Air travel
B1 Upper-Intermediate • Vocabulary
Useful verbs and nouns for travelling by plane: going to the airport, passing through it, and spending time on the aircraft.
1. Key travel verbs & phrasal verbs
-
board (a plane)
– to get onto the aircraft so that you can travel somewhere.
She boarded a flight to London early in the morning. -
check in
– to register for your flight and get your boarding pass, at the airport or online.
I usually check in online the night before my flight. -
get on / get off (a plane)
– get on means to enter the plane; get off means to leave it after the flight.
As soon as we got on the plane, I looked for my seat. -
pick (someone) up (from the airport)
– to go to the airport and collect someone who has just arrived.
My brother picked me up from the airport and drove me home. -
drop (someone) off (at the airport)
– to take someone to the airport by car and leave them there.
I dropped her off at the airport three hours before departure. -
take off
– when a plane leaves the ground and starts to fly.
Please fasten your seatbelt while the plane is taking off. -
land
– when a plane comes down and touches the ground at the end of a flight.
Our flight landed ten minutes earlier than expected.
2. More flight verbs
-
be delayed
– to leave or arrive later than the timetable says.
The flight was delayed, so we took off two hours late. -
go through security
– to have you and your hand luggage checked for dangerous items.
I had to remove my belt when I went through security. -
book a ticket
– to reserve and pay for a place on a flight, often online.
We booked our tickets to Spain three months in advance. -
take a connecting flight
/ make a connection – to catch another flight after you land, in order to reach your final destination.
Although the first flight was late, I still made my connection. -
change flights
– to move your booking to a different flight, usually at another time or on another day.
I changed flights and decided to fly a week later than planned.
These verbs are very common in conversations about flying: booking, arriving at the airport, and travelling between cities.
3. At the airport
-
terminal
– the main airport building where passengers arrive, check in, and board their flights.
Our flight leaves from Terminal 2, near the train station. -
check-in desk
/ check-in counter – the place where airline staff give you your boarding pass and take your luggage.
There was a long queue at the check-in desk. -
security checkpoint
– the area where your documents and bags are checked for safety.
After check-in we went straight to the security checkpoint. -
departure lounge
– the part of the airport where you wait after security, often with shops and cafés.
We had coffee in the departure lounge before boarding. -
departures board
/ arrivals board – a large screen that shows flight numbers, destinations, gates and times.
Check the departures board to see if your flight is on time. -
boarding gate
– the numbered place where passengers wait to get on the plane.
When our gate was announced, everyone walked there quickly.
4. Passport control, baggage & runway
-
passport control
/ immigration – the place where officials check your passport when you enter or leave a country.
We had to wait ten minutes at passport control. -
customs
– the area where officers can inspect your bags when you bring things into a country.
After collecting our suitcases, we walked through customs. -
baggage claim
/ baggage reclaim – the place where you collect your checked luggage after landing.
Our bags arrived quickly at baggage claim. -
carousel
– the moving belt at baggage claim where the suitcases come out.
We waited by the carousel until we saw our luggage. -
runway
– the long, flat strip of ground where planes take off and land.
The plane waited on the runway before it could take off.
Together, these words describe your journey from entering the terminal to leaving the airport in another city or country.
5. On the plane: seats & luggage
-
carry-on luggage
/ hand luggage – small bags you can take onto the plane with you.
I only travel with carry-on luggage for short trips. -
overhead compartment
/ overhead locker – the storage space above the seats for bags.
Please place larger items in the overhead compartment. -
window seat
– a seat next to the window.
She chose a window seat so she could see the mountains. -
aisle seat
– a seat next to the aisle, easier for standing up and walking.
I prefer an aisle seat so I can move around more easily. -
seatbelt
– a safety belt that you fasten across your body during the flight.
Make sure your seatbelt is fastened during take-off and landing. -
boarding pass
– a document (paper or on your phone) that shows your flight and seat number.
You need to show your boarding pass before you get on the plane.
6. On the plane: people & safety
-
cabin crew
– all the people who work on the plane looking after passengers.
The cabin crew welcomed us on board with a smile. -
flight attendants
– the cabin crew who serve food and drinks and help passengers.
The flight attendants demonstrated how to use the seatbelts. -
captain
– the pilot who is in charge of the flight.
The captain told us the flight time and weather at our destination. -
emergency exits
– special doors used to leave the plane quickly in an emergency.
The safety video showed where the emergency exits were. -
airsickness bag
– a small bag that passengers can use if they feel sick during the flight.
There is an airsickness bag in the pocket in front of you. -
life vest
/ life jacket – a special jacket that helps you float if the plane lands on water.
Your life vest is stored under your seat.
Travel & holidays
Airport & in-flight vocabulary
Exercises:
Air travel
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
The announcement said: “We will begin to
in ten minutes. Please have your passports and boarding passes ready.”
Correct:
To board (a plane) = to enter the aircraft officially from the gate and go to your seat.
2
You should
at least two hours before your flight so you can get your boarding pass and drop your bags.
Correct:
To check in = to register for your flight and get your boarding pass and baggage tags.
3
In everyday conversation, we usually say “to
” when we talk about entering a plane, train or bus.
Correct:
To get on (a plane) = to enter a plane (informal everyday phrase).
4
When the plane arrives and you leave it and walk into the airport, you
.
Correct:
To get off (a plane) = to leave the aircraft after landing.
5
My friend’s flight lands at 8 p.m., so I’m going to
and drive him home.
Correct:
To pick (someone) up (from the airport) = to go to the airport and collect someone who has just arrived.
6
Could you
on your way to work? My suitcase is already packed.
Correct:
To drop (someone) off (at the airport) = to drive someone to the airport and leave them there before their flight.
7
Please fasten your seatbelts; we are ready to
in a few minutes.
Correct:
To take off = when a plane leaves the ground and starts to fly.
8
The pilot said we would
in Paris at 17:35 local time.
Correct:
To land = when a plane finishes flying and comes down onto the ground.
9
Our flight was supposed to leave at 6 p.m., but it will
because of bad weather.
Correct:
If a flight is delayed, it leaves or arrives later than planned.
10
After you check in, you need to
where they scan your bags and check your liquids.
Correct:
To go through security = to pass the control area where your hand luggage and documents are checked.
11
We usually
online these days instead of going to a travel agency.
Correct:
To book a ticket = to reserve and pay for a seat on a flight.
12
We fly to Dubai first and then
to Sydney after a two-hour stop.
Correct:
To take a connecting flight = to travel on a second flight that continues your journey after the first one.
13
Our first flight was late, but we still managed to
in Frankfurt and catch the plane to Rome.
Correct:
To make a connection = to successfully catch your next flight after arriving on a previous one.
14
Because of the storm, our original flight was cancelled, so we had to
in Madrid and use a different route.
Correct:
To change flights = to move to a different flight than the one you originally planned to take.
15
In American English, small bags you take onto the plane with you, not in the hold, are called
.
Correct:
Carry-on luggage = small bags you can take into the cabin with you (American English).
16
In British English, we usually say
for the bags you carry with you onto the plane.
Correct:
Hand luggage = small bags you carry onto the plane with you (British English).
17
In many US airlines, the space above your seat where you put your bag is called the
.
Correct:
An overhead compartment = the storage space above the seats (American usage).
18
In British English, the cupboard above your seat where you put your bag is often called the
.
Correct:
An overhead locker = the storage space above the seats (British usage).
19
I like to sit by the window, so I always choose a
when I fly.
Correct:
A window seat = a seat next to the window on a plane.
20
If you want to stand up easily or go to the toilet often, you should choose an
instead of a window seat.
Correct:
An aisle seat = a seat next to the aisle, not next to the window.
21
During take-off and landing, you must fasten your
for safety.
Correct:
A seatbelt = the safety belt you fasten across your body in your seat.
22
You can’t get on the plane without your
, which shows your name, flight number and seat.
Correct:
A boarding pass = the document or QR code that allows you to enter the plane.
Air travel
Match the sentences with the air travel words
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