Flight Vocabulary

 Flight attendant – A steward or stewardess on an aircraft.

 Cabin crew – The members of an aircraft crew who attend to passengers.
 Steward/stewardess – A person who looks after the passengers on a ship, aircraft, or train and brings them meals.
 Passenger safety – the safety of on board passengers.
 Captain – The pilot in command of a civil aircraft.
 Pre-flight safety demonstration – a safety demonstration before a plane takes off on safety procedures in the
event of an emergency.
 Emergency exits – a special exit only used during an emergency.
 Seat belt – A belt or strap securing a person to prevent injury, esp. in a vehicle or aircraft.
 Lavatory – toilet.
 Armrest – A padded or upholstered arm of a chair or other seat on which a sitter’s arm can comfortably rest.
 Reading light – a personal light you can turn on when main lights on the aircraft are off.
 Overhead luggage compartment – a storage container usually above passenger seats in a plane.
 Foot rest – A support for the feet or a foot, used when sitting.
 In-flight entertainment – entertainment on-board an aircraft that may include movies, music and games.
 Blanket – A large piece of woolen or similar material used as a bed covering or other covering for warmth.
 Estimated time of arrival (ETA) – the estimated time at which the aircraft will arrive at its destination.
 Estimated time of departure (ETD) – the estimated time at which the aircraft will depart.
 Unaccompanied minor (UM) – a young child travelling alone without an adult.
 Passenger manifest – a list of all passengers on the aircraft and where they are seated.
 Galley – The kitchen in a ship or aircraft.
 Food trolley – A small table on wheels that conveys food and water.

Do you want to be a flight attendant so you can fly around the world with these international travelers?
Do you dream of flying through the skies every day?
The life of a flight attendant can be very glamorous—but you will also have a lot of work and responsibility.
People sometimes think that flight attendants are just fancy waiters and waitresses. While taking care of your
passengers is important, there is a lot more you need to know.
Flight attendants are extremely important because they are responsible for keeping airplanes, and all the
passengers who are on them, healthy and safe.
If you are ready to take on that big responsibility, then we are going to help you prepare to become a flight
attendant.
Not only that, but we will help you become the best possible flight attendant you can be.
After this lesson in English words and phrases for flight attendants, you will be completely prepared to handle any
situation in airports and airplanes with patience, intelligence and a smile.

Prepare for Takeoff: English Words and Phrases for Flight Attendants
Flight attendants do not only work on airplanes. They also work in airports. Working in an airport requires you to
know lots of vocabulary related to traveling.
Travelers are always running quickly around airports, worrying and looking for their flights. When they see you
wearing your uniform for work, they will know that you are a flight attendant. If they have questions about where
to find their next flight, they will ask you.
We want you to be able to help these lost and confused passengers! We will start by giving you English
vocabulary that is very helpful for when you need to help travelers in the airport.
1. Navigating the Airport
This is the essential vocabulary you need to know about the airport:
 airline — An airline is a company that owns airplanes. Some examples are American Airlines, Singapore Airlines
and Emirates.
 airfare — Airfare is the price of a plane ticket.
 flights — A flight is a trip made on an airplane between two places.
 layover — A layover is when passengers must get off one plane and get on another plane in order to reach their
final destination. Sometimes passengers only have a few minutes to go to their next flight. Other times, they may
need to wait for hours—or even days!
 terminal — A terminal is a large building where passengers get on flights and get off flights. Large airports may
have multiple terminals. Small airports only have one terminal.
 gate — Gates are usually numbered, and each one has a place where passengers can sit down and wait for their
plane to arrive. The gate is also where the flight attendants will check passengers’ documents and help them get on
the plane.
 arrivals — Arrivals are flights that are arriving at the airport. There is an arrivals board that shows which flights
are arriving and at what times.
 departures — Departures are flights that are leaving the airport. There is a departures board (usually right next
to the arrivals board) that shows which flights are leaving and at what times. You should try to remember where
arrivals and departures boards are in major airports so that you can tell passengers where to find them.
 on time — When a plane is on time, it will arrive or depart at the scheduled (planned) time.
 delayed — When a flight is delayed, it will take longer to arrive or depart.
 cancelled — Cancelled flights are flights that are not going to happen. Passengers will need to find different
flights to their destinations. Cancelled flights usually appear in red on the arrivals and departures boards, so that
passengers can easily see them.
 check in — Check in is where passengers must show their travel documents (such as passports and visas) to
airline employees. The airline employees will make sure they have the right documents to travel, and they will
prepare the passengers’ suitcases to be put on the plane.
 boarding — A flight is boarding when passengers are getting on the airplane.
 lost and found — When people lose items in the airport, they may be brought to the lost and found. People can
then go there to find an item that they lost.
 luggage/baggage storage — Travelers may want to leave their suitcases somewhere so that they can exit the
airport. This is common when passengers have long layovers and want to see the city they are waiting in until their
next flight leaves.
2. Getting On Board
A very important part of being a flight attendant is helping passengers get onto airplanes. As a flight attendant, you
will need to be at the gate for each flight. You will need to give passengers information about the gate, the flight
and their tickets.
Types of tickets
 rows — A row of seats is a line of seats that starts on the left side of the plane and goes to the right side of the
plane. These rows are numbered. You will usually start boarding the plane by telling passengers in the first few
rows (for example, rows 1 to 3) to board. You will need to make a clear statement, such as “We are now boarding
all passengers in rows 1 through 3.” You will need to repeat this statement several times to be sure that everyone
can hear and understand you.
 first class — The passengers sitting in the first rows are in first class seating. The seats in first class have more
space for passengers to move around. The seats are usually bigger and more comfortable. First class passengers
may also receive special services while on the flight. For these reasons, first class seats are more expensive, and
the first class passengers get to board the plane first.
 business class — Seats in business class have less special services and benefits than first class, but they are better
than economy seating . Business class seats are usually a little bit less expensive than first class seats.
 economy class — Economy class seating is where most passengers will sit. These tickets are less expensive than
first class. This is also known as coach seating. Passengers may say that they are flying coach.
 window seats — Window seats are seats close to the side of the plane, where there are windows. That is easy
enough to remember! The window seats on the left side of the plane are labeled with the letter “A.” From left to
right, seats are labeled with the next letters in the alphabet. So, to the left of seats in column A are B, C, D and so
on. The window seats on the far right of the plane will be labeled with the last letter in the sequence.
 aisle seats — The aisle is the hallway where people can walk on the plane. Aisle seats are the seats closest to the
aisle.
 exit row — The exit row is the row of seats near the emergency exit. You will need to make sure that strong,
healthy people sit in these rows. For example, elderly people and children should be seated elsewhere. If there is
an emergency, somebody strong must be able to open the emergency exit door.
 bulkhead — Bulkhead seats offer more legroom (extra space where passengers can stretch out their legs and be
more comfortable). There are not many of these seats on a plane.
Giving these instructions requires more than just vocabulary, it requires good pronunciation.
The importance of good English pronunciation
Even using the microphone, it may be difficult for passengers to hear you and understand you.
It is very important that you speak clearly and use a great English accent. Speak slowly if you need to. Stop for a
second and think about the words you are reading or speaking.
You need to pronounce every English word properly, so that passengers know when they should stop waiting, go
to the gate where you are standing and get on the airplane.
Some common questions :
A: Can I ask you some questions about the in-flight ………………………?
B: I would be happy to help you ……………………. anything you need help with.
A: Could you help me find out where my ………………………. exit is?
B: There is a card in your ……………………….. that shows you where your nearest exit is. Yours is
two rows in front of you.
A: Where is my …………………………… that you were talking about?
B: Your oxygen mask is above you, next to the reading light. It will drop down when you need it.
A: I am concerned about ……………………. in the water.
B: The life jackets are under your seat. You can also use your seat pillow as a flotation device.
A: What is the most important thing we can do to stay safe?
B: The most important thing you can do is keep your ………………. fastened when the captain asks
you to.
Some common questions :
A: Can I ask you some questions about the in-flight ………………………?
B: I would be happy to help you ……………………. anything you need help with.
A: Could you help me find out where my ………………………. exit is?
B: There is a card in your ……………………….. that shows you where your nearest exit is. Yours is
two rows in front of you.
A: Where is my …………………………… that you were talking about?
B: Your oxygen mask is above you, next to the reading light. It will drop down when you need it.
A: I am concerned about ……………………. in the water.
B: The life jackets are under your seat. You can also use your seat pillow as a flotation device.
A: What is the most important thing we can do to stay safe?
B: The most important thing you can do is keep your ………………. fastened when the captain asks
you to.
Straight - Boarding pass – seat - scale – flying - boarding – checking – flying – gate
Agent: Good afternoon! Where are you ………………. to today?
Dan: Los Angeles.
Agent: May I have your passport, please?
Dan: Here you go.
Agent: Are you ……………. any bags?
Dan: Just this one.
Agent: OK, please place your bag on the ………………….
Dan: I have a ………………….. in Chicago – do I need to pick up my luggage there?
Agent: No, it’ll go ……………… through to Los Angeles. Here is your ………………… – your flight
leaves from ………….. 15A and it’ll begin …………….. at 3:20. Your …………… number is 26E.
Dan: Thanks.

Straight - Boarding pass – seat - scale – flying - boarding – checking – flying – gate
Agent: Good afternoon! Where are you ………………. to today?
Dan: Los Angeles.
Agent: May I have your passport, please?
Dan: Here you go.
Agent: Are you ……………. any bags?
Dan: Just this one.
Agent: OK, please place your bag on the ………………….
Dan: I have a ………………….. in Chicago – do I need to pick up my luggage there?
Agent: No, it’ll go ……………… through to Los Angeles. Here is your ………………… – your flight
leaves from ………….. 15A and it’ll begin …………….. at 3:20. Your …………… number is 26E.
Dan: Thanks.