Airline Terminology

Front 1

A/C (Aircraft)

Back 1

A vehicle that can fly, such as an airplane, helicopter or glider.

Front 2

ACM

Back 2

Additional Crew Member (Jumpseat Rider)

Never a FA. Could be a FAA, DOD, or NTSB

Front 3

Aft

Back 3

The back of the Airplane

Front 4

Agent

Back 4

A company employee concerned with the handling of ground phases of flight operations.

Front 5

Air Carrier

Back 5

A commercial enterprise that provides scheduled flights for passengers

Front 6

Airfoil

Back 6

Any surface, such as an airplane wing, designed to obtain reaction from the air through which moves

Front 7

Air Pocket

Back 7

A condition in the atmosphere that can cause an airplane to loose altitude quickly

Front 8

Airspeed

Back 8

The velocity of an aircraft

Front 9

Alien

Back 9

A non-US citizen

Front 10

ALT

Back 10

Alternative airport

Front 11

Altimeter

Back 11

The instrument used to measure the height of an aircraft above sea level, usually expressed in feet

Front 12

AOG

Back 12

Aircraft On Ground (grounded due to maintenance)

Front 13

ATC (Air Traffic Control)

Back 13

The control of local air traffic in the vicinity of an airport by the FAA

Front 14

Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)

Back 14

A separate engine on board the aircraft that provides power to the entire aircraft

Front 15

Bank

Back 15

1. To incline the aircraft at an angle while turning left or right

2. A number of flights leaving a Hub city during a short period of time

Front 16

Beverage cart

Back 16

Trolley used to roll down the aisle to serve beverages to the customer

Front 17

Bid Holder

Back 17

A flight attendant awarded a line of flying for a particular month

Front 18

Bid Sheet

Back 18

A form used to bid on a line of flying for a particular month

Front 19

Block - To - Block

Back 19

A time interval, beginning when the aircraft pulls away from the gate at the departure city and ending when the aircraft comes to a complete stop at the gate of the arrival city

Front 20

Boarding pass

Back 20

The document provided to the passenger that permits the passenger to board the aircraft and claim a specific seat. Not all airlines issue boarding passes

Front 21

BOW (Basic Operating Weight)

Back 21

The weight of an empty aircraft, plus the weight of the crew, fuel, oil and necessary publications.

Aircraft w/o passengers

Front 22

Bulkhead

Back 22

A term used to define any dividing wall in the cabin of an aircraft

Front 23

Bump

Back 23

The practice of denying boarding to a confirmed passenger on an overbooked flight

Front 24

Cabin

Back 24

The interior of an aircraft where the passengers are seated

Front 25

Canceled flight

Back 25

An originally scheduled flight that is eliminated (canceled) due to poor weather conditions, mechanical trouble or lack of equipment

Front 26

Capt. Or CA (Captain)

Back 26

Pilot in command (PIC) of the flight and sits in the left seat in the cockpit. The captain's uniform jacket has four (4) stripes on the end of their sleeves.

Front 27

Ceiling

Back 27

Term used to refer to the distance from the ground to the underside of the clouds.

Front 28

CFR

Back 28

1. Crash – Fire – Rescue emergency equipment

2. Code of Federal Regulations

Front 29

Charter Flight

Back 29

Aircraft and crew are leased by a group or company for an unscheduled flight

Front 30

Chocks

Back 30

Blocks placed in front of and behind aircraft tires to prevent aircraft from rolling in the ramp gate area

Front 31

City Code

Back 31

A three (3)-letter designation given to airport cities

Front 32

City Pair

Back 32

Departure and arrival cities

Front 33

Cockpit

Back 33

The area of the aircraft where the pilots sit (flight deck)

Front 34

CoMail / CoMat

Back 34

Company Mail /

Company Materials

Front 35

Concourse

Back 35

Area of the terminal building where the gates are located. Aircraft arrives and depart from the gate and the plane and load passengers.

Front 36

Connection /

Connecting Flight

Back 36

Flights requiring a change of aircraft at some intermediate point before arriving at the final destination. This change can be either online or interline.

Also referred to as "Transfer"

Front 37

Crew Rest

Back 37

The rest period required by a crew after a completed trip

Front 38

Crew Scheduling

Back 38

The department responsible for assigning and keeping track of all flight crews

Front 39

DBA

Back 39

Doing Business As

ie. Trans State Airlines DBA United Express

Front 40

Deadhead

Back 40

Transportation of a crewmember from one point to another to cover a trip or return to homebase

Front 41

Delay

Back 41

A flight that is operating later than scheduled

Front 42

Destination

Back 42

Ultimate stopping place at which a journey concludes

Front 43

Direct Flight

Back 43

A flight which may make an intermediate stop or stops before reaching its final destination but, requires no change of aircraft

Front 44

Dive

Back 44

A steep descent

Front 45

Domicile

Back 45

The city (station) where a crewmember is based

Front 46

DOT

(Department of Transportation)

Back 46

The government agency that covers economic concerns of the transportation industry

Front 47

Downline

Back 47

The next station or stations in a line of the flight's scheduled routing

Front 48

F/O (First Officer)

Back 48

Pilot who sits in the right seat of the cockpit. The first officers uniform jacket has three stripes on the end of the sleeves.

Front 49

Floor Level Exit

Back 49

All aircraft doors are floor level exits and are used as emergency exits

Front 50

Fuselage

Back 50

The central body portion of an aircraft designed to accommodate the payload on the aircraft

Front 51

FWD (Forward)

Back 51

The front of the aircraft towards the Cockpit/ Front Deck

Front 52

Galley

Back 52

Small designated area where beverages and meals are prepared and stored

Front 53

Gate

Back 53

The area of the terminal building where passengers gather before boarding an aircraft

Front 54

Gateway

Back 54

Last departure point from a country before arriving in another country

Front 55

GPU (Ground Power Unit)

Back 55

Ground support equipment used to supply one board power (lights, heat, air-conditioning, etc.) to the aircraft

Front 56

Ground Speed

Back 56

The speed of an aircraft with reference to the surface of the earth

Front 57

GSC

(Ground Security Coordinator)

Back 57

Employee charged with overall responsibility of security related issues while the aircraft is on the ground

Front 58

Equipment

Back 58

The actual aircraft

Front 59

Holding

Back 59

A flight that is waiting for instructions to either take off, land or park at an available gate

Front 60

Inbound

Back 60

And aircraft that would be arriving or coming into a city

Front 61

ILS

(Instrument Landing Systems)

Back 61

A system of navigational radios used for guiding aircraft during unfavorable weather conditions such as Fog

Front 62

ETA

(Estimated Time of Arrival)

Back 62

The time estimated for the aircraft to arrive

Front 63

ETD

(Estimated Time of Departure)

Back 63

The time estimated for the aircraft to depart

Front 64

FA or F/A (Flight Attendant)

Back 64

A person who assist passengers in safety and service on board any aircraft that seats 20 or more

Front 65

FA or F/A Jumpseat

Back 65

Collapsible seat in the cabin for the Flight Attendant to sit during takeoff and landing

Front 66

FAA

(Federal Aviation Administration)

Back 66

The government agency that regulates the safety of airline operations through specific Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs)

Front 67

FAR

(Federal Aviation Regulation)

Back 67

FARs are the rules that govern the aviation industry (Airlines, Pilots, Flight Attendants, Maintenance, etc.)

Strict adherence to FARs is mandatory

Front 68

Ferry Flight

Back 68

A flight operated without revenue passengers, cargo or mail. A ferry flight is flown to move the aircraft to a different city either to begin a flight or to undergo maintenance.

Front 69

Flight

Back 69

The movement of an aircraft from one location to another, as a scheduled flight, extra section, ferry flight, test flight or training flight

Front 70

Interline

Back 70

When the routing from origin to destination requires two or more different air carriers to accommodate the passenger to their final destination

Front 71

Interline Connection

Back 71

Changing from a flight of one carrier to a flight on another carrier

Front 72

Line of Flying

Back 72

A series of flights sequenced together to produce a monthly work schedule

Front 73

Local Passenger

Back 73

Customer who boards the aircraft at the originating station

Front 74

MAAS (Meet and Assist)

Back 74

A request for ground personnel to meet and assist a passenger

Front 75

No-Show

Back 75

A traveler who does not show up for flight on which he has a reservation and fails to cancel that reservation. Airlines or cancel all further flights on a traveler's itinerary when a passenger no-shows.

Front 76

NRMR

(Non-Revenue Must Ride)

Back 76

An airline employee traveling positive space on a Must Ride status. This crewmember needs to travel from one point to another to cover a trip or return to home base

Front 77

NRPS

(Non-Revenue Positive Space)

Back 77

An airline employee traveling on business holding a confirmed reservation

Front 78

NRSA

(Non-Revenue Space Available)

Back 78

An airline employee traveling for personal reasons, if space is available

Front 79

Non-Stop Flight

Back 79

A flight that takes off at your origin point and does not land until it reaches your final destination point

Front 80

NTSB

(National Transportation Safety Board)

Back 80

The governmental agency that investigates and reports reasons for accidents and recommends solutions to the FAA

Front 81

OAL

Back 81

Other airline

Front 82

Intermediate Station

Back 82

A scheduled stop or stops between the originating city and the final destination

Front 83

Offline

Back 83

Traveling via another airline or combination of other airlines

Front 84

Online

Back 84

When travel involves only one carrier

Front 85

Online Connection

Back 85

Changing from one flight to another flight of the same carrier

Front 86

Open Time

Back 86

Any flight time that is not assigned to a specific crewmember after schedule bidding is closed

Front 87

Origin (Originating Station)

Back 87

The city where the flight begins

Front 88

Outbound

Back 88

And aircraft that would be departing from a city

Front 89

Overbooking

Back 89

The practice by the airlines of confirming more seats on an aircraft then are actually available. Overbooking is designed to protect the airlines from no-shows.

Front 90

Overhead Bins

Back 90

Storage compartments located over the seats inside an aircraft cabin

Front 91

Oversale

Back 91

A situation which occurs when a customer has a confirmed reservation and a valid ticket but is not accommodated on the flight

Front 92

PAX / PSGR (Passenger)

Back 92

Customer who travels on a scheduled airline flight

Front 93

ISC

(In-flight Security Coordinator)

Back 93

The captain of the flight who is charged with overall responsibility of security related issues while the aircraft is in flight

Front 94

Passenger Coupon

Back 94

The last coupon of an airplane ticket. The coupon is clearly marked and serves as the passenger record for the expense reports.

Passenger's ticket stub

Front 95

PAWOB

(Passenger Arriving With Out Baggage)

Back 95

This passenger had checked his baggage at his origin city, and at his destination his baggage did not show up on the flight due to an error on the airline(s) part

Front 96

Payload

Back 96

The total weight of passengers and cargo carried on the aircraft

Front 97

Personal item

(In-Cabin Baggage)

Back 97

An item the passenger desires to carry into the cabin of the aircraft provided it does not exceed 45 linear inches

Front 98

Planeside Loaded Baggage

(Valet / Carry-On)

Back 98

Items passenger has brought to the gate area and has been cleared through the security checkpoint, but will need to be loaded into the cargo compartment. Items will be returned to the passenger planeside, at the flights destination.

Front 99

Ramp

Back 99

The area adjacent to the terminal building for the aircraft loading and unloading

Front 100

Recurrent Training

Back 100

Training required on an annual basis intended to review regulations, policies, procedures and changes

Front 101

Reissue / Reroute

Back 101

A rewriting of an existing ticket due to a change in fare, class of service or routing

Front 102

Rescheduled Flight

Back 102

A change to a crewmembers assigned flight or flights due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. cancellations, mechanical errors, etc.)

Front 103

Reserve Crew

Back 103

Flight crewmembers on standby for duty

Front 104

Jumpseat

Back 104

A collapsible seat in the cockpit occupied by authorized personnel.

Such as the FAA, DOD or Secret Service

Front 105

Reserve Schedule or

Reserve Days

Back 105

A month or day requiring a crewmember to be available on a "Stand-by" basis in the event of unforeseen scheduling emergencies

Front 106

Routing

Back 106

The way travel between the origin and destination is arranged

Front 107

Runway

Back 107

The area used specifically for the landing and takeoff of aircraft

Front 108

St. Elmo's Fire

Back 108

A buildup of electrical charge on the airplane.

May present as a quick flash of light on aircraft wing, Static discharge, while inflight.

Front 109

Scheduled Flight

Back 109

A flight identified with a flight number and is published in the timetable to originate and terminate at a specific stations and times

Front 110

Sequence

Back 110

A series of flights paired together to produce a daily work schedule

Front 111

SHARES

Back 111

SHARES is a computer reservation system used by American and United. Trans States Airlines flights are displayed on the SHARES system, hosted by our code share partners American and United.

Front 112

Standby

Back 112

A traveler who does not have a confirmed reservation and must wait at the airline gate for a seat to become available

Front 113

Station

Back 113

Airport office in a city served by Trans States Airlines

Front 114

Stop / Stopover

Back 114

And intermediate stopping point on a journey, whether voluntary or involuntary

Front 115

Jumpseat Authority

Back 115

Authorization giving it to crewmembers and other eligible personnel to travel in the jumpseat

Front 116

Stow

Back 116

To secure baggage into a safe location in flight

Front 117

Taxi

Back 117

To operate an aircraft under its own power on the ground, except when involved in takeoffs or landings

Front 118

Taxi Strip

Back 118

Paved areas connecting the ramp to the runway

Front 119

Terminating Station

Back 119

The city where the flight ends

Front 120

Through Passenger

Back 120

A passenger who has boarded the aircraft at a previous station and remains on board at the intermediate stop to continue on the flight to its destination

Front 121

Transfer

Back 121

Flights requiring a change of aircraft at some intermediate point before arriving at the final destination. This change can be either online or interline. Also referred to as "connection"

Front 122

TSA

Back 122

1. Trans States Airlines

2. Transportation Security Administration

Front 123

Turn Around

Back 123

Aircraft or flight that is used to operate into a city and originate as a new flight number out of that city

Front 124

Unaccompanied Minor (UM)

Back 124

Children under the age of 12 traveling by themselves, without an adult

Front 125

Wake Turbulence

Back 125

The disturbance in the air caused by the passage of an airfoil

Front 126

Jumpseat Rider

Back 126

Authorized personnel occupying the jumpseat in the cockpit

Front 127

Zulu Time

Back 127

Standard world time. Based on the local time at the Prime Meridian. Used by SABRE for inputting flight times.

Front 128

Knot

Back 128

Velocity of a one nautical mile per hour

Front 129

Layover

Back 129

1. On the ground between flights with the passengers itinerary involves a connection

2. The time spent downline between flights (crew rest)

Front 130

Leg of Flight

Back 130

Refers to each segment of flight on a passenger or crew itinerary

Front 131

Legalities

Back 131

Rules and regulations used to establish flying time and rest periods