Airport vocabulary in English: words and phrases for travel

Airport vocabulary is short and practical: a dozen words and a few ready phrases will get you from the check-in desk to the gate.

Airport words you will actually use

• a check-in deskwhere you drop off your bags and get your boarding pass
• a boarding passthe document you need to board the plane
• the gatewhere you wait for your flight; “at gate 12” means at boarding gate number 12
• a flighta trip by plane; the “flight number” is its code, e.g. flight 245
• luggageall your bags together; no plural and no “a” (not “a luggage”)
• a carry-on baga bag you take into the cabin (UK: hand luggage)
• a checked baga bag that goes into the hold, not into the cabin
• your passportthe document that proves who you are
• passport controlwhere an officer checks your passport before you enter the country
• the security checkwhere your bags are scanned before you reach the gates
• a window seata seat next to the window (an aisle seat is next to the aisle)
• baggage claimwhere you collect your bags after landing
• a delaya flight delay: the plane leaves later than planned

Four ready phrases for the check-in desk and the gate:

• I’d like a window seat, please.
• I’d like to check one bag, please.
• Where is the baggage claim?
• Is this the right gate for flight 245?

Luggage has no plural: say two bags or two pieces of luggage, not “two luggages”. Also, a handbag is a purse, not the bag you take on board — that’s hand luggage (UK) or a carry-on (US).

To talk about a trip that is already planned, use the Present Continuous: I’m flying to Warsaw tomorrow. The rules are in Present Continuous rules and examples; past forms for telling a story about a flight are in the irregular verbs table.

Check yourself

To use these words with confidence at the airport, not just recognise them, book a free trial lesson.