English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate » Unit 47: Air travel

Word List
  • aircraft
  • announcement
  • available
  • baggage reclaim
  • board n, v
  • boarding card
  • cabin crew
  • celebrate
  • check [examine]
  • check-in (desk)
  • customs
  • delay
  • departure
  • departures board
  • destination
  • duty free
  • excess baggage
  • fasten
  • flight number
  • gate (3/5/10, etc.) (airport)
  • go through
  • hand luggage
  • land v
  • landing
  • luggage
  • nothing to declare
  • overhead locker
  • passenger
  • rare [meat]
  • runway
  • seat belt
  • suitcase
  • take-off
  • terminal (building)
  • trolley
  • weigh
Exercises

47.1 ‣ Complete the words or phrases using words from the box.

  1. board
  2. reclaim
  3. number
  4. free
  5. crew
  6. baggage
  7. card
  8. building
  9. control
  10. desk
  11. luggage
  12. locker
  1. departures
  2. excess _____
  3. check-in _____
  4. hand _____
  5. terminal _____
  6. duty _____
  7. flight _____
  8. overhead _____
  9. boarding _____
  10. cabin _____
  11. baggage _____
  12. passport _____

47.2 ‣ Answer the questions.

  1. What’s the place where the airline staff check your ticket?
  2. Who are the people that travel on a plane? _____
  3. What do airline staff weigh at the check-in desk? _____
  4. What’s the piece of paper they give you at the check-in desk? _____
  5. What do we call the place you’re travelling to? _____
  6. What do airport staff do at passport control? _____
  7. What do we call the place where you get on the plane? _____
  8. What do you call the bags that you can take on the plane with you? _____
  9. What’s the part of the airport where the plane takes off and lands? _____

47.3 ‣ Complete the email.

To: Tom
From: Ellie

Hi Tom I’ve just arrived in Rome but I’m still recovering from a really terrible 1. When we were in the airport in Manchester there was an 2_____ telling us that there would be a one-hour 3_____ because of bad weather, but when we finally 4_____ the plane, there was a further delay before we could 5_____. There was more bad weather over France, and we all had to 6_____ our seat belts, which worried me a bit. In fact, I was almost sick, but the cabin 7_____ were really nice.

It was still raining and very windy when we 8_____ in Rome and I was really glad to get off the plane and get into the 9_____ building. I really hope the return 10_____ is a lot better. See you soon. Ellie

47.4 ‣

Over to you

Answer the questions. If you don’t fly very much, ask someone else.

  1. What is the best part and the worst part of the flight?
    _____
  2. When do you often have delays, and why?
    _____
  3. What do you usually do on the aircraft during the flight?
    _____
  4. What’s the first thing you do on arrival?
    _____
  5. Do you ever have anything to declare when you go through customs?
    _____
Answer Key
A ‣ Departure*

When you arrive at an airport, the departures board will show you the flight numbers (e.g. BA735), departure times (e.g. 08.40), and destinations1.

At check-in / the check-in desk, someone will check your ticket and weigh2 your luggage. If it is more than, for example, 20 kilograms, you will have to pay excess baggage3. You can take your hand luggage with you on the aircraft4. You also get your boarding card5 and then you can go through passport control, where someone checks your passport6, and into the departure lounge, where you can buy things in the duty-free shop, e.g. cigarettes and perfume.

Shortly before take-off7, you go to the place where you get on the plane, e.g. Gate 3 or Gate 5. When you board the plane8, you can put your hand luggage in a small cupboard above your seat called an overhead locker. You then have to fasten your seat belt. If there are no delays9, the plane moves slowly to the runway10, then it takes off.

* when you leave a place, at the start of a journey
1 where the flights are going to
2 see how heavy something is
3 pay extra for your luggage
4 plane
5 a piece of paper you must show to get on the plane
6 looks at your passport carefully
7 when the plane takes off / leaves the ground
8 get on the plane
9 when you have to wait longer than expected
10 the large road that planes use for take-offs and landings

Common mistakes

My flight number is BA640. (NOT My fly number is BA640.) I slept the whole flight. (NOT I slept the whole fly.)

B ‣ Arrival*

When the plane lands1, there is always an announcement2 from a member of the cabin crew3 telling passengers to wait until the plane completely stops before they stand up. Then you get off the plane and walk through the terminal building4 to passport control. When you’ve got your luggage from baggage reclaim5, you go through customs6 and leave the airport.

* when someone or something arrives
1 arrives on the ground
2 spoken information to a group of people
3 the people on the aircraft who look after
4 the airport building
5 the place where you collect your luggage
6 go through the area where your luggage may be the passengers checked to make sure you don’t have anything illegal.

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