A
A&P - Airframe and powerplant. A&P technicians keep aircraft in safe flying condition and are licensed by the FAA.
A-scale - Pay scales for those hired before deregulation. Pay scales are higher than those hired after deregulation.
Aft - The rear of an aircraft.
Air traffic control - The government employees directing takeoffs, landings, and flight plans for all aircraft.
B
B-scale - Pay scales for those hired after deregulation. Pay scales start at a lower rate than A-scale and increase with seniority.
Bank - A group of aircraft waiting to land at the same airport at the same time.
Base - The airport from which flight crews are assigned.
Beltloader - The machine used to load and unload luggage from an aircraft.
Bidding - The process of requesting a flight schedule for flight attendants. Requests are filled according to seniority.
Blackout - The seasonal period when special fares or employee discounts are not honored for travel on airlines.
Boarding pass - The coupon containing passenger and flight information which a passenger must present in order to board a flight.
Block hours - The time period from when an aircraft leaves the gate to its arrival to the destination gate.
Buddy pass - A discounted travel ticket for the friend of an employee.
C
Cabin - The interior of an aircraft where the passengers sit.
Cattle - call A group interview process primarily used for hiring flight attendants.
Charter - A flight that has been contracted to fly from one city to another.
Chocks - A block of wood or rubber to stabilize the wheels when parking an aircraft.
Cockpit - The forward section of the airplane where the pilots sit during a flight.
D
Deadhead - A crew member flying as a passenger to reach an assignment in another location.
De-icing - The process of spraying a glycol solution on the wings of an aircraft to prevent the formation of ice during inclement weather conditions.
Deregulation - The 1978 lifting of government regulation of fares and route assignments.
Direct flight - A flight from one destination to another with stops between but no change of aircraft.
Domicile - The city where flight crews are based.
F
FAA - The Federal Aviation Administration is the government agency that regulates the airline industry.
Flight coupon - The part of an airline ticket that serves as the boarding pass.
Flight hours - Same as block hours.
Fuselage - The main body of an aircraft.
G-H
Gate - The area where passengers board and deplane an aircraft.
Hub - A city that serves as a major intersection for connections to other destinations.
I-J
Inbound - A flight coming into the airport.
Interline - The use of more than one airline for an itinerary.
J-line - A painted line to direct aircraft from the runway to the gates.
Jetway - The mobile walkway that connects the plane and the terminal used to transport passengers.
L-M
Layover - An overnight stay for a flight crew member in a city other than the home base city.
Marshalling - The process of using hand signals to direct an aircraft to park.
Maximum take-off weight - The maximum weight allowed for an aircraft to take off safely.
N-O
Nonstop - A flight from one destination to another without any stops between.
Offload - The process of unloading cargo and luggage from an aircraft.
Outbound - A flight going out of an airport.
P
Per diem - A regulated daily allowance for crew members for time spent away from the home base.
Plucker - The person that collects tickets at the gate.
Power back - When the plane backs up under its own power.
Pushback - When the plane is pushed backwards by a ramp agent in a push tug vehicle.
R
Ramp stand - The portable stairs positioned at the door of the airplane for exiting and entering of passengers.
Recruiter - The facilitator in a group interview session.
Reserve - Flight crew members who do not have regularly scheduled shifts, but are still working on an on-call basis.
Runway - The strip on the airfield where airplanes takeoff and land.
S
Scheduled - Flights that are regularly scheduled and available to the general public.
Standby - A passenger who does not have a confirmation on a flight and is allowed to board only after the confirmed passengers have been seated.
T
Taxi - When an aircraft moves under its own power on the ground.
Tow bar - The equipment used to push an aircraft away from the gate.
Tug - The vehicle used to pull carts of luggage and cargo.
Turn time - The amount of time an aircraft has on the ground before it must depart.
Turnaround - A flight that leaves and returns to the original city in the same day.
W
Wide body - An aircraft which has dual aisles.
Wing walker - The term for a ramp agent who walks beside the aircraft to watch for traffic.
