Now boarding at gate 23.

 

Traveling to new places can be exciting (but also nerve-wrecking if you do not understand the announcements.) Fortunately, if you learn some English vocabulary, you’ll be able to catch your flight and take-off!

 

Check-in

 

Before you arrive or as soon as you get to the airport, you will want to check-in, or tell the airline you have arrived and will be getting on the plane. Nowadays, most people check-in virtually and download their ticket to avoid long queues. If you would prefer to check-in in person, you can go to the counter for the airline that you are flying with. They will ask for some documentation and a flight number to confirm your reservation.

 

Customs

 

This area of the airport is where they monitor your luggage and check to make sure you have a ticket. Your bags will be pushed through a conveyor belt with x-ray scanners, and you will walk through a metal detector.

 

Immigrations

 

If you are traveling internationally, you will have to go through immigrations. This area is a security checkpoint where they will check that you have the proper documentation to leave and enter your arrival country.

 

Gate

 

In order to board your flight, you will need to find the corresponding gate number so you can wait. You can find this either on your ticket or on the arrivals and departures board. At the gate, you will also receive important information about arrival and departure times.

 

Boarding time

 

Once you have located your gate, you will also see the boarding time, or the time everyone can begin getting on the plane, displayed. This information will also be on your ticket, but it is better to double-check at the gate because it can change. Airlines tend to start boarding by calling passengers in specific sections or members of elite programs on first.

 

Arrivals and departures

 

This will tell you the time when your flight is getting in or leaving the airport. These times are important to pay attention to as you could miss your flight if you do not read the time correctly. If you need help in the airport, you can look for the arrivals and departures board which will also tell you the airport you will leave from as well as the destination and gate number. 

 

Layover

 

When a flight needs to make a stop in a different city than your destination, this is called a layover. Most layovers will require passengers to exit the aircraft and board a new one but sometimes passengers are instructed to wait in their original airplane until they can take off again. Layovers can be long or short, so it is best to know how much time you have to get to your new gate before take-off.

 

Baggage claim

 

If you checked a bag on the airplane with you, you would need to pick it up from baggage claim after you land. This is usually located after immigrations and consists of a carousel of everyone’s luggage from the same aircraft. Airport workers or display signs will direct you to the spot where you can find your bags.