Speaking My Language...

There's something about travelling that forces you to extend your communication skills. in everyday life, grunts and nods will do when you're talking to your colleagues or partner but when you're travelling, you have to speak Travel. Its a whole other language, like French.

I found this article on News24 about what to say and what not to say when next you take the road and skies. Call it your travel glossary...


Airport Code: These three-letter codes will help you identify airports.

APEX ("Advance Purchase Excursion") Fare: It sounds like the latest Nike trainer. But in travel terms it refers to the lowest and most heavily restricted airfare.

Baggage Check: You’ll get this official receipt, issued by a carrier, for your luggage.

Base Fare/Rate: This is the price you’d pay for your travel service before taxes and add-on charges. So in other words, you’ll pay more than the base rate.

Blackout Periods: When your special rates are not in effect because of a period of high demand.

Bumping: It’s the practice of removing confirmed passengers from overbooked flights.

City Pair: The origin and destination points of a flight segment.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): This is the daily insurance fee paid by you to cover liability for accident damages to your rented car.

Companion Fare: It’s promotional airfare whereby you can purchase a second ticket at a discount provided you have a travelling partner.

Concierge: This is individual in a hotel responsible for attending to your special needs and services.

Delay: A term we're all familiar with and hope we never have to deal with.

Extended Stay: This means a hotel stay of seven or more nights.

Fare basis: Refers to the conditions, including service class and ticketing provisions, which determine a fare.

Group Rate: If you and your entourage make up 10 or more guests, you qualify for this special room rate.

Hub: This when an airline has major operations and connecting flights to smaller destinations from a specific airport.

Last-Room Availability: The hotel’s electronic reservation system that provides you with current information about the hotel’s available inventory.

Meeting Fare: If you’re 10 or more travelling to the same event, you get a negotiated airline discount.

Net Fare or Net Rate: The price for a travel service, minus an agent’s commission and without tax.

Open Ticket: If you have one, it’s valid for transportation between certain points up until a specific time but indicates no specific reservation.

Prepaid Ticket: This isif you purchase an airline ticket in one location for a traveller in another. The traveller picks up the prepaid ticket from the airline ticket counter.

Room Tax: You’ll pay this state or local tax which is imposed on hotel room charges.

Split Ticketing: This is when the airline issues two one-way tickets instead of a round-trip ticket, usually for purpose of obtaining a lower fare.

Tourism Radio: When it seems like you have a local tour guide in your hire car telling you everything you need to know about an area when you're in it! Visit www.tourismradio.co.za to find out more...

Unlimited Mileage: When you can drive a rented car with an unlimited number of miles without paying an additional mileage charge.

Window of Convenience: Refers to two hours on either side of ideal departure or arrival time.