Common Terms in Air Travel

This is an explanation of common terminology used in the air transportation industry to assist consumers in
understanding the rules that govern air travel.

This explanation of frequently used terms is provided for informational purposes only. It is important to
understand that each individual airline (also referred to as carrier) has its own contract of carriage, which is the
legally binding contract between the carrier and its passengers. Each airline’s contract of carriage has its own
terms and definitions. Therefore, passengers should review the contract of carriage of the carrier providing
transportation.

Advance Notice means the notice a passenger provides an airline of a needed service or accommodation prior to
the travel date. For example, a passenger with a disability may be required to provide the airline advance notice
if the passenger needs certain special assistance during travel. Under the Air Carrier Access Act and its
implementing regulation, 14 CFR Part 382, a passenger with a disability is not required to provide advance
notice in order to obtain services or accommodations, except in some limited circumstances. The rule lists these
circumstances, including but not limited to, passengers traveling with an emotional support animal or
psychiatric service animals, passengers who may need an on-board wheelchair on certain aircraft, or passengers
who need to transport an electric wheelchair on certain small aircraft. For a full list of disability-related services
that may require advance notice, passengers may see 14 CFR Part 382, and the website of the carrier the
passenger plans to use.

Passenger Check-in Requirements are the requirements a passenger must meet to complete check-in. A carrier
may cancel a reservation if the passenger does not meet all applicable requirements. These requirements may
include:
• cut-off time prior to departure to obtain a boarding pass or document verification (if necessary, for
example, if traveling on an international itinerary),
• time limits applicable to checking baggage in accordance with the carrier’s rules, and
• arrival at the departure gate.
It is the passenger’s responsibility to arrive at the airport with sufficient time to complete all ticketing, baggage
check, and security procedures, and to be at the gate prior to the airline’s deadline for arriving there. Passengers
should check with their airline or travel agent for applicable check-in requirements for their flight.

Alternate Transportation is used in a situation in which a passenger is denied boarding because the flight is
oversold and the carrier offers the passenger transportation on a different flight or other transportation
accepted and used by the passenger. For more information related to the Department’s rules on denied
boarding, see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/oversales.

Baggage Allowance means the number of pieces of carry-on luggage a passenger may bring into the aircraft
cabin, the number of pieces of luggage a passenger may check in the baggage compartment of the aircraft, and
the size and weight limitations that apply to both carry-on luggage and checked luggage. Allowances may vary
for different airlines. Therefore, passengers are encouraged to check with the airline in advance regarding limits
on the size, weight, and number of pieces of baggage for their specific itinerary.
Baggage Fee means the fee an airline charges for carrying on or checking a piece of luggage. There may be
additional fees for oversize or overweight baggage that exceeds a carrier’s baggage allowance. A passenger
should check the carrier’s website and his or her e-ticket confirmation to learn the fee that applies for the
journey. For more information related to regulations governing the disclosure of baggage fees,
see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/baggage.

Class of Service means the cabin location and type of accommodation a passenger receives depending on the
type of fare he or she buys. Many carriers have different classes of service that have different amenities. To
identify the class of service, a passenger must refer to the fare purchased and the carrier’s rules associated with
that fare.

Checked baggage means passenger baggage that is transported in the baggage compartment of the aircraft, not
in the cabin. Typically a passenger will receive a baggage claim ticket when the passenger checks baggage with a
carrier.
• The liability limit for baggage that is lost, damaged, or delayed on domestic trips is $3,400 at the time of
this writing (August 2014). For domestic trips, the DOT does not prohibit airlines from excluding liability
for loss, damage or delay of goods and baggage, including valuable, fragile, or perishable items.
However, airlines are required to provide notice of the existence of such exclusions.
• The passenger liability limit for baggage that is lost, damaged, or delayed on an international journey is
set by the Montreal Convention. As of August 2014, the limit is 1,131 Special Drawing Rights, a unit
defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund. For current valuation, use this
link: http://www.imf.org/external/np/fin/data/rms_sdrv.aspx. International passenger liability limits for
baggage apply to domestic legs of international itineraries. For more information about regulations
governing baggage liability, see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/baggage.

Code-share Flight means a flight that is operated by an airline other than the one in whose identity the flight is
marketed. When a flight is a code-share flight, the “designator code” (typically a two character code that is
either two letters or a combination of a letter and a number) for the flight will be the code of the marketing
carrier, rather than the code of the airline that will actually operate the flight. Airlines and travel agents must
disclose the existence of a code-share flight to consumers when they market air transportation in their name or
code that is operated by another carrier. For more information about code-share disclosure requirements,
see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/codeshare-disclosure.

Confirmed reserved space means space on a specific date and on a specific flight and class of service that has
been requested by a passenger and verified by the airline as being reserved for the accommodation of the
passenger. It does not usually mean a specific seat on the aircraft.

Contingency Plans for Lengthy Tarmac Delays are plans for lengthy tarmac delays at U.S. airports during which
passengers do not have the opportunity to deplane Most larger U.S. and foreign carriers are required to have
such a plan. The plans must include an assurance that the carrier will not permit an aircraft to remain on the
tarmac longer than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing the
opportunity to deplane, subject to safety, security, and air traffic control reasons. Carriers must provide
assurances regarding services such as food and water that the carrier will provide during a lengthy tarmac delay.
Each carrier must post its contingency plan for lengthy tarmac delays on its website in an easily accessible form.
For more information about the regulations governing tarmac delays, including which carriers are required to
adopt them, see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/flight-delays.
Fare means not only the amount paid for air transportation but also the category of ticket a passenger can buy.
There are many categories of fares offered by carriers and each fare category generally has its own specific
rules. A passenger should read the rules associated with the fare before purchase to understand whether the
fare is refundable or allows changes to the itinerary.

Force Majeure Event means an event outside of the carrier’s control that can alter a carrier’s schedule resulting
in flight delays, schedule changes, and flight cancellations. Usually these events include weather conditions, acts
of God, or any other event not reasonably foreseeable by the carrier and not within the airline’s control.

Denied Boarding Compensation is compensation to which a passenger may be entitled if the passenger is
involuntarily denied boarding from a flight on which the passenger holds a confirmed reserved space and more
passengers check in than there are available seats on the flight. For more detailed information about the rule
that governs passenger compensation and procedures for involuntary denied boarding, including when a
passenger is not entitled to compensation, see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/oversales.

Interline itinerary means an itinerary other than a code-share flight (see above) that includes transportation on
two or more airlines on one ticket during a single journey.

Minimum Connecting Time means the shortest time interval required in order to transfer a passenger and his or
her luggage from one flight to a connecting flight. Minimum connecting times are published for each airport and
for various itineraries at that airport (e.g., online vs. interline connection, domestic vs. international
itinerary). Sometimes the minimum connecting time at a particular airport will also vary by airline. Minimum
connecting times are not specified by or regulated by the federal government.

Qualified Individual with a Disability is a term used by the Department to identify airline passengers who are
entitled to certain accommodations under the Department’s regulation implementing the Air Carrier Access Act.
The full definition and the full rule, 14 CFR Part 382, can be found at www.dot.gov/airconsumer/disability.

Standby Passenger is a passenger attempting to travel on a fight without confirmed reserved space on that
flight. For example, a passenger may fly standby if the passenger misses a flight or the passenger tries to switch
to an earlier flight. As the passenger does not have a reservation on the flight for which he or she is standing by,
the passenger is not guaranteed to travel on that flight. Seats sometimes become available for standby
passengers as a result of “no shows” — passengers holding confirmed reserved space who do not appear for
their flight and do not cancel their reservation.

Stopover means a deliberate interruption of a journey between the origin and destination that is agreed to by
the carrier and the passenger, and is scheduled to exceed a specified number of hours (often 4 hours on a
domestic itinerary and over 24 hours on international itineraries).

Travel Credit/Voucher can mean a coupon or other document (such as an electronic voucher) that can be
applied toward the purchase of air transportation on that airline. Vouchers and travel credits are sometimes
given by a carrier as compensation in lieu of denied boarding compensation and for service disruptions.
Acceptance of the voucher may release the carrier from the obligation to provide other or additional
compensation in the limited cases where such compensation is required (e.g., involuntary denied boarding
compensation). To review the rules governing denied boarding compensation, including disclosures that carriers
must make when they offer a voucher or travel credit in lieu of a check for involuntary denied boarding
compensation, see http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/oversales.
 Consumers should be aware, that because there are different types of travel credits and vouchers, each
kind has its own terms and conditions that apply to its use. The most common conditions are:
• Expiration dates (i.e. the voucher must be used within a certain period of time from its issuance
to the passenger),
• Nontransferable status (i.e. the voucher cannot be used by a person other than the person to
whom the airline issued it),
• Blackout dates or city restrictions (e.g., the voucher can only be used on flights within the 48
contiguous United States, the voucher can only be used for certain types of midweek travel, the
voucher cannot be used during holiday travel periods), and
• Capacity controls, whereby some travel vouchers and credits can only be used for a certain
number of seats on a flight, even if other seats are still available for sale. When this is the case
it can limit the number of flights on which a consumer can use the voucher or credit.

Unaccompanied Minor means a youth who travels without an adult. Most airlines offer certain Unaccompanied
Minor services, usually for a fee. Airline policies, including age restrictions, vary on unaccompanied minors, so if
a parent is considering purchasing the service, he or she should check the airline’s policies before buying a
ticket. Airlines often require a legal guardian to fill out forms specifying who will be meeting the child at the
airport.