✈️ Airport

⏱ 14 min read

In this lesson you will learn useful everyday English airport vocabulary and expressions for checking in, going through security, finding your gate, boarding a flight, and collecting your luggage after arrival. Each English word or phrase includes a simple meaning plus translations in several languages.

🟢 Basic Airport Vocabulary

✈️ Airport
a place where airplanes take off and land
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Aeropuerto
🇫🇷 French: Aéroport
🇩🇪 German: Flughafen
🇮🇹 Italian: Aeroporto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aeroporto
🛫 Flight
a trip on an airplane
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Vuelo
🇫🇷 French: Vol
🇩🇪 German: Flug
🇮🇹 Italian: Volo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Voo
🎫 Ticket
a pass that lets you take a flight
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Boleto / Billete
🇫🇷 French: Billet
🇩🇪 German: Ticket / Flugticket
🇮🇹 Italian: Biglietto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bilhete / Passagem
🎟️ Boarding pass
the paper or phone pass you need to get on the plane
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tarjeta de embarque
🇫🇷 French: Carte d'embarquement
🇩🇪 German: Bordkarte
🇮🇹 Italian: Carta d'imbarco
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cartão de embarque
🛂 Passport
an official book that shows who you are when you travel
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Pasaporte
🇫🇷 French: Passeport
🇩🇪 German: Reisepass
🇮🇹 Italian: Passaporto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Passaporte
🪪 Identification / ID
a document that proves who you are
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Identificación
🇫🇷 French: Pièce d'identité
🇩🇪 German: Ausweis
🇮🇹 Italian: Documento d'identità
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Identificação / Documento de identidade

🟡 Luggage & Airport Areas

🧳 Luggage
the bags you take when you travel
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Equipaje
🇫🇷 French: Bagages
🇩🇪 German: Gepäck
🇮🇹 Italian: Bagaglio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bagagem
👜 Carry-on luggage
a small bag you take with you on the plane
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Equipaje de mano
🇫🇷 French: Bagage à main
🇩🇪 German: Handgepäck
🇮🇹 Italian: Bagaglio a mano
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bagagem de mão
🚪 Boarding gate
the door area where you get on the plane
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Puerta de embarque
🇫🇷 French: Porte d'embarquement
🇩🇪 German: Abfluggate / Gate
🇮🇹 Italian: Gate / Porta d'imbarco
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Porta de embarque
🔍 Security checkpoint
the place where bags and people are checked
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Control de seguridad
🇫🇷 French: Contrôle de sécurité
🇩🇪 German: Sicherheitskontrolle
🇮🇹 Italian: Controllo di sicurezza
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Controlo de segurança
🛃 Customs
the place that checks what you bring into a country
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Aduana
🇫🇷 French: Douane
🇩🇪 German: Zoll
🇮🇹 Italian: Dogana
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Alfândega
🧳 Baggage claim
the area where you pick up your bags after a flight
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Recogida de equipaje
🇫🇷 French: Récupération des bagages
🇩🇪 German: Gepäckausgabe
🇮🇹 Italian: Ritiro bagagli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Recolha de bagagem

🔵 Flight Information

⏰ Departure
when a flight leaves
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Salida
🇫🇷 French: Départ
🇩🇪 German: Abflug
🇮🇹 Italian: Partenza
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Partida
🛬 Arrival
when a flight gets to a place
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Llegada
🇫🇷 French: Arrivée
🇩🇪 German: Ankunft
🇮🇹 Italian: Arrivo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chegada
🧍 Passenger
a person traveling on a plane
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Pasajero / Pasajera
🇫🇷 French: Passager / Passagère
🇩🇪 German: Passagier / Passagierin
🇮🇹 Italian: Passeggero / Passeggera
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Passageiro / Passageira
⏳ Delayed
late; not on time
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Retrasado / Retrasada
🇫🇷 French: Retardé / Retardée
🇩🇪 German: Verspätet
🇮🇹 Italian: In ritardo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Atrasado / Atrasada
❌ Canceled
stopped; the flight will not go
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cancelado / Cancelada
🇫🇷 French: Annulé / Annulée
🇩🇪 German: Storniert / Abgesagt
🇮🇹 Italian: Cancellato / Cancellata
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cancelado / Cancelada
🛫 To board
to get on the plane
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Embarcar
🇫🇷 French: Embarquer
🇩🇪 German: Einsteigen / Boarding
🇮🇹 Italian: Imbarcare / Salire a bordo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Embarcar

🧠 Useful Airport Language

💡 Use check in or check when talking about checking in luggage for a flight.
I want to check this suitcase.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Quiero facturar esta maleta.
🇫🇷 Je voudrais enregistrer cette valise.
🇩🇪 Ich möchte diesen Koffer aufgeben.
🇮🇹 Voglio imbarcare questa valigia.
🇵🇹 Quero despachar esta mala.
Where can I check my luggage?
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 ¿Dónde puedo facturar mi equipaje?
🇫🇷 Où puis-je enregistrer mes bagages ?
🇩🇪 Wo kann ich mein Gepäck aufgeben?
🇮🇹 Dove posso imbarcare il mio bagaglio?
🇵🇹 Onde posso despachar a minha bagagem?
💡 Airport screens often use Departures for departing flights and Arrivals for arriving flights.
Look for the flight on the departures screen.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Busca el vuelo en la pantalla de salidas.
🇫🇷 Cherchez le vol sur l'écran des départs.
🇩🇪 Suchen Sie den Flug auf dem Abflugbildschirm.
🇮🇹 Cerca il volo sullo schermo delle partenze.
🇵🇹 Procure o voo no ecrã das partidas.
We'll meet in the arrivals area.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Nos vemos en la zona de llegadas.
🇫🇷 On se retrouve dans la zone des arrivées.
🇩🇪 Wir treffen uns im Ankunftsbereich.
🇮🇹 Ci vediamo nella zona arrivi.
🇵🇹 Vemo-nos na zona de chegadas.
💡 To ask about a flight's status, you can use Is the flight...? with words such as delayed or canceled.
Is the flight delayed?
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 ¿Está retrasado el vuelo?
🇫🇷 Le vol est-il en retard ?
🇩🇪 Hat der Flug Verspätung?
🇮🇹 Il volo è in ritardo?
🇵🇹 O voo está atrasado?
Has the flight been canceled?
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 ¿Han cancelado el vuelo?
🇫🇷 Est-ce que le vol a été annulé ?
🇩🇪 Wurde der Flug gestrichen?
🇮🇹 Hanno cancellato il volo?
🇵🇹 O voo foi cancelado?

💬 Useful Airport Phrases

🎟️ I have my passport and boarding pass in my backpack.
my travel documents are in my bag
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tengo el pasaporte y la tarjeta de embarque en mi mochila.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai mon passeport et ma carte d'embarquement dans mon sac à dos.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe meinen Reisepass und meine Bordkarte in meinem Rucksack.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho il passaporto e la carta d'imbarco nello zaino.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tenho o passaporte e o cartão de embarque na mochila.
🚪 Can you tell me where boarding gate number fifteen is?
asking for the location of gate 15
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Me puede decir dónde está la puerta de embarque número quince?
🇫🇷 French: Pouvez-vous me dire où se trouve la porte d'embarquement numéro quinze ?
🇩🇪 German: Können Sie mir sagen, wo das Gate Nummer fünfzehn ist?
🇮🇹 Italian: Mi può dire dov'è il gate numero quindici?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pode dizer-me onde fica a porta de embarque número quinze?
⏳ Our flight is one hour late, so we have to wait.
the plane is delayed and we must stay
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Nuestro vuelo lleva una hora de retraso, así que tenemos que esperar.
🇫🇷 French: Notre vol a une heure de retard, donc nous devons attendre.
🇩🇪 German: Unser Flug hat eine Stunde Verspätung, also müssen wir warten.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il nostro volo ha un'ora di ritardo, quindi dobbiamo aspettare.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O nosso voo tem uma hora de atraso, por isso temos de esperar.
🧳 After landing, we have to collect our suitcases before leaving.
we pick up bags after the plane arrives
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Después de aterrizar, tenemos que recoger las maletas antes de salir.
🇫🇷 French: Après l'atterrissage, nous devons récupérer les valises avant de partir.
🇩🇪 German: Nach der Landung müssen wir die Koffer abholen, bevor wir gehen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Dopo l'atterraggio, dobbiamo ritirare le valigie prima di uscire.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Depois de aterrar, temos de recolher as malas antes de sair.

💬 Everyday Conversations

Checking in for a flight
giving a suitcase and showing a passport
A: Good morning. I would like to check this suitcase.
B: Of course. Can you show me your passport, please?
A: Yes, here you are.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: Buenos días. Quisiera facturar esta maleta.
🇪🇸 B: Claro. ¿Me puede mostrar su pasaporte, por favor?
🇪🇸 A: Sí, aquí tiene.

🇫🇷 A: Bonjour. Je voudrais enregistrer cette valise.
🇫🇷 B: Bien sûr. Pouvez-vous me montrer votre passeport, s'il vous plaît ?
🇫🇷 A: Oui, voici.

🇩🇪 A: Guten Morgen. Ich möchte diesen Koffer aufgeben.
🇩🇪 B: Natürlich. Können Sie mir bitte Ihren Reisepass zeigen?
🇩🇪 A: Ja, bitte schön.

🇮🇹 A: Buongiorno. Vorrei imbarcare questa valigia.
🇮🇹 B: Certo. Mi può mostrare il suo passaporto, per favore?
🇮🇹 A: Sì, ecco.

🇵🇹 A: Bom dia. Queria despachar esta mala.
🇵🇹 B: Claro. Pode mostrar-me o seu passaporte, por favor?
🇵🇹 A: Sim, aqui tem.
Finding the boarding gate
asking which gate a flight uses
A: Excuse me, do you know which gate the flight to Madrid leaves from?
B: Yes, it leaves from gate twenty-two. Boarding starts in thirty minutes.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: Disculpe, ¿sabe de qué puerta sale el vuelo a Madrid?
🇪🇸 B: Sí, sale de la puerta veintidós. El embarque empieza en treinta minutos.

🇫🇷 A: Excusez-moi, savez-vous de quelle porte part le vol pour Madrid ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui, il part de la porte vingt-deux. L'embarquement commence dans trente minutes.

🇩🇪 A: Entschuldigung, wissen Sie, von welchem Gate der Flug nach Madrid abfliegt?
🇩🇪 B: Ja, er fliegt von Gate zweiundzwanzig ab. Das Boarding beginnt in dreißig Minuten.

🇮🇹 A: Scusi, sa da quale gate parte il volo per Madrid?
🇮🇹 B: Sì, parte dal gate ventidue. L'imbarco inizia tra trenta minuti.

🇵🇹 A: Com licença, sabe de que porta sai o voo para Madrid?
🇵🇹 B: Sim, sai da porta vinte e dois. O embarque começa daqui a trinta minutos.

📝 Example Sentences

🧳 We arrived at the airport early because we needed to check two large suitcases.
we came early to drop off two big bags
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Llegamos temprano al aeropuerto porque necesitábamos facturar dos maletas grandes.
🇫🇷 French: Nous sommes arrivés tôt à l'aéroport parce que nous devions enregistrer deux grandes valises.
🇩🇪 German: Wir sind früh am Flughafen angekommen, weil wir zwei große Koffer aufgeben mussten.
🇮🇹 Italian: Siamo arrivati presto all'aeroporto perché dovevamo imbarcare due valigie grandi.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chegámos cedo ao aeroporto porque precisávamos de despachar duas malas grandes.
🔍 There was a long line at the security checkpoint, but it was moving quite quickly.
the security line was long but fast
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Había una fila larga en el control de seguridad, pero avanzaba bastante rápido.
🇫🇷 French: Il y avait une longue file au contrôle de sécurité, mais elle avançait assez vite.
🇩🇪 German: An der Sicherheitskontrolle gab es eine lange Schlange, aber sie bewegte sich ziemlich schnell.
🇮🇹 Italian: C'era una fila lunga al controllo di sicurezza, ma avanzava piuttosto velocemente.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Havia uma fila longa no controlo de segurança, mas avançava bastante depressa.
🛬 The flight landed a little earlier than scheduled.
the plane arrived a bit early
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El vuelo aterrizó un poco antes de la hora prevista.
🇫🇷 French: Le vol a atterri un peu plus tôt que prévu.
🇩🇪 German: Der Flug ist etwas früher als geplant gelandet.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il volo è atterrato un po' prima dell'orario previsto.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O voo aterrou um pouco antes da hora prevista.
🚪 They changed our boarding gate when we were already waiting to get on the plane.
the gate number changed while we waited
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cambiaron nuestra puerta de embarque cuando ya estábamos esperando para subir al avión.
🇫🇷 French: Ils ont changé notre porte d'embarquement alors que nous attendions déjà pour monter dans l'avion.
🇩🇪 German: Sie haben unser Gate geändert, als wir schon darauf warteten, ins Flugzeug einzusteigen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Hanno cambiato il nostro gate quando stavamo già aspettando per salire sull'aereo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Mudaram a nossa porta de embarque quando já estávamos à espera para subir para o avião.
👜 I'm only taking carry-on luggage because the trip lasts three days.
a short trip needs only a small bag
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Solo llevo equipaje de mano porque el viaje dura tres días.
🇫🇷 French: Je n'emporte que des bagages à main parce que le voyage dure trois jours.
🇩🇪 German: Ich nehme nur Handgepäck mit, weil die Reise drei Tage dauert.
🇮🇹 Italian: Porto solo bagaglio a mano perché il viaggio dura tre giorni.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Só levo bagagem de mão porque a viagem dura três dias.
🧳 One of our suitcases took a long time to appear in the baggage claim area.
one bag arrived late at baggage claim
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Una de nuestras maletas tardó mucho en aparecer en la zona de recogida de equipaje.
🇫🇷 French: Une de nos valises a mis longtemps à apparaître dans la zone de récupération des bagages.
🇩🇪 German: Einer unserer Koffer hat lange gebraucht, bis er im Gepäckausgabebereich erschien.
🇮🇹 Italian: Una delle nostre valigie ha impiegato molto tempo ad apparire nella zona ritiro bagagli.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Uma das nossas malas demorou muito a aparecer na zona de recolha de bagagem.

🏆 Final Practice

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the best word or phrase from the lesson.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%