Memorable Adventures at the Airport
David is at the airport check-in desk, waiting (hoping) to board his plane very shortly. He’s talking to the check-in desk attendant.
(David está en el mostrador de facturación del aeropuerto, esperando (con la esperanza) de abordar su avión muy pronto. Está hablando con el agente del mostrador de facturación.)

David: Hi. (Hola.)
Attendant: Good morning. May I see your ticket and passport, please? (Buenos días. ¿Puedo ver su boleto y pasaporte, por favor?)
David: Certainly. Here you are. (Claro. Aquí tiene.)
Attendant: Would you like a window seat or an aisle seat? (¿Le gustaría un asiento de ventana o un asiento de pasillo?)
David: A window seat, please. (Un asiento de ventana, por favor.)
Attendant: Could you place your bag on the luggage belt, please? (¿Podría colocar su maleta en la cinta transportadora, por favor?)
David: Sure! (¡Claro!)
Attendant: Did you pack it yourself? (¿Empacó usted mismo su maleta?)
David: Yes. (Sí.)
Attendant: Has anyone interfered with your bag, or asked you to take anything on board the airplane? (¿Alguien ha manipulado su maleta o le ha pedido que lleve algo a bordo del avión?)
David: No. (No.)
Attendant: Do you have any firearms, hazardous materials, or liquids in your bag? (¿Tiene alguna arma de fuego, materiales peligrosos o líquidos en su maleta?)
David: No. (No.)
Attendant: Oh, I’m afraid your bag has exceeded the maximum baggage allowance, so you’ll (you will) have to pay the excess baggage charge. (Oh, me temo que su maleta ha excedido el límite máximo de equipaje permitido, por lo que tendrá que pagar el cargo por exceso de equipaje.)
David: Oh, right. (Oh, de acuerdo.)
Attendant: If you just go over to that counter over there, you can pay the amount. Then, just come back here with the receipt and I’ll put your baggage straight through. (Si va a ese mostrador de allí, puede pagar el monto. Luego, vuelva aquí con el recibo y enviaré su equipaje directamente.)
David: OK. Thanks. (De acuerdo. Gracias.)
[Ten minutes later, he comes back and hands her the receipt.]
[Diez minutos después, regresa y le entrega el recibo.]
David: Here you are. (Here is the receipt.) (Aquí tiene. (Aquí está el recibo.))
Attendant: Thank you. Here’s your boarding card. (Gracias. Aquí tiene su tarjeta de embarque.)
Your flight leaves at 13:34. Boarding will commence at 12:45. The boarding gate hasn’t been announced yet, but it should appear on the flight information screen in about half an hour. The security check-in area is just over there. Have a nice flight!
(Su vuelo sale a las 13:34. El embarque comenzará a las 12:45. La puerta de embarque aún no ha sido anunciada, pero debería aparecer en la pantalla de información de vuelos en unos 30 minutos. La zona de control de seguridad está justo allí. ¡Que tenga un buen vuelo!)
David: Thanks. (Gracias.)
Key vocabulary used in the airport conversation.
- Terminal – A place where vehicles, passengers, or goods begin or end a journey.
- Flight time / departure time – your “flight time” is the time when the plane leaves.
- Check-in desk – a place where you can show your ticket and give the airline your bags so they can put them on the plane.
- Baggage allowance – the maximum weight for your bags (it’s usually 20 kilos).
- Excess baggage charge – an amount of money you have to pay if your bags are heavier than the baggage allowance.
- Luggage belt / baggage conveyor belt / Baggage carousel – a moving rubber belt that takes your bag from the check-in desk to the plane, or from the plane to the baggage reclaim area.
- Departure lounge – a large room in an airport where you can sit before getting on the plane.
- Security check-in area – the area in an airport where you show your passport.
- Boarding gate – the area where you show your boarding pass and get on the plane.
- Board – if you “board” a plane, you get on it.
- Arrival time – the time your plane arrives at its destination.
- Land – if a plane “lands”, it comes to the ground (in a controlled manner.)
- The plane is landing.
- The plane landed on 4:00 pm
- Take off – if a plane “takes off”, it leaves the ground.
- Delayed – if your plane is “delayed”, it leaves later than planned.
- Cancelled – if your flight is “cancelled”, it doesn’t leave and you have to get on another flight.