-P-

passenger facility charge (PFC) - a fee for the use of many airports, added in to the cost of an air ticket - another name for an additional tax on travelers

passenger name record (PNR) - the official name of one's reservation in a computer reservation system (CRS)

passport/visa service - a service that will take your passport and hand carry, if necessary, to the appropriate embassy in order to expedite a visa. Can be expensive if you have waited until the last minute to obtain a travel visa

PAX - Also PSGR - The abbreviated form of passenger, used in computer reservations systems.

per diem - " by the day ;" in the cruise industry, the per-day cost of a cruise, per person
personal effects coverage - additional car rental insurance covering loss of personal property from the rented vehicle

PNR - Also known as Flight Manifest. The abbreviated form for passenger information list.A PIL contains the list of all persons on board and contains details such as special meals, additional assistance requirements, and/or other information.

point-to-point - refers to the fares between two cities; the service between two cities without additional segments or any continuation

port - the place where a ship docks; a place visited by cruise ship; the left side of a vessel

port charges/taxes - fees levied by local authorities upon the cruise lines for each passenger visiting a port of call, normally added to the total cruise fare

porter - a baggage handler, also referred to as a " skycap "

porthole - usually a round, sealed window in a shipboard stateroom

posada - a small country hotel ( Spanish )

positive space - space aboard a ship or aircraft that can be confirmed ahead of time

PPDO - per person, double occupancy. Most tours and cruises are quoted this way; the average cost to stay in a particular location per day

preferred suppliers - a travel agency's list of the products they prefer to sell the most. These suppliers sometimes offer extra commissions, but also often make special offers available to the consumer through that travel agent. This usually results in a win-win situation for both the agency and the traveler - the agency can rely on the preferred supplier for integrity and a quality product, and the traveler gets a good value at a fair price

Prepaid ticket advice - a form used when purchasing an air ticket to be picked up and used by someone else at another airport. E-tickets have reduced the need for this greatly

prix fixe - meals offered at a fixed price, usually fairly low, consisting of several courses with no substitutions allowed. Common in Europe

prop - referring to propeller-driven aircraft

pseudo-agent - someone claiming to be a travel agent who really isn't. They often produce bogus ID cards, and can disappear when problems arise. Check credentials before doing business with someone you are unsure of.

PST - Pacific Standard Time

published fare - an airfare that is listed in the carrier's tariff. A fare that is available for purchase to anyone.

purser - aboard ship, the person responsible for providing a wide array of services such as information, making change, stamps, etc. Found at the purser's desk

-Q-

quad - a room suitable for four persons

quay - a pier - pronounced the same as " key "

quid - a monetary term for a British pound sterling

-R-

rack rate - the standard price of a hotel room before any discount has been taken, usually artificially high. Rooms rarely sell for the rack rate unless the property is virtually full or a special event is taking place

rate desk - the office of an air carrier that calculates fares for passengers and travel agents

rebate(ing) - the practice of returning part of an agency's commission on a sale back to the client in the form of a rebate or "discount." The trade-off is usually little or no personal/customer service. This is practiced often by " 800 " number travel sellers and others who deal in huge volume. Think carefully about who you'd rather trust for your dream vacation

reconfirm - to recheck a reservation

record locator - A combination of letters, numbers, or both forming a unique code which identifies a passenger's booking.

red-eye flight - usually an overnight flight that arrives early in the morning - great when you don't want to lose precious sightseeing time at your destination

referral agent/agency - an " agent " that refers business to a travel agency in return for a commission or fee - often as part of a card mill operation. Knows little about the travel
industry - be sure you know who you are dealing with.

registry - the formal registration of a ship's ownership, and the country it is registered in ( such as Panama, Liberia, Norway, etc )

reissue - the generation of a new ticket that is exchanged for another, due to a change of plans, dates, flights, etc. May involve additional fare, penalties and fees

repositioning - the moving of a cruise ship to another home port for all of part of a season, such as the repositioning of ships to Alaska for the summer. Often these cruises are excellent bargains, but will involve one-way airfare home from the port of debarkation
res - short for " reservation "

revalidation sticker - Also known as a Validation Sticker. A sticker placed on a flight coupon in order to indicate a change in flight number, time, class of service, etc.

Rmks - The abbreviated form for Remarks, used in computer reservations systems. Remarks may include that the passenger has been advised of the rules of the fare, or other information that is not vital information for airport agents, but may be important for reservation agents.

rollaway - a cot or other bedding that can be added to a hotel room to accommodate another guest. There is often an extra charge for this

round trip - A flight itinerary that involves flying to a single destination and back.

routing - The sequence of airports used (whether it be connections or destinations) in order to build an airfare.

run-of-house (ROH) - refers to a hotel room, the type of which is assigned at the discretion of the hotel shortly before you arrive. Usually, the rates are lower

run-of-ship - cabin is assigned at the last moment, giving the cruise line the ability to shift accommodations as needed. Usually, you are guaranteed a minimum category of cabin, and sometimes get an upgraded stateroom at no additional cost. Most upgrades are from inside-to-inside cabins, or from outside-to-outside but occasionally an inside-to-oceanview upgrade will occur. It is not always worth the gamble though

-S-

saturday night stay - the airline requirement that you must stay over a Saturday night during a trip in order to obtain the lowest fare. Usually, there is also an advance purchase requirement as well as other rules that apply, such as travel being limited to certain days of the week, etc.

SC - The abbreviated form for Schedule Change, used in computer reservations systems. Indicates some sort of change in the arrival or departure times of a flight.

scheduled carrier - an airline that operates a on a regular, published schedule

sea bands - a product resembling a bracelet that is worn on the wrists and operates via accupressure. Wearers claim that seasickness can be avoided by their use, thus eliminating the need for drugs such as Dramamine, etc.

sea legs - the ability to move around on a ship without losing balance and without sea sickness

segment - As with Leg, it is a single portion of a flight itinerary.

self-drive - a rental car ( British term )

service non compris - in French, meaning " service not included " ( hint: tip is expected ! )
shore excursion - tours that are purchased as an option when visiting ports of call while on a cruise; can sometimes be bought before you cruise

short haul - Shorter flights, both in terms of distance and duration.

shoulder season - The travel season that falls between low and high seasons, offering fares that also fall somewhere between low and high seasons.

single supplement - an additional charge when purchasing a cruise or tour whose pricing is based on double-occupancy. This supplement can be as much as twice the PPDO rate

sleeper - the sleeping compartment aboard a train

soft adventure - an outdoor travel experience that is not especially physically demanding, such as a canyon horseback trail ride or a hot-air balloon flight

spa - a resort area centered around a mineral springs, hot springs and the like, typically where one can find massage, hydrotherapy, exercise, steam baths, etc.

special interest tour - a tour catering to the needs of a specific interest, such as bird-watching, whale-watching, river rafting, mountain biking, rain forest exploration among many others

stabilizer - a device on most all cruise vessels, to reduce pitch and roll when at sea - the movement that can cause seasickness. Stabilizers are often pulled in at night in order to allow faster speeds when traveling between ports of call

standby - The procedure of waiting for a seat to open up on a flight on which a passenger is not booked/confirmed.

starboard - the right side of a ship

Star Service - a critical guide describing in detail many hotel and cruise ship properties. Can be subjective, as it is based on someone's opinion, but provides a travel agent with a non-commercial point-of-view

stateroom - another term for a cabin aboard a ship

stern -the rear of a ship

stopover - a planned stayover in a city for a day or more, while enroute to another destination.

student visa - permission to enter a country, issued to a student, normally for the purpose of attending a school or university in that country.

suite - a hotel accommodation with more than one room, usually a single room with distinct sleeping and living areas and even sometimes a kitchenette

supplier - any company that supplies travel and/or related services to the traveling public

surface - travel over land that does not involve an aircraft