A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

Direct
Travelers often confuse direct flights with nonstop flights but there is a big difference. A direct flight means your plane will stop somewhere enroute to your final destination. These stops can last anywhere from 1/2 hour to two hours. Depending on your specific flight you may be able to deplane, stretch your legs in the airport and then re-board the same aircraft. In other cases you may simply wait in your seats while other passengers come on board.

Connection
This means you stop enroute and actually have to change planes to a connecting flight. You may or may not be flying the same airline on the second leg of your trip. Connecting flights usually occur at “hub” or major airports. Murphy's Law: your connecting flight will be boarding at some gate at the opposite end of a busy airport. When scheduling connecting flights, it is suggested you leave 1 1/2 to 2 hours to make connections. This is especially true when traveling with children. Missing your connecting flight can lead to all sorts of hassles. Often if there is an earlier flight to your destination, the airlines will let you standby if there are seats available.

Code-share
Recently many of the major airlines have “joined forces” or created alliances to improve service and increase profits. Code-sharing means any two or more airlines (usually airlines who belong to an alliance) can sell tickets for the same flight. At the gate you may notice the same flight is listed with two different airline names on the board. Your ticket from New York to Paris may say Delta. The guy sitting next to you on the plane may be holding an Air France ticket. The weird thing is that prices may differ for the exact same flight and class of service. Also some people fly certain carriers according to their safety records or frequent flyer programs. With code-shares, usually one partner owns the plane and the other “operates” the flight. This becomes an important issue if you run into any problems. One airline can pass responsibility back and forth. Be aware and ask questions.

E-tickets
Also called electronic tickets, are now common place thanks to the Internet. Almost all major carriers offer e-tickets within the United States. You can also get e-tickets on some international routes although custom and immigration rules make this a bit tricky. When buying e-tickets online, your confirmation page is your “ticket”. To check-in for your flight at the airport, you simply need your confirmation number and a photo ID. That's it! Simple! No tickets to lose. In the early days, there were problems when flights were cancelled or missed. Gate agents needed paper tickets to make any changes. This made travelers leery but these hassles have since been eliminated. As a bonus, e-ticket passengers can usually avoid long check-in lines at the airport and instead can opt for self service kiosk check-in. It's far more convenient.

Interlining
This means you have a connecting flight with two different airlines. You leave home on one airline, connect somewhere enroute and take a completely different airline for the remainder of your trip. Although they work together, each airline operates separately under their own rules and regulations. Sometimes you can check your baggage straight through, but often you will have to retrieve your luggage at the connection airport and recheck it onto your next carrier.

Operator
Usually the operator is the airline that runs the flight and issues your ticket. This may become blurred with code-shares and interlining agreement. It's best to know who is the operator of your flight in case your run into any problems. The operator is ultimately responsible.

Layover
A layover is a very LONG connection. The airlines like to say two hours or more qualifies as layover. If you miss a connecting flight, you may experience a layover until the next available flight.

Hubs
Every major airline has its own hub or headquarter airport. Thanks to short hops and connecting flights, using a central hub makes scheduling more efficient and boosts profits for the airlines. A list of major carriers and there hubs are:

Airlines
 Hub Airports

American

Chicago, Dallas, Miami

American West

Las Vegas, Phoenix

Continental

Cleveland, Houston, Newark(NJ)

Delta

Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas

Northwest

Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St.Paul

TWA

New York(JFK), St. Louis

United

Chicago, Denver

US Airways

Charlotte, Pittsburgh

Full Fare
This fare is called known as unrestricted fare. It give you a great deal of freedom but it is also the most costly. Things like last minute fares (less than 7 days ahead) or flights that don't including a Saturday night stayover are a couple of reasons why leisure travelers might run into these expensive fares.

Restricted Fares
Also known as discounted or consolidator fares. It means you give up certain freedoms for a lower price ticket. The restrictions vary with each ticket...some may require that you book in advance, have a Saturday night stay or restrict the length of your stay. Make sure you read all the fine print and know what you are buying. If you can live with the required restrictions, you've just found yourself a bargain.

Restrictions
Most discount airfares come with certain rules or restrictions. Low cost or independent airlines usually offer lower prices without many of these restrictions. It is best to shop and compare. Read the fine print and understand what it is you are buying. The most common restrictions are:Non-refundable-This means if you want to change or cancel your flight, you will NOT get your money back. This is usually standard on many discount tickets. Often the tickets are “exchangeable” which means for a fee, you can change your ticket. The problem is often times the fees to exchange a ticket are almost the same as the price of the ticket itself so in theory, you've lost the price of the ticket. READ THE FINE PRINT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE BUYING.

Advance-Purchase Requirement- for the best savings on Domestic US flights, you must purchase your tickets 14-21 days in advance. Most International flights require 30 day advance purchase.

Midweek departures- Usually the lowest price tickets depart on Monday or Tuesday

Saturday Night Stay-This is pretty much a standard restriction on most discounted tickets.

Excursion
The cheapest, published fare offered by a Domestic, US airline. Also known as Super-saver or Max saver fares

Apex
The cheapest, published fare for an International flight. You might also see it listed as a Super Apex fare.

Class
Class is the different level of service offered on particular flights. Obviously class determines price. Coach class is the cheapest. You sacrifice amenities for a lower price. First class offers luxury and a high price tag. It is seldom worth the price on short hops but worth every penny on long hauls or international flights. Your flight might also offer business class which falls somewhere in between. Often frequent flyer club members can get upgraded to business class when available.

Round-trip
Just like it says. Your ticket allows you to fly from your departure city to your arrival city and then visa-versa. Your flight may or may not be non stop or direct. Most discounts require a round-trip purchase as part of their restrictions.

One-Way
This is the most expensive ticket to purchase. Your best bet is to try some of the low-cost or independent airlines. As silly as it sounds, it might be more economical to purchase a round-trip ticket and simply throw out your return ticket.

Multi-leg

Multi-leg tickets mean you will be flying to multiple cities. You may even experience connecting flights, stopovers and layovers as part of your itinerary. If you are making complicated travel plans like these, we recommend that you use a Travel Agent.

A

add-on fare
Amount added to a gateway fare to arrive at a through fare. Sometimes called a promotional fare.
air courier
A person who accompanies time-sensitive cargo being shipped as passenger's baggage, usually in exchange for a deep discount on the air fare
air taxi
An aircraft with a limited seating capacity (19 or fewer), operating within a limited range (250 miles).
Air Travel Card
An airline-sponsored credit card, good for airline tickets only. Also known as the Universal Air Travel Plan Card.
airline designator
two- or three-digit alphanumeric code for an air carrier, administered by IATA.
airport access fee
The fee paid to an airport management by a car rental company for the privilege of operating its vans and buses on the airport grounds, usually passed onto the consumer.
airport codes
Three-letter codes used to uniquely identify all airports.
airport tax
A local tax imposed on air tickets and passed along to passengers, ostensibly used to fund airport maintenance, expansion, and similar expenditures.
all inclusive
One price covers all listed elements of the package.
alternative distribution system
Any system that bypasses travel agencies in selling travel arrangements. Usually used to refer to the distribution of tickets through personal computers and ETDNs.
American plan
A meal plan at a hotel or resort in which three meals a day are included in the price. Sometimes referred to as Full American Plan.
APEX
Advance purchase excursion fare.
Apollo
A computerized reservation system owned by United Airlines and Apollo.
ARC
Airlines Reporting Corporation
ARC list
A list prepared by a travel agency and submitted to ARC or IATAN of agency employees eligible for travel benefits. Also referred to as "the agent eligibility list".
ARNK
Arrival unknown. Used to indicate the land portion of an itinerary.
ARTA
Association of Retail Travel Agents.
ASTA
American Society of Travel Agents
ATB
Automated ticket/boarding pass. An electronically generated ticket which also includes the boarding pass.
ATO
Airline ticket office.
ATP
Airline Tariff Publishing Company
available seat miles
One seat, occupied or not, moved one mile. Used as a measure of airline capacity.
average daily rate (ADR)
Statistical unit used to measure a hotel's pricing scale. Figure derived by dividing actual daily revenue by the total number of rooms sold. Also see RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) which is the actual daily revenue by the total number of available rooms. RevPAR is often significantly lower than ADR, making this an important distinction.
Aviation Glossary, FAA
Extensive list of aviation terms and their definitions.

 

B

back to back ticketing
A strategy used to reduce the cost of a round trip involving no Saturday stay when the cost of two excursions is less than the cost of one unrestricted fare. For example, if a traveler wants to fly from New York to Denver on Monday and return Thursday, he would purchase two excursions, one from New York to Denver beginning on Monday and the other from Denver to New York departing on Thursday. The traveler then uses only the outbound portion of each excursion. The itinerary can be designed in such a way that the return portions of each excursion can be used on another trip. This is an illegal practice. Also called "nested excursions".
base fare
The fare, as of an airline ticket, before tax has been added. Commissions are calculated on the base fare.
bereavement fare
A lower airline fare offered to those traveling due to a death or illness in their immediate family.
boat is moored.
bill of fare
A menu.
black market
Illegal trade, commerce, or currency exchange which evades taxes, government oversight, or both.
blacked out, dates, period
Not available. Dates on which tickets or certain fares are not available. Blackout dates usually coincide with holidays and peak travel seasons.
booking
A reservation.
booking code
The code used to make a booking on a CRS for a specific fare. Also called a fare code.
booking fee
The charge levied by a CRS on a supplier for handling a reservation.
bucket shop
A consolidator. Any retail outlet dealing in discounted airfares.
bulletin board
A cyberspace to post messages and information.
bulk contract
An agreement whereby an airline sells large blocks of seats at a discount for resale by a third party.
bulk fare
A fare available only when buying blocks of seats.

C

capacity controlled
With limited space or seating at a specific price.
carry-on
A piece of luggage designed to be taken aboard an airplane and fit in the space allotted for such luggage.
CDT
Central Daylight Time
Certified Travel Counselor
One who has passed a series of rigorous tests of professional competency administered by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.
chat rooms
Discussion groups available on almost any topic. More common on on-line services, but a few are popping up on the Web as well.
change of equipment
A change of aircraft that occurs without a change in the flight number.
check-in time
1. In hotels, the earliest time at which a room will be available. 2. At airline terminals, the latest time at which a passenger may arrive for the flight without the risk of loosing their seat.
circle trip
Any trip that involves more than one destination, returning to the point of departure, as opposed to a "round trip".
circle trip minimum
The lowest allowable fare for a circle trip, which cannot be less than any round trip fare between any two cities on the itinerary.
city codes
Three-letter codes used to uniquely identify cities and/or their airports.
city pair
In airline bookings, the departure and arrival cities on an itinerary.
city terminal
see city ticket office.
city ticket office
An airline sales and ticketing office located anywhere other than an airport.
CNL
Cancel (CRS).
code sharing
An agreement whereby airlines permit the use of their CRS code in the flight schedule displays of other airlines.
co-host carrier
An airline that pays another to display its flights on a CRS.
COMM.
Commission.
commercial agency
A travel agency that specializes in corporate travel.
commercial airline
An airline that carriers passengers.
Commercial SabreŽ
Term used to distinguish the full version of the SabreŽ CRS from Eaasy SabreŽ a simplified version.
common carrier
Any company engaged in the transport of people or goods for profit.
common rated
Describing two identical fares to geographically close destinations.
comp. Slang
A free ticket or other complimentary extra.
computerized reservation system (CRS)
Any of several proprietary computer systems allowing real-time access to airline fares, schedules, and seating availability and offering the capability of booking reservations and generating tickets.
concentrated hub
An airport where a single airline controls most of the passenger capacity.
concourse
The section of an airport containing the gates.
conditional fare
A fare which guarantees passage on the next available flight if the flight for which the ticket was purchased is full.
conference center
A hotel-like property designed specifically for hosting conventions and meetings.
confirmation number
An alphanumeric code used to identify and document the confirmation of a booking.
connecting flight
A flight that requires a passenger to change from one plane to another.
connection
A stop on a journey that requires a change of planes or other mode of transportation.
consolidator
A company or individual who negotiates bulk contracts with an airline (or an other travel supplier) and sells space to the general public, usually at a discount.
continental breakfast
a breakfast of rolls, fruit and coffer or tea. Often provided complimentary by hotels and motels.
continental plan
A hotel rate that includes a continental breakfast.
contract of carriage
The small print on the passenger's coupon of an airline ticket detailing the legal relationship, rights, and liabilities of the passenger and the carrier.
corporate agency
1. A travel agency physically located on the premises of a corporation which it serves. 2. A travel agency that specializes in corporate clients.
corporate rate
1. A lower hotel rate negotiated by a specific corporation for use of its employees and guests. 2. A rate extended by a hotel to all business travelers.
corporate travel manager
A middle management position. Corporate travel managers are tasked with setting corporate travel policy and standardizing and overseeing all travel by corporate employees on company business.
coupon broker
Any person or company that buys and resells airline frequent flyer awards in contravention of airline regulations.
courier
Any person who accompanies cargo or hand-delivered documents.
CRN
Cash refund notice.
cross border ticketing
Writing a ticket in such a way that it appears that the travel commences in a different country than is actually the case. Used to take advantage of lower fare structures.
CRS. Abbreviation
Computerized reservation system.
CRT. Abbreviation
Cathode Ray Tube. The screen of a computer.
CST. Abbreviation
Central Standard Time
CTC. Abbreviation
Certified Travel Counselor
CTO
City ticket office.
CVB
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
cyberspace
All information in electronic areas. Un delivered e-mail is defined as being lost in cyberspace.

D

denied-boarding compensation
Payment given passengers who have been bumped from a flight, cruise, or land-tour. May be a free trip, money, or accommodations.
departure tax
Tax levied on travelers when they leave a country.
designator, designator code
A two- or three-digit alphanumeric code uniquely identifying airlines and airports throughout the world. Administered by IATA.
direct access
System or program that gives the user the capability of tapping directly into a vendor's computer system to get last minute information about seat or product availability.
direct billing
System in which a corporation's travel agency bills employees for their business travel. The employees must then submit an expense accounting and be reimbursed by the corporation.
direct flight
Any flight between two places that carries a single flight number. Unlike a nonstop, a direct flight will make one or more stops between two places. The passenger may have to change planes or even change airlines. This is a change in meaning. In the past, direct flights made stops but required no change of plane.
domain name
An identification of an Internet site. Commonly referred to as a "Web address". "casto.com" and "204.255.196.1" are two forms of a domain name.
domestic airline
An air carrier that provides service within its own country. Also called a domestic carrier.
double booking
The practice of booking and confirming two or more reservations when only one will be used.
double occupancy rate
The rate charged when two people will occupy a room, suite, apartment, etc. For example, a hotel might charge an individual $100 per night for a room (single occupancy) but charge two people only $130 for double occupancy of the same room.
downline
All segments, legs, or cities listed below the originating or headline city (on a schedule or CRS).
download
The transfer of data from one source (such as the internet) to another (such as your PC's hard drive).
dual designated carrier
Air carrier that uses another airline's code in flight schedule displays.

E

Eaasy SabreŽ
A simplified version of Sabre CRS
economy class
1. Coach class. 2. Y class
ECU
European currency unit. The some-day common currency of Europe.
EDT
Eastern daylight time.
elapsed flying time
Actual time an airplane spends in the air, as opposed to time spent taxiing to and from the gate and during stopovers.
electronic ticket delivery network (ETDN)
A network, national or regional, of ticket printing machines that are not operated by an ARC-accredited agency but instead by a company that sells its ticket distribution services. Also called "electronic ticket distribution network." An ETDN delivers flight and passenger coupons after an agent generates the ticket.
environs
The area around a place.
EST
Eastern standard time
Eurailpass
A special-fare train ticket that entitles the purchaser to unlimited train travel in many European countries for a number of days or weeks.
European plan
A hotel rate that includes no meals.
excess baggage
Luggage that exceeds the allowed limits for weight, size, or number of pieces. Carriers usually charge extra for excess baggage, and in some cases, may have to ship it later rather than with the passenger.
excursion fare
A special-price fare that comes with restrictions, such as advance purchase requirements and a minimum stay. Usually a round-trip fare.

F

fare basis
The specific fare for a ticket at a designated level of service; specified by one or more letters or by a combination of letters and numbers. Example: the letter "Y" designates coach service on an airplane. Although the same letters do not always designate the same class on different carriers, the following are generally the same: "F" - first class, "B" & "C" - Business class.
fare break point
The destination where a given fare ends. Example: The fare break point for a passenger flying from Washington DC to Kansas City via Cleveland is Kansas City.
fee-based pricing
A compensation plan in which a corporation pays its travel agency a portion of the commissions generated by the corporation's travel volume, according to a negotiated schedule.
feeder airline
An air carrier that services a local market and "feeds" traffic to the national and international carriers.
firewall
A separation between two networks. Commonly used to keep Web users from tapping into a company's internet computer system.
FIT
Foreign independent tour. Now generally used to indicate any independent travel, domestic or international, that does not involve a tour package.
fly-drive package
An offering that bundles airfare, car rental, and sometimes, land accommodations into a single package, offered for a fixed price.
fortnight
A period of two weeks.
full service agency location
A branch of an agency that provides customers both reservations and ticketing.
fully appointed agency
A travel agency that is accredited to sell airline, cruise and other travel services.

 

G

Galileo
A computerized reservation system.
gateway (Internet)
A translator from one protocol to another.
gateway city
1. A city that serves as a departure or arrival for international flights. 2. A city that serves as an airline's entry or departure point to or from a country.
global distribution system (GDS)
A computer reservations system (CRS), typically owned jointly by airlines in different countries, that includes reservation databases of suppliers in many countries.

 

H

hard dollar savings
Easily identifiable savings, such as free tickets, reduced rates, or revenue sharing.
head tax
A fee assessed by some cities and countries on every passenger who arrives or leaves.
HEDNA
Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association.
hidden-city, hidden-city ticketing
A stratagem used to get a lower airfare when the fare for a flight from A to c with a stop in B is cheaper than a fare directly from A to B. The passenger who wants to travel to B, buys a ticket from A to C and then gets off at B. Considered unethical by airlines and many travel agencies.
high season
The season of the year when travel to an area peaks and rates are at their highest.
higher intermediate point
When a city between the city of origin and the fare break point has a higher fare than the destination city, the higher fare must be used.
Home Page
The opening screen on a Web site.
html
Hyper Text Markup Language
http:
Hyper Text Transport Protocol

 

I

IAPA
International Air Passenger Association
IATA
International Air Transport Association
IATAN
International Airlines Travel Agency Network
IATAN card
Photo identification issued by IATAN. Widely accepted as the only identification for travel agents. Sometimes called, erroneously, "IATA card."
IATAN list
A list maintained by a travel agency listing those employees and independent contractors who qualify for travel benefits, as determined by IATAN.
ICTA
Institute of Certified Travel Agents.
inclusive tour
A tour package that bundles transportation and lodging along with services such as transfers, sightseeing, museum admissions, and so forth.
interline agreements
Contractual or formal agreements between airlines governing such matters as ticketing, baggage transfers, and so forth.
interline connection
A change of planes that also involves a change of airlines.
Intranet
A private network within an organization for internal use only.
ISP
Internet Service Provider; a company that provides telephone accessibility to the internet.
ITTA
Independent Travel technology Association.

 

J

Java
 
jet lag
A physiological condition caused by disorientation of a person's biological clock due to travel across several time zones. Characterized by irritability, lethargy, insomnia, and other symptoms.
joint fare
The fare charged for travel that utilizes more than one airline. This fare is agreed on by the airlines involved.

 

K

 

L

LAN
Local Area Network; a network dedicated to the same office or company.
leg
A single segment of an itinerary.
loss damage wavier (LDW)
Daily insurance that covers theft and vandalism of a rented car in addition to damage caused by accident.
low fare search
A continuous, computerized search for the lowest current available fares designed to lower the cost of trips already booked but not yet taken.
low season
The time of year when travel to a destination is at its lowest and prices decline.
lowest logical airfare
The lowest fare that is consistent with a corporation's travel policy.

 

M

management report
A report prepared by a travel agency for a corporate client detailing all travel activity and expenditures during the reporting period. Used to analyze patterns of travel usage.
MAP
Modified American plan.
market share
The volume of sales, expressed as a percentage, achieved by one company in a specific geographic area, compared to all sales of similar products or of similar companies.
market share override program
An enhanced commission system in which a supplier (typically an airline) will pay a travel agency an override only when the agency's percentage of sales of the supplier's market share in the travel agency's market. In other words, a travel agency's sales of an airline's tickets might have to reach 33% of the travel agency's total airline sales before the airline, with a market share of 30% in the agency's market, would pay the agency an override.
MARS
Multi-access reservation system.
MCO
Miscellaneous charge order.
meeting fare
Special fare negotiated with an airline for passengers traveling to attend a specific meeting or convention.
mega-agency
A very large travel agency with nationwide operations. There are currently about seven such agencies in the United States.
mid-office system
The management information (or MIS) portion of a travel agency's computer system, as distinct from the CRS (front office) and accounting functions (back office).
minimum connecting time
The legally defined minimum time necessary to change planes at a given airport.
MIS
Management information system.
miscellaneous charge order (MCO)
An ARC document used to process the payment of travel arrangements other than airfares.
modem
A device, which enables one computer to call another, needed to get on-line
modified American plan
A hotel rate that includes two meals daily, usually breakfast and dinner.
MPI
Meeting Planners International, formerly Meeting Planners International.
MT
Mountain Time
MST
Mountain Standard Time
multi-access system
A CRS that can directly access the computers of several airlines or other travel suppliers.

 

N

NBTA
National Business Travel Association
net amount
The amount due the supplier after commissions have been deducted.
net fare
The wholesale price that is marked up for sale to the customer.
network
Any set of computers that can communicate with each other.
newsgroup
A collection of people, messages, and postings on a private topic.
non-refundable
Of a ticket, no moneys will be returned should the trip be cancelled. The amount of the ticket, minus a service fee, may be applied to another trip in many cases.

 

Nonstop
The plane takes off in one city and lands at your destination. It makes no other stops between point A and point B.

NPTA
National Passenger Traffic Association.
NTSB
National Transportation Safety Board.
NUC
Neutral unit of construction.

 

O

O&D traffic
Origin and destination traffic. The passengers on a flight who are either boarding or deplaning at a particular stop, as distinct from those remaining on the plane to go to another destination.
OAG
Official Airline Guide.
offline airline, offline carrier
Any airline other than the one or ones that own and/or control a particular computerized reservations system.
offline connection
A change of planes that also involves a change of airlines.
OHG
Official Hotel Guide.
OK
Confirmed.
OMFG
Official Meeting Facilities Guide.
online connection
A change of planes that does not involve a change of airlines.
on-line service
A service that packages information and is a vehicle to the internet. This includes America Online.
open segment, open ticket
An airline ticket with no date specified.
open skies
Referring to an agreement between two countries allowing unrestricted air services between them.
open ticket
A valid ticket that does not specify flight numbers, dates, or times. The holder of the ticket makes arrangements at a later date.
ORG
Official recreation Guide.
OTD
Official Tour Directory.
out plant
Referring to a travel agency office on the premises of a corporate client at which reservations may be made. The actual ticketing is handled at another location.

 

P

passenger facility charge
A fee imposed by a facility owner, as an airport, on those using the facility; typically added to the cost of the ticket.
passenger mile
A statistical norm comprising one passenger traveling one mile. Passenger mileage is determined by multiplying the total number of miles flown (for airlines) by the total number of passengers carried.
passenger name record (PNR)
A file on a computerized reservations system containing all information relating to a specific booking. Also called ""personal name record."
PATA
Pacific Asia Travel Association
pax
Passenger. Passengers.
PDW
Personal damage waiver.
penalty fare
Fare subject to a deduction or other fee should the passenger change the itinerary or cancel.
point to point
1. Referring to fares between two cities. 2. Referring to service between two cities only, without any additional segments or continuation.
positive space
Seating or rooms that can actually be occupied, as opposed to space reserved on a standby or if-available basis.
prepaid ticket advice (PTA)
The form used when a person is buying a ticket that will be issued at the airport of the same or another city. Normally involves a $30 to $40 dollar service fee.
pre-trip auditing
Review of proposed travel itineraries, usually by a corporate travel manager, to spot potential savings or avoid excessive or unauthorized expenditures.
productivity based pricing
An incentive provided by a CRS vendor to encourage maximum use of its service and discourage the agency from using more than one CRS.
profile
A record of information about a travel agent's customer used for qualifying.
protocol
The format in which data transfer takes place.
Provincial Standard Time
Canadian term for Atlantic Standard Time.
pseudo city, pseudo city code
A CRS code used to identify a travel agency location.

 

Q

 

R

rack rate
The price a hotel charges for a room before any discount has been taken into account. The published rate for a room, sometimes set artificially high and used to calculate a variety of discounts.
rate desk
The office of an airline that calculates fares for travel agents and passengers.
rebate
To deduct or return a portion of moneys otherwise due, as a portion of a travel agent's commission.
reconfirm
To check again, as an airline reservation. Some reservations may be cancelled unless reconfirmed.
record locator
An alphanumeric string which servers as a unique identified of a booking or a PNR in a CRS.
red-eye
A late-night flight, usually of some length and usually offering a lower fare. An overnight flight that arrives at the destination early in the morning.
regional carrier
An airline that serves only one clearly defined area of the country.
rent a plateAn off premise travel agency operated by employees of the corporation at which it is located.
 
revalidation sticker
A self adhesive form placed over the coupon portion of an airline ticket and used to record a change in a carrier flight number, date, time, class, and so forth.
revenue passenger mile
A statistical unit in the airline industry; one fare paying passenger carried one mile.
revenue sharing
A term used to describe rebating to a corporation by a travel agency.
revenue per available room (RevPAR)
Statistical unit used to measure a hotel's pricing scale. The actual daily revenue by the total number of available rooms. See average daily rate (ADR) A figure derived by dividing actual daily revenue by the total number of rooms sold.
ROH
Run of house
room night
One hotel room occupied for one night; a statistical unit of occupancy.

S

satellite ticket printer
A branch of an ARC accredited agency that contains a ticket printer, either attended or unattended.
second-tier airport
Airports that are not located in major cities, which are not major hubs of any airline, and which traditionally enjoys only limited service.
sector bonus
An extra commission for certain airline segments, usually international, offered for limited periods of time.
segment
A discreet portion of a trip, typically, between two cities. A portion of a total market.
shortest operated mileage
Under the mileage system of computing fares, the shortest distance between two points on an itinerary, omitting any intermediate connections.
short-haul
Of airline routes, of limited length and duration, often to, from, or in between second-tier airports.
shoulder-season
An abbreviated season that falls between the high and low seasons and offers fares and rates between those of the other seasons.
single supplement
A charge added to a per-person occupancy rate that is based on an assumption of double occupancy, as on a cruise ship.
slot
A parking space for planes at an airport. A take off or landing time for a plane.
soft-dollar savings
Savings realized by not spending money.
split payment transaction
A transaction in which full payment is made in two parts, each by a different method. For example, by check and by credit card, or by two separate credit cards.
split ticketing
1. Creating two separate tickets for a single journey, usually to obtain a lower fare. 2. A ticket issuing procedure in which the flight coupon goes to one location, while the auditor's and agency coupons go to another, usually a host agency.
starboard
A nautical term for the right-hand direction or side of a ship.
statute mile
A mile (5,280 feet)
stern
The rear portion of a ship.
stopover
A planned overnight (or longer) stop on a ticketed journey.
STP
Satellite ticket printer.
STPN
Satellite ticket printer network.
superior room
In a hotel, a more desirable and more expensive room, perhaps with a better exposure, view, or other amen ties.
System OneŽ
A computerized reservation system.

 

T

tariff
A schedule of fares or prices.
tarmac
The paved area of an airport.
through fare
Fare to a foreign destination reached via a gateway city.
through passenger
Any passenger that is not disembarking at a particular stop.
through service
An airline flight which makes a stop but does not require a change of planes.
throwaway
An element of a travel product or package that is purchased but not used.
TOD
Ticket on departure.
travel advisory
A formal warning, issued by the united States Department of State, advising caution in traveling to specific countries due to political unrest, natural disaster, or other cause.
TravelshopperŽ
A simplified version of the Worldspan CRS.
trunk carrier
A major airline carrier, as evidenced by its extensive system of routes.

 

U

URL
Universal Resource Locator or Web site address.

 

V

value added tax (VAT)
A form of taxation in which taxes are added cumulatively as a product changes hands. A common tax in Europe, which, upon application, can often be refunded to foreign visitors after their visit.
value season
1. Shoulder season. 2. Low season. 3. Any period during which lower rates or fares are offered.

 

W

Worldspan
A computerized reservation system.

X

XO
Exchange order.

 

Y

yield management
The practice of adjusting prices up and down in response to demand in order to control yield. The process is usually computerized.

 

Z