- C -

cabin - the passenger area on an aircraft; the stateroom aboard a cruise ship

cabin steward - the person responsible for maintaining/cleaning the cabins aboard ship

call sign - The title used to identify an aircraft for communication purposes. An example would be Air Canada 856 (A flight from Toronto to London).

cancellation penalty - the monetary penalty due when travel plans are cancelled, usually after final payment has been made

card mill - a " business " that sells potentially fake travel agent ID cards, usually in a sort of pyramid scheme, whereby the buyer intends only to partake of any legitimate agent benefits. These are BAD News! "

carrier - generic term for any company that transports passengers and/or freight

carry-on - Luggage that is permitted to be brought on to the aircraft by the passenger.

cashless cruising - a term that applies to the system of onboard payment used for most all cruises; the final bill for any such purchases is presented against a credit card or cash deposit given upon check-in. The final statement itemizes the purchases of all passengers in a cabin, such as drinks, shore tours, etc.

cay - pronounced " key " - term for a small island, used primarily in the Caribbean, such as Princess Cay

Certified Travel Associate - (CTA) - a travel professional certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, who has passed a series of rigorous tests, assuring the traveling public of professional competence

change of equipment - when a flight, with a single flight number, lands and changes the type of airplane used before continuing on to it's destination

change of gauge - same as above

Chunnel - slang for the tunnel beneath the English Channel, from England to France, through which the Eurostar train passes

circle trip - A trip that involves more than one destination. An example would be London to Milan, then Milan to Frankfurt, and return to London (with Milan and Frankfurt both being destinations).

city pair - the departure and arrival cities on an airline booking

CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association, located in New York City, NY

coach - the " economy " section of an aircraft, which may have literally scores of different fares for the same flight

cockpit - The compartment at the front of the plane containing all of the devices required to fly an aircraft
codeshare - An agreement between airlines to sell space on each other's flights. The flights will have both the operating carrier's flight number (the airline that is using its aircraft for the flight), and the codesharing flight number (the partner airline in the agreement sells space on the flight as if it were its own, and has its own flight number).

For example, Air Canada operates flight AC812 from Chicago O'Hare to Toronto Pearson. United codeshares on this flight, selling space as UA3094.

collision damage waiver - car rental insurance covering any damage to a rental vehicle ( CDW ); many credit card companies cover their clients in this area if they use that card to pay for the rental. Check with you credit card company to see if you are covered and to what extent

commercial airline - An airline that transports passengers.

commission cap - the limit placed on commissions paid to travel agents for the sale of air tickets, regardless of their price; designed to allow airlines to increase their profits at the expense of their primary distribution system - the travel agents

commuter - term referring to the small, regional airlines, sometimes called puddle-jumpers

comp - The abbreviated form of Complimentary - any freebies or complimentary extras.

concierge - a hotel employee who provides additional advice, recommendations, and other services to guests, such as restaurant reservations

connecting flight - an air journey that requires changing planes at an intermediate city along the way

connection - The additional flight(s) required to get from the airport of origin to the final arrival airport. For example, Los Angeles to Paris with a connection in Chicago means a change of planes in Chicago.

consolidator - a business that sells airline tickets in bulk, usually at some savings, but with many restrictions - be careful who you use !

contract of carriage - The legal contract between the passenger and the airline, issued with the ticket.

couchette - the sleeping compartment of a train, that can contain up to 6 beds

CST - Central Standard Time

CTA - Certified Travel Associate

CTC - Certified Travel Counselor - the ultimate in travel professionals, CTC certification can be compared to the " Master's Degree " of the industry

CVB - Convention and Visitor's Bureau ( generic term )

- D -

DALPO - The abbreviated form of do all possible, used in computer reservations systems.
debark - to get off an airplane or passenger ship

deck - the floor area of a ship. Some cruiseliners have as many as 11 to 14 decks or more !!
deck plan - the drawing representing the location of the decks, public rooms, cabins, etc of a cruise ship

denied-boarding compensation - that payment and/or voucher given those bumped from a flight; may be somewhat negotiable - always ask ! See " bumping "

Department of State - the US government agency that, among other things, issues cautions and warnings concerning travel to many points worldwide. Connect to the Department of State for the latest updates for the areas you are interested in.

Destination - The place a person is traveling to. dine-around-plan - a meal plan, usually prepaid, that allows one to dine at various restaurants in an area

diner - the restaurant car of a passenger train

direct access - refers to a travel agent's ability to get directly into an airlines database to get true last-seat availability and correct pricing - a big difference between internet fare " quoters " and an agent's CRS ( Computer Reservations System )

direct flight - a flight to another city that stops at least once en route, but does not involve passengers to change planes.

disclaimer - a legal document that advises clients that a travel agent acts only as a middleman in the sale of travel products; any liability ultimately lies with the supplier, i.e. airline, hotel, car rental company, tour operator, railway, etc.

discount fare - A lower priced fare, usually offered for a limited time.

domestic fare - a fare charged for travel within a country

double booking - a not-nice practice of holding reservations to the same destination for the same times/days, on the same carriers but through different travel agencies, when only one reservation will ultimately be used

double occupancy - the way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people traveling together. Most hotel rooms are quoted based on two adults to a room, as well

drop-off charge - the fee added to a car rental when the vehicle is returned to a city other than where it was originally rented. In some states, there is no drop off fee most of the time, such as in Florida

duty-free - being exempt from any import tax

- E -

elderhostel - hostel catering to seniors - see " hostel "

electronic ticket - a " paperless " airline ticket allowing one to check-in and fly with just proper photo ID. What may look like a ticket is actually just a paper passenger receipt. E-tickets cannot be lost, or used by anyone else, so they are safer than standard paper tickets, which may soon become extinct. One drawback is that e-tickets on one carrier cannot be honored by another, so in a cancelled-flight snafu, the original carrier must print hard copy tickets before another airline can accept them. This presents major paperwork problems for the affected carrier

embark - to board a plane or cruise ship

en suite - in the hotel industry, indicates that a certain feature(s) is directly in the room, or adjacent to that room

English breakfast - basic meal of cereal, juice, eggs, meats, and other beverages. Common with most hotels in the UK/Great Britain

EST - Eastern Standard Time

ETA - estimated time of arrival

ETD - estimated time of departure

E-tickets - Also known as Electronic Tickets or Ticketless Travel. A ticket that is not physically printed on ticket stock, and is instead stored in the computer reservation system of an airline. E-ticket holders are issued a receipt, contract of carriage, and flight itinerary as proof of travel documents.

Eurailpass - a special fare ticket that allows either unlimited train travel, or travel for a certain number of days/weeks, in many European countries (except in Britain, where the Britrailpass offers similar travel in England, Scotland, and Wales)

European plan - a rate at a hotel that includes no meals

excess baggage - Luggage that exceeds the airline's allowable limit for weight or number of pieces. Passengers are usually charged extra for excess baggage, if excess baggage is permitted at all.

excursion - a side trip from a main destination, usually at added cost and optional

excursion fare - A lower priced fare with restrictions, like advance purchase, non refundable, etc.

extra section - A second flight added to a flight schedule in order to accommodate additional passengers.