Everyday English: Travel and Tourism

Conversation Vocabulary And Phrases

• Instead of “Where are you flying today?” the agent may ask “What’s your final destination?” The answer will be the same!
• You can say “Here you go” anytime you give something to somebody
• To check your bags means to put them on the airplane inside the cargo compartment. The small bag you take with you on the airplane is called a carry-on. You need to put your carry-on bags through the X-ray machine at security.
• The scale is the equipment that tells you the weight of your luggage (45 kilograms, for example)
• A stopover or layover is when the airplane stops in a different city before continuing to the final destination
• If the agent says that your luggage will go straight through, it means it will go directly to the final destination (and you don’t need to pick it up during your stopover)
• Boarding passes are the tickets that permit you to enter the airplane
• When a plane begins boarding, it means that the passengers start to enter the plane. Usually boarding time is 30-60 minutes before takeoff (when the plane leaves)
• “Excuse me, where is the American Airlines check-in desk?”
• “Where is terminal 4?”
• “Where is gate 36?”
• “How many bags can I check?”
• “Will my luggage go straight through, or do I need to pick it up in [Chicago]?”
• “How much is the fee?”
• If your bag is heavier than the weight limits, or if your bag is larger than the size limits, you may need to pay extra. an oversized baggage fee or overweight baggage fee (this can be $75 to $300). Some airlines in the United States also charge a fee for ALL checked bags (usually $15 to $30).
• “Please mark this bag as ‘fragile.’”
• Say this if you have fragile or sensitive items in your bag that might break
• “Is the flight on time?”
• The agent will respond either “Yes” if the flight is on time, or “There’s a 20-minute delay” (for example) if the flight will leave later than expected.

At hotels:

Useful phrases:

•  I hope you enjoyed your stay. This is said when someone is leaving the hotel.
•  Please let me know if you need any assistance. (Please tell me how I can help.)
•  Everything is in order. (All the information looks OK.)
•  Check-out/in time is at [time]. 
• “Check-in time” is the time a guest can have access to their room.

Sources

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