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Cheap Flights - Glossary of flying terms Category: General technical and industrial > Glossary of flying terms Date & country: 17/11/2010, UK Words: 23

Air passes
Airlines in many countries offer special fares for tourists to fly between a number of airports, usually, but not always within that country.

Amendments
These cover changes to dates of travel, class of travel, name changes either prior to or after commencement of travel. All fares and tickets carry different restrictions regarding these. Many cheaper fares will not allow any changes at all, while most fares will require payment to cover administrative costs in the form of an amendment fee.

Apex
Stands for "advance purchase excursion". Such tickets can be purchased for a discount directly from the airline or consolidator. However, the term "advanced purchase" strictly applies. From the UK, as a general rule this is 21 or 30 days.

Baggage allowance
This is indicated on the right hand side of your ticket. Economy class passengers generally are allowed 20kg for checked luggage. Travelling to the USA Business Class is around 30-35kg. First Class tends to be up to 40kg. Hand luggage remains pretty much generic: one piece per passenger, restricted in size (especially for short haul flights), and up to 8kg in weight. For larger items such, as wind...

Budget / no-frills airlines
These very popular airlines specialise in short-haul routes at bargain prices.

Bumping
Getting bumped can be good or bad! A bump, if you're lucky can mean a bump up, or upgrade to Business or First Class. However, being bumped usually means you will be unable to fly on the flight your ticket was for as it has been oversold. It is always safest to check in early to avoid this.

Business
The jump here is quite spectacular. The first benefit is that you can check-in later at a dedicated desk (avoiding the queues). You can then relax in the comfort of the airline's lounge where you will find complimentary drinks, snacks, newspapers and quiet. There's no rushing or queuing to board your flight. Your flight seat will usually be a cradle that reclines to a virtually horizontal positi...

Cancellation charges
Most fares sold carry penalties if you wish to cancel your journey. Cancellation fees can be up to 100 per cent of the total ticket cost. It is always advisable to ensure you have travel insurance that covers all eventualities.

Check-in
All airlines request their passengers to check-in well before the scheduled departure time. Usual check in times are: worldwide flights - two hours; short-haul - from 40 minutes to one hour. Check-in can usually be carried out in a number of ways: in person at an airport desk, at a self-service kiosk in the airport, online and by telephone. For full information about the various methods for checki...

Class of travel
The days of First and Economy Classes only are long over... Many of the airlines are now reducing their rates for luxury travel, and even creating new classes.

Confirmation
It is normally your responsibility to confirm your flight, before your outbound and inbound journeys. Confirmation is best done directly with the airline 72 hours in advance of the flight time. This is particularly important with your return journey where failure to reconfirm can result in the in-validation of your ticket. Some airlines do not require you do this procedure, but it never hurts to c...

Consolidators
Airlines often sell blocks of seats to consolidators who then sell these on to the public at discounted prices. The airlines do not want to be seen to be discounting tickets themselves and therefore use these wholesale agents on their behalf. These tickets are normally restrictive as a number of rules will apply, such as a minimum and maximum stay, the inclusion of a Saturday-night stopover, no ch...

Economy
We all know this one. Most long-haul scheduled flights provide you with a meal and a drink for no charge. Comfort varies dramatically from airline to airline.

First
Travelling First is a luxury few can afford. Most airlines now offer a totally exclusive First-Class lounge and when you fly you are treated to more space, high quality food and attentive service.

Lost or damaged tickets
Scheduled airline tickets are deemed as cash and should you loose your ticket it is likely that you will need to purchase a further ticket to travel. A refund is only likely through insurance or if the ticket is found.

No shows
Arriving late, or missing your flight, for whatever reason, can prove disastrous if you have a ticket with no refund or exchange. Discounted fares cannot usually be rebooked, and even if it can, it may involve a financial penalty. If you have valid travel insurance you may be covered for a missed departure. This will depend on the nature of your policy.

Open jaw
This is a return ticket that allows you to return from different points. For example, flying from London to Washington but returning Los Angeles - London. The distance between the two points is a surface sector, and must be arranged by the passenger at his/her own expense.

Open return
A return ticket with no specified date for return travel. This is booked with the airline, and usually involves an administration fee. However, it is very important to check until when the ticket is valid. If you have passed the validity date, the ticket is useless.

Overselling
It is the job of an airline to make their planes as full as possible. It is a fact of life that as many as 10 per cent of passengers fail to show up for a flight. Airlines can compensate for this by "overselling" seats on planes. This tactic is very effective, but when everyone does show, the flight can become oversold. Rather obviously passengers arriving late are the first to be "bumped". So...

Premium Economy
This new class has been introduced by a number of airlines, such as Virgin, and EVA Air. The logic behind the new class is to provide passengers with a slightly bigger seat with increased legroom in a smaller, and more exclusive cabin, though costs are still significantly lower than for Business or First Class. For more information on some of the perks available, see our travel tip Economy vs Prem...

Round-the-world fares
Round-the-world tickets are multi-leg tickets that to be used worldwide. Most tickets are usually fully flexible and valid for one year. Round-the-world tickets are great value for money, and allow you ease of travel. However, it is very important you understand the fare rules. Cheaper tickets can be less flexible - making changes may result in heavily penalties. It is really worth doing some rese...

Stand-by
This is a service where you wait at the airport until the next seat becomes available on your chosen route. Stand-by tickets used to be a cheap way to travel, sad to say those days are over. Nowadays stand-by applies more to employees of airlines who can use up available seats very cheaply.

Travel validity
Tickets are only ever valid for up to a maximum of one year. Discounted tickets can be valid for much shorter periods. Always check the small-print.