Travel glossary

Travel terms, plainly explained.

87 terms from airline fare rules to safari slang — the language travel professionals use, translated.

A

Airline AllianceAir Travel: An airline alliance is a partnership of airlines, chiefly Star Alliance, oneworld, and SkyTeam, that links their networks, loyalty programs, lounges, and connections for travelers.
All-InclusiveIslands & Resorts: An all-inclusive rate bundles accommodation, all meals, most drinks, and usually some activities into one price, though exactly what’s included varies widely by property.
AtollIslands & Resorts: An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef or chain of islets encircling a lagoon, formed where a volcanic island has subsided beneath the sea.
Attrition ClauseCorporate Travel: An attrition clause is a hotel or venue contract term that charges a group for reserved rooms or catering it fails to use, beyond an agreed allowance.

B

Basic EconomyAir Travel: Basic economy is an airline’s cheapest economy fare, sold with restrictions such as limited or no changes, no advance seat selection, last boarding, and reduced mileage earning.
Big FiveSafari & Africa: The Big Five are lion, leopard, elephant, African buffalo, and rhinoceros, a term coined by hunters for the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot, now a safari checklist.
Bleisure TravelCorporate Travel: Bleisure travel combines a business trip with leisure time, typically by adding personal days before or after work commitments at or near the same destination.
Butler ServiceHotels: Butler service is personalized attention from dedicated hotel or cruise staff who handle tasks such as unpacking, pressing, reservations, and in-room dining for specific guests.

C

Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)Insurance & Planning: Cancel For Any Reason is an optional travel insurance upgrade that typically reimburses 50–75% of prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if you cancel for a reason not otherwise covered.
Carrier-Imposed SurchargeAir Travel: A carrier-imposed surcharge is a fee an airline adds to a ticket on top of the base fare and government taxes, usually shown under the codes YQ or YR.
Club LevelHotels: Club level is a hotel room category that includes access to a private lounge, typically with breakfast, all-day refreshments, evening drinks and canapés, and dedicated concierge help.
CodeshareAir Travel: A codeshare is an agreement in which one airline sells seats under its own flight number on a flight operated by a partner airline.
ConservancySafari & Africa: A wildlife conservancy is land managed for conservation and low-density tourism, often owned by local communities who lease it to safari operators in return for income.
Cost CenterCorporate Travel: A cost center is the department, project, or business unit a travel expense is charged to, captured at booking so spending can be allocated and reported accurately.

D

Denied Boarding CompensationAir Travel: Denied boarding compensation is money airlines must pay passengers involuntarily bumped from an oversold flight departing the US, under DOT rules, based on how late they arrive.
Duty of CareCorporate Travel: Duty of care is an employer’s responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety, and security of employees while they travel for work.

E

E-Ticket (Electronic Ticket)Air Travel: An e-ticket is an electronic airline ticket stored in the airline’s system and identified by a 13-digit ticket number, the industry standard since paper tickets were retired.
Elite StatusAir Travel: Elite status is a tier in an airline or hotel loyalty program, earned through qualifying travel or spending, that unlocks perks such as upgrades, free bags, and priority service.
ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)Documents & Entry: ESTA is the online travel authorization that citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries need to visit the United States; it is not for US citizens traveling abroad.
ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System)Documents & Entry: ETIAS is an upcoming online travel authorization that visa-exempt visitors, including Americans, will need for short stays in Europe’s Schengen countries; no official start date is set yet.
eVisa (Electronic Visa)Documents & Entry: An eVisa is a visa you apply for and receive online through a country’s official portal, without visiting an embassy, then present on arrival with your passport.

F

Fare Basis CodeAir Travel: A fare basis code is an alphanumeric code on an airline ticket that identifies the exact fare purchased and the rules attached to it, such as refunds and changes.
Fare Class (Booking Class)Air Travel: A fare class is the one-letter booking code airlines use to price and track a ticket within a cabin, determining its rules, flexibility, upgrade eligibility, and mileage earning.
Fifth-Freedom FlightAir Travel: A fifth-freedom flight is operated by an airline between two countries other than its own, usually as one leg of a route to or from its home country.
Fly-In SafariSafari & Africa: A fly-in safari uses small light aircraft to move travelers between remote bush airstrips and camps, replacing long road transfers between wildlife areas.
Force MajeureInsurance & Planning: Force majeure is a contract clause that excuses parties from their obligations when extraordinary events beyond their control, such as natural disasters or war, prevent performance.
Full BoardIslands & Resorts: Full board is a hotel meal plan that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner with your room rate, but usually not drinks, unlike an all-inclusive plan.

G

Game DriveSafari & Africa: A game drive is a guided wildlife-viewing excursion in an open or pop-top safari vehicle, usually timed for early morning and late afternoon when animals are most active.
GDS (Global Distribution System)Travel Industry: A Global Distribution System is a computerized network that lets travel agencies search and book airline, hotel, and car rental inventory and fares in real time.
Global EntryDocuments & Entry: Global Entry is a US Customs and Border Protection trusted traveler program that speeds pre-approved, low-risk travelers through US re-entry and includes TSA PreCheck.
Great MigrationSafari & Africa: The Great Migration is the year-round circular movement of over a million wildebeest, plus zebras and gazelles, between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara following rain and grazing.
Green SeasonSafari & Africa: Green season is the rainy summer period on many African safari circuits, roughly November to April, bringing lush landscapes, newborn animals, migratory birds, and lower rates.
Group Block (Room Block)Corporate Travel: A group block is a set of hotel rooms reserved for a group at a negotiated rate, held until a cutoff date when unbooked rooms return to general sale.

H

Hidden-City TicketingAir Travel: Hidden-city ticketing means buying a connecting ticket and deliberately ending the trip at the connection city because that fare is cheaper than flying there directly.

I

IATA Airport CodeAir Travel: An IATA airport code is a three-letter code assigned by the International Air Transport Association to identify an airport, such as LAX for Los Angeles International.
Incentive TravelCorporate Travel: Incentive travel is a reward trip a company offers employees, dealers, or partners for reaching performance goals, usually a hosted group trip to an aspirational destination.
Interline AgreementAir Travel: Interlining is an agreement that lets airlines combine their flights on one ticket and transfer passengers and checked bags between them.

J

Jet LagAir Travel: Jet lag is a temporary sleep disorder that occurs when your body clock falls out of sync with local time after flying across three or more time zones.

K

Known Traveler Number (KTN)Documents & Entry: A Known Traveler Number is the ID issued to members of TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI that you add to airline bookings to receive PreCheck screening.

L

LayoverAir Travel: A layover is the time you spend at an intermediate airport between connecting flights, typically under 24 hours on international trips and under four hours domestically.
Little FiveSafari & Africa: The Little Five are the elephant shrew, ant lion, rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver, and leopard tortoise, small animals named after the Big Five and best found on foot.

M

Medical Evacuation InsuranceInsurance & Planning: Medical evacuation insurance covers emergency transport, often by air ambulance, to the nearest adequate hospital, and sometimes home, if you’re seriously ill or injured while traveling.
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions)Corporate Travel: MICE stands for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions: the sector of group travel built around business gatherings and reward trips.
Minimum Connection Time (MCT)Air Travel: Minimum connection time is the shortest interval an airport and airlines officially allow between connecting flights for the connection to be sold on one ticket.
MokoroSafari & Africa: A mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe, now often made of fiberglass, poled through the shallow channels of Botswana’s Okavango Delta by a standing guide.
MotuIslands & Resorts: A motu is a small, low-lying islet of sand and coral on the reef around a lagoon; the Polynesian word is used throughout French Polynesia.

N

NDC (New Distribution Capability)Travel Industry: NDC, or New Distribution Capability, is an IATA data standard that lets airlines send fares, bundles, and extras directly to travel agencies and corporate booking tools.
Negotiated Fare (Corporate Rate)Corporate Travel: A negotiated fare is a discounted airline or hotel rate a company secures through a direct agreement with a supplier, usually in exchange for committed volume or market share.
Night DriveSafari & Africa: A night drive is a guided game drive after dark that uses a spotlight to find nocturnal animals, permitted mainly in private reserves, concessions, conservancies, and some national parks.

O

Online Booking Tool (OBT)Corporate Travel: An online booking tool is a self-service platform where employees book business travel within company policy, with bookings captured and serviced by the company’s travel management company.
Open-Jaw TicketAir Travel: An open-jaw ticket is a round-trip itinerary where you fly into one city and return home from a different one, avoiding backtracking.
Overwater BungalowIslands & Resorts: An overwater bungalow is a resort villa built on stilts above a lagoon, typically with a private deck and direct ladder access to the water below.

P

Pareo (Pāreu)Islands & Resorts: A pareo is a lightweight wraparound cloth from Tahiti, worn by women and men as a skirt, dress, or beach cover-up and tied in many different styles.
Passport Validity Rule (Six-Month Rule)Documents & Entry: A passport validity rule requires your passport to remain valid for a set period beyond your travel dates, commonly six months, or boarding or entry can be refused.
Pension de FamilleIslands & Resorts: A pension de famille is a small, family-run guesthouse; in French Polynesia, it is often the main or only style of lodging on remote islands and atolls.
Per DiemCorporate Travel: A per diem is a fixed daily allowance an employer pays or reimburses for a traveler’s lodging, meals, and incidental expenses on a business trip.
PNR (Record Locator)Air Travel: A PNR, or passenger name record, is the reservation file for your trip, identified by a six-character code called the record locator or confirmation code.
Positioning FlightAir Travel: A positioning flight is a separate trip you take to reach the city where your main itinerary starts, usually to access a better fare, route, or award seat.
Premium EconomyAir Travel: Premium economy is a separate airline cabin between economy and business, offering wider seats, more legroom and recline, upgraded meals, and extra baggage at a mid-range price.
Private ConcessionSafari & Africa: A private concession is a tract of wildlife land leased to a safari operator for exclusive use by its guests, typically allowing off-road driving, night drives, and walking safaris.

R

Rack RateHotels: The rack rate is a hotel’s full published price for a room before any discounts, the benchmark against which corporate, promotional, and package rates are measured.
REAL IDDocuments & Entry: A REAL ID is a federally compliant state driver’s license or ID card; since May 7, 2025, adults need one, or another accepted ID, to pass TSA airport security.
Red-Eye FlightAir Travel: A red-eye is an overnight flight that departs late in the evening and arrives early the next morning, named for passengers’ tired, bloodshot eyes.
Redress NumberDocuments & Entry: A redress number is a case number from the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, issued to travelers who repeatedly face screening problems, often from name similarities with watch lists.
Reef PassIslands & Resorts: A reef pass is a natural channel through a coral reef that connects a lagoon to the open ocean, where tidal currents concentrate marine life and create prime dive sites.
Repositioning CruiseCruises: A repositioning cruise is a one-way voyage that moves a ship between seasonal regions, such as the Caribbean to Europe, typically with many sea days and lower per-night fares.
Resort FeeHotels: A resort fee is a mandatory daily charge some hotels add to the room rate, often said to cover amenities such as Wi-Fi, pool access, or the fitness center.
Run of House (ROH)Hotels: Run of house is a hotel booking where the property assigns any available standard room at check-in, rather than guaranteeing a specific room type, view, or bed configuration.

S

Safari TrackerSafari & Africa: A safari tracker is a wildlife spotter who reads footprints, dung, broken branches, and alarm calls to locate animals, often working alongside the guide on game drives.
Schengen AreaDocuments & Entry: The Schengen Area is a group of 29 European countries that have abolished routine internal border checks and share common rules for short-stay visitors, including the 90/180-day limit.
Seller of Travel (California)Travel Industry: California’s Seller of Travel law requires most businesses that sell travel in or into California to register with the state Attorney General and display their registration number.
Shore ExcursionCruises: A shore excursion is a tour or activity in a port of call during a cruise, booked through the cruise line or independently with a local operator.
Shoulder SeasonInsurance & Planning: Shoulder season is the period between a destination’s peak and low seasons, often offering decent weather, smaller crowds, and better availability or rates.
StandbyAir Travel: Flying standby means waiting at the gate for an open seat on a flight other than the one you’re confirmed on, or for an upgrade, with no guaranteed seat.
StopoverAir Travel: A stopover is a planned break at an intermediate city on your journey, generally longer than 24 hours on international itineraries, letting you visit before continuing.
SundownerSafari & Africa: A sundowner is a drink taken at sunset, a safari tradition in which the afternoon game drive pauses at a scenic spot to watch the sun go down.

T

Tented CampSafari & Africa: A tented camp is safari accommodation in large canvas tents, often on raised platforms, ranging from simple mobile camps to luxury suites with en-suite bathrooms.
Travel Management Company (TMC)Corporate Travel: A travel management company is an agency that books, manages, and reports on an organization’s business travel, applying its travel policy and supporting travelers before and during trips.
Travel PolicyCorporate Travel: A travel policy is a company’s written rules for how employees book, pay for, and expense business travel, covering cabin class, hotel limits, approvals, and safety.
Travel Risk Management (TRM)Corporate Travel: Travel risk management is an organization’s structured approach to identifying, reducing, and responding to the health, safety, and security risks employees face when traveling for work.
Traveler ProfileCorporate Travel: A traveler profile is a stored record of a traveler’s identity details, loyalty numbers, preferences, and emergency contacts that an agency or booking tool applies to every booking.
Trip Interruption InsuranceInsurance & Planning: Trip interruption insurance reimburses unused prepaid trip costs and extra transportation when a covered reason, such as illness or a family emergency, cuts your trip short or delays its start.
TSA PreCheckDocuments & Entry: TSA PreCheck is a US trusted traveler program giving approved, low-risk travelers expedited security lanes at participating airports, where laptops and liquids can usually stay in bags.

U

UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation)Documents & Entry: The UK ETA is a digital permission that visa-exempt visitors, including US citizens since January 2025, must obtain before traveling to the United Kingdom.
Unused Ticket CreditCorporate Travel: Unused ticket credit is the remaining value of a canceled nonrefundable airline ticket that can be applied toward a future ticket, subject to the airline’s rules and expiration date.

V

VirtuosoTravel Industry: Virtuoso is an invitation-only network of luxury travel agencies whose clients typically receive added amenities, such as breakfast and upgrades when available, at partner hotels.
Visa on ArrivalDocuments & Entry: A visa on arrival is a visa you obtain at the airport or border when you land, rather than applying in advance, usually after showing documents and paying a fee.

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