The Secret Language of Airlines Code Words You Never Understood

 The Secret Language of Airlines 20 Code Words You Never Understood

Flying is fun, but sometimes you might feel like the airline crew speaks some other language; well, they kind of do. Airlines speak code words and phrases that make it even sound mysterious. These codes hasten communication and make it clear as crystal between the crew. The following list includes 20 airline code words which you must have come across yet never understood.

1. Final Boarding Call

This is not  just a polite reminder. It means they are moments away from closing the aircraft doors. If you are not at the gate, your seat maybe go to a standby passenger.

2. Cross-Check

When flight attendants say cross check, they are verifying that the emergency slides are either armed or disarmed, depending on whether the plane is leaving or arriving.

3. Holding Pattern

A holding pattern has nothing to do with waiting at the gate. It means when an aircraft circles in the air since it is not cleared to land as yet.

4. Deadhead

Crew members are transported as passengers to a destination where they will begin working.

5. Ground Stop

When planes are temporarily prohibited from taking off due to weather conditions, air traffic congestion, or technical issues its called Ground Stop.

6. ATC

Short for Air Traffic Control, this is the group of people that regulates aircraft during its takeoff, landing.

7. Gate Check

If you carry on is too large to fit in the overhead compartment, then the airline may gate check the luggage, which means it goes to the cargo hold but is taken out at the gate once the plane lands.

8. On Time Performance 

It shows how an airline tracks its punctuality, which many carriers consider significant. Delays lower their rating ranking.

9. Mayday

It is the radioed distress signal. The call is repeated thrice to eliminate misunderstanding with similar sounding words.

10. Pan-Pan

Not as serious as Mayday. An urgent signal requiring attention though not life threatening.

11. Standby

This can mean two things: passengers waiting for a seat to become available or crew members on call to replace someone who cannot make their shift.

12. The Ramp

This refers to the space where aircraft are parked, loaded, and then unloaded. It's a busy area outside the terminal.

13. Tarmac

Though used synonymously with ramp, the tarmac technically is the paved surface on which the planes taxi or park.

14. Pushback

This is when an aircraft is pushed back from the gate by a special vehicle in preparation for taxi and takeoff.

15. Go Around

When a pilot calls off a landing for safety reasons, he performs a "go-around" to circle around and try again to land.

16. Zulu Time

Airlines use coordinated universal time (UTC), also referred to as Zulu time, to avoid confusion across different time zones.

17. Bump

When a passenger is bumped, it means they've been denied boarding due to overbooking.

18. Slot

This is an allotted time for a plane to take off or land. If a slot is missed, the aircraft will be delayed.

19. Weight and Balance

Pilots and crew are always concerned about weight and balance so that the plane is loaded safely and will fly efficiently.

20. Red Eye

A red-eye flight departs late at night and arrives early in the morning, usually leaving passengers with tired, red eyes.