent Flyer' or 'Frequent Lodger' programmes but each has a unique name.
Mail
All types of material communications carried on one aircraft, eg, General Post Office Mail, diplomatic mail, military mail and company (airline) mail
MCD
Multiple Carrier Designator
MCT
Minimum Connecting Time
Indicates whether there is enough time for a traveller to change planes - make a transfer connection - at any airport.
Movement
The arrival or departure of an aircraft Non-Operational (commercial leg).
See Operational Leg
Multi Sector
On a journey that includes one or more transit stops, each part of that journey is known as a sector.
No Frills Airlines
Also known as 'Low Cost' or 'Budget' airlines.
No Show
Term used for a traveller who does not check in for the flight that they have a reservation for and has not cancelled the reservation.
Non Stop Flights
Flights which fly from one airport to another without landing at any airport in between.
As these flights are faster than those that make intermediate stops, they are preferred by business travellers.
Off Point
Station of disembarkation
Onboard
Inside the plane.
Operation
The act of a transport vehicle travelling from point to point
Operational Leg
A flight leg which is physically operated and identified by its Airline Designator and Flight Number
Originating Flight
A flight designated by a Flight Designator, commencing at the station in question
Outbound/Outward
The first part of an itinerary or journey from the point of origin.
Overbooking
Some airlines sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane. If every traveller tries to check in, some will be asked to travel on another flight in exchange for financial compensation.
PAX
Passengers
Piece System
One of the ways that airlines describe baggage allowances, the other term used is Weight System.
The letters PC are shown on the ticket ie 2PC, indicating that the traveller can check in two cases or bags. These is a maximum size for these 'pieces'.
Pitch
The distance between a plane seat and the seat in front. The higher the figure, the more leg space the traveller will have.
PNR
Passenger Name Record
A unique code used by airlines to recognise a booking
Preclearance
Provision of customs and immigration proceedures in a foreign country of departure to ease the demand for such facilities in the country of arrival.
Such arrangements exist for example between the USA and Caribbean.
PTA
Pre-paid Ticket Advice.
Notification by an agent or carrier that a person has paid for another person's transportation, usually from a place other than the one in which the fare was paid, thereby authorising the issue of an airline ticket by the recipient.
Recline
The measurement of how far a plane seat will push back.
Some airlines measure the recline by inches, others by degrees. The higher the figure, the further the seat back can recline.
Red Eye
A phrase referring to lack of sleep, usually when the traveller lands at the arrival airport early in the morning following an overnight flight.
RES/RESTN
Restriction
Re-validation Sticker
An amendment attached to the flight coupon of an airline ticket showing a change such as change of flight made to the original reservation.
Rewards
The benefits that a business traveller gets for frequently using the same airline or hotel chain as part of a 'Frequent Fkyer' or Frequent Lodger' program.
Rewards include free flights, discounts on holidays, gift certificates, tickets to leisure parts, hotel accommodation and more.
Rotation
The operation of consecutive legs in operational sequence between the station or origin and the station of destination of any flight
Routing
A list of consecutive legs in operational sequence between the station of origin and the station of destination of any flight
RSD
Release for Sale Date
SAD
Shared Airline Designator
Scheduled Airline/Flights
A scheduled airline operates on advertised routes, this may be several times a day and/or several days a week. The routes are fixed and each route is linked to a flight number.
SCR
A multi-volume set of documents which describe the protocols, standards and implementation issues related to inter-system communications for the airline and aeronautical communities.
Seat Plans
Diagrams of the inside of an aircraft showing seat locations etc.
Sector
On a journey that includes one or more transit stops, each part of that journey is known as a sector.
Short Haul
A flight of less than 4 hours.
SISC
Schedules Information Standards Committee
(IATA)
SKD/SKED/SKEDS
Schedule
SLOT
The scheduled time of arrival or departure available or allocated to an aircraft movement on a specific date at an airport.
SPC
Scheduling Proceedures Committee (IATA)
|
Email a Friend