Airline Codes & Jargon Explained

Aviation Jargon Explained.

The following list provides simple explanations and meanings; to some of the 'less obvious terms' used by the airline industry concerning general aviation, flight and airline reservation systems, passenger administration, airfares and ticketing.

• ABC - (advance booking charter) A charter flight that requires a minimum advance booking period.
• ABP - Means Able Bodied Passenger.
• Accompanied Baggage - Baggage carried onboard a flight by the passenger.
• ACFT/EQT - Type of aircraft used (Equipment aircraft type).
• Administrating Carrier - The airline controlling the operation of a flight.
• Air Passenger Duty - A charge payable on tickets - for flights departing the UK.
• Aircraft Configuration - Layout of aircraft interior space and seating.
• Airport Code - A unique three-letter code used by the aviation industry and given to every airport in the world.
• Airside - The 'area of the airport' - beyond the passport and security check areas.
• Alliances - The International strategic groupings of airlines: Star Alliance, Oneworld.
• AOC - Air Operators Certificate.
• APT - Short for Airport.
• Arrival Time - The flight arrival time is always given at the local time of destination.
• ARS - Airline Reservation System used by airlines to manage ticket sales and passenger flight administration.
• ASK or ASM - Available seat kilometres or miles refers to the number of seats for sale multiplied by the distance of the flight.
• ATC - Aircraft traffic control.
• BAA - British Airports Authority. Owner of several major UK and International airports.
• Block Spacing - Allocation of flight seats sold through another airline.
• CAA - Civil Aviation Authority
• Carrier - Refers to the operational Airline.
• Charter Aircraft - Flight hired by one or more tour and flight-only operators. Most seats are sold in seven or fourteen-night accommodation packages in which passengers are usually unable to change the booking or reservation details.
• Circle Pacific Fare - Airfares offered by airlines to the Pacific Rim (Australia, Asia, North and South America), usually with four stopovers - travelling in only a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction
• City Pair - The origin and destination cities of a flight segment or segments.
• Code Share - When one journey is given two flight numbers because the flight is jointly operated by two airlines.
• Conjunction Tickets - A set of airline flight tickets that are issued at the same time to cover an itinerary.
• CRS - Computer reservation systems used by Airlines to book and administer flight seat reservations.
• Deadhead - A non-paying passenger or a flight with no passengers.
• Denied Boarding Compensation - Payment made by an airline to passengers when confirmed reservations are not honoured (sometimes due to overbooking).
• DES/DESI/DESIG - (Designator) A unique code is given to each airline.
• Direct Flight - This is a flight that can make stopovers before its destination point, however passengers do not usually disembark the aircraft.
• Fast Track - This is an express transit facility, usually (but not always) reserved for First and Business Class passengers. Also used by paying passengers to Fastrack airport security by using dedicated lanes to bypass waiting lines before the security check area.
• Flag Carrier - An airline designated by a national government.
• Funnel Flight - Is a flight operated by more than one airline. The flight is identified by only one of the airlines, usually with just one designator and flight number used.
• Flight Number or Designator - A unique code for each scheduled service. The first two or three letters indicate the carrier or airline then several numbers identify the route.
• Joint Operational Flight - Is when more than one airline operates a flight.
• Landside - Refers to the area of the airport before passport control. Landside can also be defined as the areas of the airport which do not require passengers to undergo full security screening to gain access.
• Layover - Refers to a scheduled interruption of a journey, usually including an overnight stay.
• Long Haul - Usually refers to flights operating longer than four hours duration.
• Loyalty/Rewards Programs - A system of benefits offered to businesses or regular travellers to encourage repeat custom.
• MCT - Refers to the 'minimum connecting time' or the minimum time required for a passenger to change aircraft or planes at an airport.
• Movement - Generally refers to the arrival or departure of flights through the airport system.
• Multi-Sector - A journey or travel itinerary with one or more transit stops (sectors).
• Originating Flight - Is the outward journey as indicated by flight number.
• PAX - Abbreviation for Passenger.
• Piece System - The baggage allowance in number of items. The letters 2PC indicate the traveller can check in two cases or bags.
• Pitch - Relates to the seating legroom on flights; (the greater the pitch - the greater the legroom).
• Pre-Clearance - Is when customs and immigration clearance for a destination is made available prior to departure.
• PNR - Airline Reservation System used by airlines to manage ticket sales and passenger flight administration.
• PTA - Means Pre-Paid Ticket Advise. A notification that a passenger's ticket has been paid for by someone else.
• Recline - How far a seat pitch pushes back.
• Red Eye - Flights that land early morning after an overnight flight.
• Rotation - Refers to the return journey of an aircraft.
• SAD - This abbreviation refers to the code used for a shared airline designator.
• Sector - Is a single leg between stops on an aircraft journey.
• Short Haul Flight - This usually refers to a journey lasting less than four hours.
• SKD SKED or SKEDS - Abbreviations for the schedule of a flight plan.
• Standby - Is the situation when a traveller without a reservation is waiting for a seat on a flight to become available.
• Stopover - When a traveller leaves the airport and returns shortly to continue the journey.
• TC - Stands for transfer connection.
• Terminating Flight - Inward journey as indicated by flight number.
• Traffic Conference Areas - TCA's is the IATA's classification of the world's major airline routes: TCA1 refers to North and South America. TCA2 refers to Europe and Africa. TCA3 refers to Asia and Australasia.
• Transit Flight - Air journey between parts of an airport while en route.
• Transit Time - Is the Non-Flying period of aircraft while in operation.
• Turnaround - The time taken between an aircraft landing and taking off again.
• UTC - Means Universal Time Coordinates same as GMT.
• Waitlisting - Refers to a situation when a flight is full - and a traveller waits to be notified if a seat subsequently becomes available.
• Weight System -The baggage allowance according to weight.
• Wide-Body - Aircraft with two aisles in the passenger cabin.
• Zulu - Refers to the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).