lexis4u: Airport Terminal Area

Thematic Vocabulary Unit Nº 246 v.5

Main Points

terminal 1 |n| a large building at an airport where passengers arrive and leave.
airport terminal / terminal 2 |n| a building at an airport. It is where passengers are able to get on and off aircraft. Inside the terminal, passengers can buy tickets, leave or pick up their luggage, and be checked by security staff. The buildings that provide access to the airplanes through gates are usually called concourses. Small airports have only one terminal, while large airports can have several terminals and/or concourses.
landside areas |n| include parking lots, public transportation train stations and access roads.
concourse |n| a large open central area inside or in front of a public building.
airline / airline business / airway |n| an organization providing a regular passenger air service.
airline counter |n| checkpoint close before flight.
"Passengers may make a special declaration of value to deliver the luggage at the airline counter and can benefit from a higher liability limit by paying a supplementary fee."
travel agency |n| a type of business that concerns itself with details of transportation, itinerary, and accommodations for travellers.
check-in |n| the place you go to when you arrive at an airport or hotel.
check-in desk |UK| / check-in counter |n| a service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel.
baggage reclaim |UK| / baggage claim |US| / baggage claim area |n| the place where you collect your baggage after a flight.
"A strike by baggage handlers caused major flight delays."
baggage carousel / luggage conveyor belt |UK| / conveyor belt |US| |n| a continuous moving band used for transporting goods from one part of a building to another, for example products in a factory or suitcases in an airport.
"Let's claim our baggage first."
"At the airport I found that I had 20kg of excess baggage."
carousel |n| a moving surface in an airport from which you collect your bags.
concourses |n| waiting areas which provide passenger access to aircraft.
gate / door |n| passageway where passengers can embark or disembark.
"Passengers for Madrid should proceed to gate 26 for boarding."
"Air France flight 76 leaves from gate 6A."
departure gate / departure / exit |n| any of the numbered exits leading to the airfield or aircraft.
"Passengers with hand luggage can go straight to the departure gate to check in there."
"A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets."
gateway |n| an entrance that can be closed by a gate.
passageway |n| a corridor or other narrow passage between buildings or rooms.
people mover |n| a simple railway system, usually in a place such as an airport or a theme park.
departures |n| the part of an airport that deals with passengers who are leaving.
arrivals |n| the part of an airport that deals with passengers who are arriving. The part that deals with passengers who are leaving is called departures.

Security Checkpoints

check point |n| a place, as at a frontier where vehicles or travellers are stopped for official identification, inspection, etc.
customs |n| an authority responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country.
"After passport control, you need to pass through customs."
inmigration office |n| a government office which handles various affairs pertaining to foreigners entering, living in, or working in the country. It normally issues visas, working permits, enforcement of immigration rules, and other related topics affecting residents, workers, and long-term visitors who are not full-fledged citizens.
scanner |n| a piece of equipment that is used at an airport for producing a picture of the inside of people’s bags.

Lounges

lounge |n| a room or area in a place such as an airport where people can sit and wait.
business lounge |n| a room at an airport for business class passengers, with comfortable chairs and a coffee bar and sometimes also computers, fax machines, and secretaries.
departure lounge |n| lounge where passengers can await departure.
executive lounge |n| a room at an airport or hotel with comfortable chairs, a coffee bar etc for people who are travelling first-class.
meeting point |n| a point at an airport or railway station where people can arrange to meet.
transit lounge |n| a room in an international airport where passengers can wait for their flight to another country.
waiting room / waiting area / passengers lounge |n| a building, or more commonly a part of a building, where people sit or stand until the event they are waiting for occurs.

Minor Points into Terminal Area

duty-free shop |n| a shop, especially one at an airport or on board a ship, that sells perfume, tobacco, etc., at duty-free prices.
pet and animal relief areas |US| |n| since 2009 the Department of Transportation (DOT) has required all airlines to make sure there are pet relief areas at airports, and escorts to those relief areas, for any passenger traveling with a service animal. As a result, airports everywhere have created and expanded animal relief areas that are open to all pets as well as service animals.
transit hotel |n| a short stay hotel typically used at international airports in the transit zone where airplane passengers on extended waits between planes can stay. The hotel is within the security/passport checkpoints and close to the airport terminals.
emergency exit |n| a different exit in a building that can be used in case of an emergency such as a fire.
restroom / toilet facility / public toilet / comfort station / public convenience/ public lavatory |n| a toilet that is available to the public.
airport lounge |n| an airport lounge is a facility owned by a particular airline. Many offer private meeting rooms, phone, wireless and Internet access and other business services, along with provisions to enhance comfort such as free drinks and snacks. At lounges, passengers also find more comfortable seating, quieter environments and better access to customer service representatives than in the airport terminal.
VIP lounge |n| a room for example at an airport where rich people, celebrities etc can go.
"When she met him in the VIP lounge at Heathrow, she was wearing a navy-and-white Chanel suit."