Travel Glossary Of Terms
Navigating the travel industry can feel like learning an entirely new language.
With acronyms and specialised terms, it can be challenging to keep up. To help you decode this jargon, we’ve compiled the following travel glossary of terms.
This guide will enhance your understanding of the industry, making you fluent in travel-speak.
| Term | Explanation |
| Aggregator | A website or booking platform that gathers and shows travel options from various sources (airlines, hotels, car rentals) in one place, making it easy to compare choices and prices for a destination. |
| API | A set of rules that allows different software programs to communicate with each other, similar to how a user interface lets people interact with computers. |
| Advance purchase | An airfare or hotel room that needs to be bought a certain number of days in advance (usually 7, 14, or 21 days) to get the best price. These fares are often non-refundable and cannot be changed. |
| Advanced purchase rate | A fare that requires booking a certain number of days in advance (e.g., for flights, hotels, cruises). |
| ADR (Average Daily Rate) | A hotel term used to calculate the average room rate by dividing the room revenue by the number of rooms sold. |
| Airport code | A 3-letter code identifying airports worldwide, like LAX for Los Angeles International Airport. |
| BFOD (Best Fare of the Day) | The lowest fare available on the day of booking, often used in corporate travel policies. |
| Business traveller | Someone who travels for work purposes. |
| Block-out dates | Dates when negotiated corporate rates at hotels are not available due to high demand or events. |
| BAR (Best Available Rate) | The lowest unrestricted rate available for a hotel room on a given day. |
| BTA (Business Travel Account) | A central billing system provided by travel management companies for managing travel expenses without needing a physical credit card. |
| Bumped | When an airline has oversold a flight and needs to remove passengers. |
| CTM (Corporate Travel Management) | A company specialising in managing business travel services. |
| Concierge | The hotel staff member or desk that helps guests with special requests, like booking theatre tickets or tours. |
| Carbon credits | Certificates confirming the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through certified projects. |
| Carbon offset | Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing credits from reduction projects. |
| Carbon budgets | Limits on carbon emissions allowed for a company’s travel activities to reduce its carbon footprint. |
| Chargeback | Authorisation for a travel supplier to charge a corporate credit card for approved services. |
| Cancellation policy | Rules set by travel suppliers regarding the cancellation of services, including notice periods and costs. |
| City pair | The starting and ending destinations of a trip. |
| Code share | An agreement where airlines share flight numbers and operate flights together, often within an alliance. |
| Corporate rate | A special rate negotiated with travel suppliers for business travel. |
| Corporate fare | A negotiated airfare for business travel. |
| CVM (Client Value Manager) | The dedicated account manager for your CTM services. |
| Days in advance | The number of days before the departure date when the booking is made. |
| Debtor | The company or business unit responsible for travel bookings. |
| Electronic boarding pass | A digital boarding pass for a flight, accessible on a mobile phone. |
| Electronic ticket (E-Ticket) | A digital version of a paper ticket for travel. |
| Early check-in | Checking into a hotel before the designated check-in time, subject to availability and possible fees. |
| ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) | The expected time when a flight or other transportation will arrive. |
| ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) | The expected time when a flight or other transportation will depart. |
| EV (Electric Vehicle) | A vehicle powered by electricity. |
| Fare class | The travel class offered by an airline, such as economy, premium economy, business class, or first class. |
| Fare basis | The code indicating the rules and conditions for a specific fare class. |
| Fare type | Different types of airfares with specific inclusions and conditions, like flexible or saver fares. |
| Famil | Familiarisation trips offered to travel professionals to experience a destination and travel services. |
| FIT (Free Independent Traveller) | Individual travellers not part of a group. |
| FOP (Form of Payment) | The method used to pay for travel services. |
| Frequent flyer programme | An airline membership programme where travellers earn points and status credits based on travel, which can be used for rewards like flights or upgrades. |
| Full house | When a hotel is at 100% occupancy. |
| GDS (Global Distribution System) | A system providing information on availability, prices, and services for travel bookings, used by travel agents and companies like Amadeus and Sabre. |
| GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) | A trade organisation providing education, events, research, and advocacy for travel professionals. |
| Group | Typically 10 or more people travelling together in a single booking. |
| Hub | An airport or location used as a central point for connecting flights or other travel services. |
| Incidentals | Expenses not included in the primary travel costs, like meals or phone calls, usually reimbursed separately. |
| IATA (International Air Transport Association) | The trade association for the world’s airlines, supporting aviation activities and policies. |
| Joint fare | A fare allowing travellers to buy a single ticket for a trip involving multiple airlines through an agreement. |
| LRA (Last Room Availability) | A hotel agreement guaranteeing that the last available room can be booked at the contracted price. |
| Land only | Travel arrangements that include ground transportation and accommodation, but not airfare. |
| Layover | The time spent on the ground between connecting flights. |
| LCC (Low-Cost Carrier) | An airline that offers lower fares by providing fewer services. |
| Lightning | Corporate Travel Management’s online booking tool. |
| Loyalty programme | Programmes by airlines, hotels, or car rental companies that let individuals or businesses earn and use points, sometimes with tiered memberships. |
| M&E (Meetings and Events) | A department handling business meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and incentive travel. |
| MICE | Stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events, a sector of business travel. |
| MCT (Minimum Connect Time) | The minimum time needed between connecting flights, varying by airport and airline. |
| Multi-airport city | A city with more than one major airport, like London with Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton. |
| NDC (New Distribution Capability) | A programme modernising airline content distribution to offer more personalised options. |
| NLRA (Non-Last Room Availability) | A hotel agreement allowing rate availability subject to occupancy levels. |
| No-show | When a passenger does not use their reservation and does not cancel it. |
| Nett rate | The price excluding commission for flights and accommodation. |
| Non-commissionable | A rate or fare that does not include commission payments. |
| OBT (Online Booking Tool) | A corporate travel tool for booking flights, hotels, car rentals, and more online. |
| Open skies policy | A travel policy allowing employees to book flights on any airline for more flexibility and potential cost savings. |
| OTA (Online Travel Agent) | A website or service where travellers can book travel arrangements online. |
| Open-jaw itinerary | A trip where there is no air travel between two points on the itinerary. |
| Online adoption rate | The percentage of bookings made via an online tool compared to other methods like phone or email. |
| One-way drop-off charge/fee | A fee for returning a rental car to a different location from where it was picked up. |
| Point to point | Direct travel between two locations without connecting flights. |
| Preferred supplier programme | A programme with a list of preferred travel suppliers offering discounted rates in exchange for guaranteed business volume. |
| Pre-paid | Travel expenses paid in advance, often with non-refundable terms. |
| Payment terms | The conditions and timeline for paying travel expenses, including methods, billing cycles, and any discounts or penalties. |
| Pax | Short for passengers, often used in air travel. |
| PNR (Passenger Name Record) | A reservation number used to track and manage travel bookings. |
| Phonetic alphabet | A standardised set of words used to ensure clear communication, often used in aviation. |
| Pseudo city code (PCC) | A unique identifier for a travel agency within a global distribution system. |
| Queue | A list of reservations needing special attention by a travel consultant, organised by priority or category. |
| Restricted fare | A discounted airfare with certain restrictions, like advance purchase or minimum stay requirements. |
| Road warrior | An employee who travels frequently for business. |
| RFP (Request for Proposal) | A formal document requesting bids from travel suppliers to compare and select the best option. |
| Reloc (Record Locator) | A unique identifier for a travel booking used to retrieve and manage reservations. |
| Red-eye flight | An overnight flight arriving early in the morning, often leading to tired passengers. |
| RTW (Round the World) | Discounted or promotional fares for travelling around the world offered by airlines or alliances. |
| ROH (Run of House) | A hotel room assigned at the hotel's discretion, without a specific type or location chosen by the guest. |
| Res | Short for reservation. |
| Reissue | Generating a new airline ticket due to changes in the existing one, often involving fees. |
| Seat pitch | The distance between a point on one aircraft seat and the same point on the seat in front or behind. |
| Self-booker | An employee allowed to make their travel arrangements using a company-approved online tool or app. |
| SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) | Fuel made from sustainable sources that reduces carbon emissions compared to traditional jet fuel. |
| Sleeper | A night train with beds. |
| SBT (Self Booking Tool) | A company-provided online tool for employees to manage their travel bookings. |
| Segment | Each portion of a journey in a travel booking. |
| SMMP (Strategic Meetings Management Programme) | A programme aiming to control costs and track a company’s meetings and events spending. |
| SOTO (Sold Outside of Ticketed Origin) | An airline ticket purchased outside the departure country. |
| Transfer | Ground transportation between airports, hotels, or other locations during a trip. |
| T&E (Travel & Expense) | Company expenses related to business travel, including meals and entertainment. |
| Toll-Free | A free phone number for customers to contact a company, often starting with 800 or 0800. |
| Ticket | A document confirming that travel has been paid for, including details like destination, date, and time. |
| Travel policy | Company guidelines for managing travel expenses and arrangements. |
| Travel management company | A business providing comprehensive travel services and support to other companies. |
| Unused ticket | A refundable or reusable travel ticket that has not been used. |
| Upgrading | Moving to a higher service class than originally booked, such as from economy to business class. |
| Virtual card | A digital payment method used to securely pay for travel services, offering better control and tracking. |
| Waitlisted | A booking status indicating the traveller is waiting for a confirmed seat or room. |