| Term |
Description |
| Add-on | An option, usually at extra cost, added to travel arrangements. |
| Adjoining rooms | Hotel rooms that are next to one another but do not have connecting doors. |
| Advance purchase requirement | An airfare that must be purchased a certain number of days before departure in order to receive the best rate. |
| Airport access fee | A fee that is paid by the car rental companies to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehicles, etc - usually passed on to the consumer. |
| ARC | The Airlines Reporting Corporation - oversees the tracking of payments from travel agency to airline, upon issuance of tickets; created by the air carriers. |
| Availability | The actual number of seats that are free to be sold at a particular rate. |
| Base fare | The price of an airline ticket before any fees, taxes or surcharges are applied to the price. |
| Blackout dates | Are a date or a series of dates where travel at a particular rate is not available. Can be used for airline tickets, car rentals, and/or hotels. |
| Blocked space | Seats or rooms on airplanes or in hotels that have been held aside to be sold by consolidators, generally at a reduced rate. |
| Boarding pass | A receipt with a seat number, which is now issued only at check-in at the airport. |
| Bulk contract | An agreement whereby an airline sells large blocks of seats at a discount for resale by a third party. |
| Bulk fare | A fare only available when buying blocks of airline seats. |
| Business class | A relatively new class of airline service, located between coach and first class, that was created to appeal to the business traveler. The amenities provided in business class vary from carrier to carrier. |
| Cancellation penalty | A monetary penalty that a company will apply to its clients when they (the clients) decide to cancel an already confirmed and paid for booking. |
| Commission | An amount added to the base fare of a ticket that a travel agent or consolidator adds in order to make a living. |
| Consolidator | A business that has contracts with airlines to sell tickets in bulk, generally at a discounted rate. |
| Corporate agency | A travel agency that specializes in corporate clients. |
| Domestic fare | A fare charged for travel within a country. |
| Electronic ticket | A newer system of issuing tickets to clients whereby a "paperless" ticket is issued which allows the client to check in only using proper photo identification. Electronic tickets are preferable to paper ones because they can not be lost or stolen so they are safer to use than paper tickets. |
| Exclusive fare | An airfare that is offered solely |
| Fare basis (code) | The code or codes on which the price of an airline ticket is based. |
| First class | The highest class of service, available on most aircraft. |
| Global distribution system (GDS) | An international computer reservation system that accesses many databases of suppliers, airlines, etc. in different countries, such as Sabre. |
| Hub | An airport or city in which an airline has a major presence and many flights to other destinations. |
| IATAN | International Airlines Travel Agent Network - Administers the IATAN card, the only widely accepted form of legitimate travel agent identification. |
| Interline connection | A flight on one airline that connects to a flight on another carrier. |
| Land arrangements | All the details of the land portion of a trip (hotel, car, tours, sightseeing, etc.). |
| Layover | Refers to the period of time spent while waiting for a transportation connection. |
| LDW | loss damage waiver - additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in addition to accident damage. |
| Leisure travel | Travel for pleasure as opposed to business. |
| Limited service hotel | A hotel property without a restaurant. |
| Lowest available fare | The current lowest airfare that is available for purchase at that moment. |
| Maximum stay | The longest period of time one may stay at a particular destination and still qualify for a specific airfare. |
| Minimum connect time | The shortest amount of time needed to transfer between flights. It is generally best to give oneself more time as opposed to less. |
| Modified American plan ( MAP) | Meal plan that includes two daily meals, usually breakfast and dinner. |
| Net fare, net rate | Refers to the fare that is offered to a customer after the commission has been applied. |
| No show | A passenger who doesn't show for a flight, hotel, or rental car booking. |
| Non-refundable | Generally used in reference to an airline ticket, that if canceled no money will be returned to the client. |
| Nonstop | A flight that does not stop while on route to its first destination. |
| Non-transferable | An air ticket that cannot be used by anyone else. |
| Occupancy rate | The percent of hotel rooms expected to be filled during a specific time period. |
| Offline connection | A change of aircraft also involving a change of carriers. |
| Off-peak | A time or season when less travel occurs. Also, fares tend to be lower during these times. |
| Operator | A company providing transportation or travel related services (airline, cruise line, railway, hotel, car Rental Company, etc.). |
| Overbooking | When an airline sells more seats than are available on a particular flight. |
| Passenger facility charge (PFC) | A fee for the use of many airports, added in to the cost of an air ticket.
|
| Passenger name record (PNR) | The official name of one's reservation in a computer reservation system (CRS). |
| Personal effects coverage | Additional car rental insurance covering loss of personal property from the rented vehicle. |
| Point-to-point | Refers to the fares between two cities. |
| Published fare | A rate that is offered directly by the airlines. Generally these are the highest rates available. |
| Rack rate | The standard price of a hotel room before any discount has been taken. |
| Reconfirm | To recheck a reservation. |
| Record locator | The number assigned to a reservation in an airline's computer system. No two reservations will ever have the same record locator number. |
| Red-eye flight | An overnight flight that leaves at night and arrives early the next morning. |
| Reissue | When a new ticket has to be created in exchange for another due to change of plans, dates, etc. In most cases a reissue will also involve fees and/or penalties. |
| Round trip | A flight to a single destination and a return. |
| Sabre | A computerized travel reservation system. |
| Saturday night stay | A requirement by the airlines that your travel must involve a Saturday night stay over in order to obtain the lowest fare. |
| Scheduled carrier | An airline that operates on a regular, published schedule. |
| Shoulder season | The period of time between the high and low seasons when rates for a destination are between their highest and lowest. |
| Special fare | Any fare other than those normally offered. |
| Suite | A hotel room that is ranked by a property as a nicer class of room which also has more available amenities and space. |
| Supplier | Any company that supplies travel and/or related services to the traveling public. |
| Through passenger | A passenger who is not disembarking at a particular stop while en route to the final destination. |
| Ticket stock | Blank airline tickets. |
| Travel agency | Usually used in the travel industry to refer to an ARC-appointed storefront retailer. |
| Travel agent | Any person who sells travel products on a commission basis. |
| Unlimited mileage | No mileage restriction when renting a car. |
| Unrestricted fare
Unrestricted fare | An airfare that has no special advance purchase, Saturday stay or certain days to travel requirements, and is usually refundable. |
| Waiver | A written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something. |
