- A -

a la carte - referring to meals, an indication that each dish is priced separately; also that a choice of meals may be available, such as on a tour

ABC - a reference to the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles, just off the northern coast of South America (Venezuela ). Fabulous for diving, snorkeling and all manner of water sports

actual flying time - The actual time that an aircraft is in the air - does not include time on the ground (waiting in line for take-off, for example).

add-on - an option, usually at extra cost, added to travel arrangements

adjoining room- a hotel room that is next to another, but without connecting doors

ADT - Atlantic Daylight Time; Alaska Daylight Time; and also the abbreviated form for Approved departure time.

ADCOL - Also ADCOLL - The abbreviated form for additional collection. Used by computer reservations systems, airports, and travel agencies. ADCOL is used to collect additional fees.
For example, paying to upgrade a ticket from economy to business class would require an ADCOL.

advance purchase requirement - an airfare that must be purchased a certain number of days ahead of departure, usually 7, 14, or 21 days, for the best fare

aft - toward the rear of a ship

airline destinator - The code designated by IATA to represent the name of an airline (UA is United Airlines, QF is Qantas, etc.).

air mile - a distance of approx. 6076 feet

Air Travel Card - a credit card sponsored by the airlines, for the purchase of air travel only

ARC - the Airlines Reporting Corporation - oversees the tracking of payments from travel agency to airline, upon issuance of tickets; created by the air carriers

airport access fee - a fee paid by the car rental companies to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehicles, etc - usually passed on to the consumer

airport codes - Three letter codes used to identify airports (ex. YVR is Vancouver, Canada, EWR is Newark, New Jersey, etc.).

airport transfer - a transport service to/from an airport to hotel, etc, normally prepaid as part of a package tour, but available separately as well

air rage - When passengers become violent towards crew members or passengers.

air/sea - a term referring to tickets, trips, fares, etc. that include both air and land-based travel arrangements, such as a cruise package with air included

all-inclusive - should mean a plan that includes all meals, drinks, tips, service charges, accommodations, some water sports (usually non-motorized ), etc. NOT all plans are equal - be sure to inquire as to just what IS included and what is extra!

American plan - a hotel's meal plan that usually includes all three meals each day

AMEX - American Express ( AX )

amidships - toward the middle of a ship - usually the stabilest part of the vessel

antebellum - describes a building and/or period of time prior to the Civil War, such as an antebellum mansion on a cotton plantation in the southern US

AOG - Act of God - also known as a `force majeure'. This encompasses the situations where airlines are not legally responsible to provide lodging, transport, or other expenses that travelers may incur as a result of an AOG. Inclement weather, civil disruptions, and other unanticipated events may be classified as an AOG.

Sometimes is also used to state the Aircraft is On the Ground - when an aircraft urgently needs some sort of maintenance on the ground when it is supposed to be in the air.

APEX - an airline term meaning " advance purchase excursion fare " - normally the least expensive fares

ARNK - Pronounced Arunk - The abbreviated form of Arrival Not Known. Used in computer reservations systems to indicate a portion of an air travel itinerary that does not involve a flight.

A passenger travels from New York to London. He makes his way to Manchester by train. He flies back to New York from Manchester. The portion from London to Manchester would be an ARNK.

ARTA - Association of Retail Travel Agents - professional trade group of travel agents only

ASTA - American Society of Travel Agents - trade group consisting of travel agencies, travel agents, and allied members ( suppliers, etc. )

AST - Atlantic ( or Alaska ) Standard Time

ATA - The abbreviated form for actual time of arrival of a flight.

ATC - The abbreviated form for Air Traffic Control.

ATO - Airline Ticket Office - becoming rarer these days, as carriers continue to reduce customer service

Autobahn - high-speed equivalent to the US interstate highway system, in Germany and a few other European countries

availability - the actual inventory of seats that are really available to be sold at a certain fare. Just because a fare is presented as " available " between two cities does NOT mean seats at that rate are available. This causes much confusion when airfare ads are published, so you must read the " fine print " before calling your agent and asking them to get that fare for you !

AVIH - Indicates that an animal is in the cargo hold, and not in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, used in computer reservations systems.

- B -

B & B - Bed & Breakfast; usually a quaint, country-style accommodation with a small number of rooms, that includes breakfast each morning

Back to back ticket(ing) – considered an illegal practice by the airlines, whereby an air ticket is issued round-trip with only one portion to be used. Another is then issued roundtrip, again with only one portion to be used. In effect, this amounts to using one ticket for the outbound part of a trip, and the other for the return. The normal Saturday night stay requirement is then avoided - useful only when two roundtrip tickets are LESS than the cost of a single ticket with no Saturday night stay-over. Most agents will not issue such tickets, as they can be severely penalized - please DO NOT ask for them !

balcony - sometimes called a verandah - an outside " porch " that is usually private, just outside your ship's cabin. GREAT for relaxing and port arrivals !

barge cruising - pleasure cruising along a canal system, such as in upstate New York or in Europe, in converted barges or new ships that resemble them
base fare - the basic price of an airline ticket, before ANY taxes, surcharges, airport fees, etc.
beam - a ship's width at it's widest point; determines whether or not a vessel can pass through the Panama Canal

bellman - a person who carries one's luggage to a hotel room

Benelux - term for the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg

berth - usually refers to the bed in a ship's cabin; also the space at which a ship is docked

bereavement fare - A discounted fare offered to family members traveling because of an imminent death or death in the family. Most airlines that offer bereavement fares will require information about the situation.
Also known as a Compassionate Fare.

black box - Also known as the Cockpit Recorder or the Flight Data Recorder. Records all of the data transmissions such as altitude, air speed, etc., and the voice and sound transmissions. Also black boxes are not black, they are brightly colored in order to find them more easily amongst the wreckage after an accident.

blackout dates - refers to a date or series of dates on which travel is NOT available. Can refer to airline, hotel or car rental arrangements.

blocked space - seats, rooms, and/or cabins held on airlines, in hotels, or aboard ships. Usually held speculatively and made available at reduced rates.

boarding pass - a receipt with a seat number, now issued only at check-in at the airport. A ticket is not valid unless a boarding pass has been issued !

bonded - protected or guaranteed by a bond, usually referring to the protection of passenger's funds

bridge - the navigational center of a ship

bucket shop - The British term for a consolidator. A bucket shop deals in discounted fares.

bulk fare - a fare only available when buying blocks of airline seats; usually lower than published fares

bulkhead - The physical walls on an aircraft that separates the plane into different sections (such as business class and economy class).

bulkhead seating - The seats on an airplane that are immediately behind the bulkhead (see definition of bulkhead). These seats usually have limited storage, and may have either more leg room or sometimes less leg room.

bumping - Passengers that are denied a seat on the flight they originally booked on due to a flight being oversold. They will then be `bumped' to another flight.