April 1st, 2008

Buying a ticket

· I’d like to reserve two seats to New York.

· Will that be one way or round trip?

· How much is a round trip ticket?

· It’s $819. Will you pay by cheque or pay in cash

· Here’s my Visa Card. Can we get pay by cheque please?

· You can choose your seat when you check in.

Checking In

· Can I see your ticket and passport, please?

· Here they are. Can we get one seat near the aisle?

· Yes, that’s no problem. You’re in seats 27B and 27C.

· Thanks. Where do we go next?

· Go to Gate A8, straight ahead then turn left.

On the Airplane

· Would you like something to drink?

· Could I have Coke with no ice?

· Here you are. Please fill out this form before the plane lands.

· What is this form for?

· It’s a Customs and Immigration form. You will use that in the airport before you can enter the country.

Getting through Customs

· Do you have anything to declare?

· I just have one bottle of wine. It’s a gift for my friend.

· How much wine is in the bottle?

· It contains 750ml.

· That’s fine. Have a nice stay.

Getting your luggage

· At which carrousel will our luggage be?

· At number 5, over there.

· Great! I’ll get a cart right away.

· Be sure you have your luggage ticket.

· Yes, it’s right here attached to my plane ticket.

to reserve seats – to book seats in advance; make sure you get your seats on a plane

one way trip – flying just in one direction, to one destination

round trip – flying to one place and then coming back to the same place; return filght/ticket

a round trip ticket - a ticket for the trip back to the original starting point

pay by cheque – to pay for something by writing a cheque

pay by credit card – to pay for something using a credit card

to check in - to show your ticket at an airport so that you can be told where you will be sitting and so that your bags can be put on the aircraft

an aisle - a long narrow space between rows of seats in an aircraft

gate - a part of an airport where travellers are allowed to get on or off a particular aircraft

Customs - the place at a port, airport or border where travellers’ bags are looked at to find out if any goods are being carried illegally

to declare - to make a statement, or account, of (taxable goods), as at customs

carrousel - a continuous moving strip on which airport passengers’ bags are put for collection

luggage - the bags, cases, etc. which contain your possessions and that you take with you when you are travelling

a cart - a small vehicle with two or four wheels that you push or pull to transport large or heavy objects on

luggage ticket - a small piece of card or plastic with your name and flight number which you attach to your bags

and some more useful expressions:

baggage claim - place where passengers go to find their luggage (cases etc) at the end of a flight

board - to get on or enter an aeroplane - on board adv.

boarding pass - special ticket showing that passenger has checked in and may board plane

confirmation - passenger’s telephone validation of return reservation; reconfirmation departures board - large display in airport showing times, destinations etc of departing flights

domestic - national, not international [a domestic flight is entirely within one country]

duty free - [of products: cigarettes, perfume etc] not taxable; exempt from customs taxes

excess baggage - luggage that is more than the permitted or allowed weight in

jet lag - extreme tiredness etc after a long flight between extreme time zones 17 runway - the strip on which planes land and take off 18 stopover n. a break for a day or two on an international flight