The following explain the most commonly used terms in the travel industry. Please contact us if you'd like explanations for any other terms, or have any which you would like us to add to the list.
| Airline Alliance | See ‘Codeshare’ |
|---|
| Baggage Allowance | Amount of baggage a passenger may transport without having to pay extra charges. Each air carrier determines this allowance – for both hand and hold luggage. |
|---|
| Bill Back | A procedure where the TMC pays for the service (flight, hotel, car hire etc) on the client’s behalf and then re-charges the client with the cost. |
|---|
| Boarding Pass | A ticket issued at check-in (online or airport) that allows boarding of plane, ship etc |
|---|
| Bulkhead Seats | Seats near the Emergency Exit. Often believed to have extra leg room, but often slightly restricted due to the extra space taken up by the Emergency Exit Door. |
|---|
| Bumping | See ‘Overbooking’ |
|---|
| Cancellation penalty | A fee charged to passengers that cancel flights after booking reservations. Fees typically vary based on the carrier. |
|---|
| Change fee | Fees collected by the airlines when a passenger makes changes to a restricted or penalty ticket. |
|---|
| Chartered Flight | A flight whereby booking is not scheduled, and the flight is tailored to fit with the passengers’ plans. Chartered flights are most commonly found as part of a holiday package, where the holiday company will hire a plane to fly to a specific destination on a certain day. |
|---|
| Check-in | The process required prior to boarding a flight, or gaining access to a hotel room. |
|---|
| CRS (Computer Reservation System) [also known as GDS (Global Distribution System)] | An international computer system that accesses many databases of airlines, hotels and is the tool that TMC consultants use to book travel. |
|---|
| Codeshare | A partnership between airlines allowing one airline to sell another carrier’s flight and operate using the partner carrier’s name and flight number. |
|---|
| Corporate Loyalty Scheme | Similar to a Frequent Flyer Program, however the traveller’s organisation earns points, which can be redeemed to potentially offset travel expenditure. |
|---|