Airline Travel Lingo - Do You Feel The Industry Language Needs An Interpreter?

With airline travel increasing in record numbers, more people are experiencing the frustration of understanding the airline industry's language, and leaving them feeling that they need an interpreter for the travel information they're receiving from the airline industry!

It seems that air companies think that every individual that flies should have to understand all that travel Jargon they place on their flight reservations, and maybe its about time we figure out what theyre talking about, because its costing you money and valuable time!

Once you learn all the airlines' travel terms, you wont be dependent on your local travel agent anymore, and he/she wont be able to collect all the wonderful service fees from you for being your traveling interpreter.

The price of your travel flight is based on many intricate components that the airlines reservations department implement, not to purposely confuse you, but to formulate their airfares and determine what they need to charge each passenger for all flights taken.

Now if you already know most of these airlines flight terms, then thats ok. However, there are many people that are new to traveling, and are now beginning to use online air suppliers to capitalize on the great deals they offer. But when youre making that reservation, you want to understand why the flight you selected is so cheap, and what are the reasons for the low pricing.

Misunderstanding in Airline Terms can cost you more money!

Most of the airlines' service terms you will come across will play a big factor on whether you pay an expensive price for you ticket, or getting the discounted travel deals you're looking for in the first place. I will explain the most common industry terms that many people get confused about:

Nonstop versus Direct or Through Service: Dont get this one confused, because many airline companies dont explain this properly. Nonstop means exactly that, and most travelers want these flights, so they book-up quickly. You fly from your origin and land at your desired destination without any stops in between.

Direct or Through Service: This can get a little confusing to many individuals. Even though the aircraft is en route directly to your destination, it may be making some routine stops on the way, and all passengers must remain on the plane at that time. There are many times when you print your ticket that it will not list the cities that it will be landing in, so it is always wise to investigate a little further, and see how long the stop is going to be in each individual city.

Connecting Flight: When youre on this type of service flight, now this is treated differently than the other services above. With this type of flight the plane travels from one city to another, however, the passengers must change aircrafts at some point between the origin city and the destination city.

On-line Connections: This is when you change an aircraft but continue to fly with the same carrier. So if youre flying from Los Angeles to New York on American Airlines, and you make a stop for example in Denver, you will change planes at that airport, but with the same American Airline carrier.

Interline Connection: This is when you as a passenger changes airplanes, but instead of boarding the same company plane you will be on a different airline. For this example, youre flying from Seattle, Washington en route to San Antonio, Texas. If you were on a United flight, you will have a stop in a city in-between your origin and destination, and let's say you have to get on an American carrier to continue your journey. The main reason for this is that the particular airline company may not be flying into certain cities due to particular business reasons, so then they share with competing airline business companies.

Consolidators: A consolidator can be your friend if you understand how they work. Simply put, they purchase tickets from an airline at a rate less than the tariff, with the intention of reselling the tickets to either you the public or travel agencies. They buy tickets in bulk from air carrier companies, and therefore offer substantial savings. If you happen to be wondering what a tariff is, its basically set pricing, rules, and regulations all put in place by authorized organizations in the airline industry.

Lets talk types of Fares! If youre searching for fares online, you will come across a list of different terminologies for your ticket, and it will reflect on the price you end up paying. The airlines distinguish certain fare prices by the terms normal or restricted.

Normal Fares: A normal fare is first class, business class, and economy. These have no restrictions such as advanced reservation requirements or minimum stay stipulations. Such flights are valid for one year from the date of the first flight and can be extended if not used within that period.

Restricted Excursion and Discounted Fares: These have certain restrictions, and that is why they are cheaper to purchase. Theyre sold with a number of conditions attached, which most require advanced reservations, and there is normally a minimum and sometimes a maximum stay requirement. Travel dates are pre-determined, and any changes in most cases are subject to a penalty, or at times you cant make any changes at all! Airlines limit the number of seats at these fares to encourage travelers to book early.

With an understanding how the air travel industry communicates, and how they determine a flight schedule and pricing, you will eventually be able to speak their language, prevent air lingo confusion, and obtain the best flight itinerary and price with this new knowledge!