Taking to the Skies: Airports, Airfares, and Air Tickets CHAPTER 2B Taking to the Skies: Airports, Airfares, and Air Tickets

OBJECTIVES: Define airline industry terminology Explain how types of aircraft differ Categorize airline types Describe what factors affect air ticket prices Decipher the codes of major airports Describe airport procedures

The Airport Experience. First you arrive: in car, taxi, bus At curbside: give luggage to Skycap-luggage handler who will check your bags (expects a tip) or… Keep your bags and stand in the regular line at check-in counter (some airports have self-check in lines) (some have business and first class lines which are faster)

The Airport Experience. You show photo ID to a service representative Service rep prints a boarding pass and gives to you You take luggage to security screener where luggage is screened and sent to the plane You are then directed to the gate where the flight will depart

The Airport Experience. You may shop at some of the airport stores You go to security, show boarding pass, ID, and your carry-on bag is scanned You go through a metal detector You may shop more at other stores near the boarding gate

The Airport Experience. You are seated at the gate for 35-50 minutes for boarding to commence You are directed to board the plane according to row numbers starting from the back of the plane You show your boarding pass as you board the plane-take your seat-have a nice flight-enjoy the view

The Airport Experience. If you were on an international flight you would have to show a passport You would have to go through Immigration which deals with citizenship, people, purpose of trip etc. You would have to go through Customs which deals with things such as items purchases abroad

Airport and Aviation Management Divided into 4 main groups Airport Management Fixed-base Operators Airport Ancillary Services Government Organizations Management Fixed-base Service Ancillary Government

Airport Management Makes the operations of an airport efficient, safe, and profitable Some airports are owned by the govt. some are private Some duties include: administration, operations, marketing, finance, maintenance, safety security, policing, firefighting Management

Fixed-base Operators Companies that provide ground services and support Provide aircraft repair and maintenance Pilot training Aircraft sales and rentals De-icing services Cabin cleaning services Fixed-base Service

DEFINE: Ancillary Supplementary Auxiliary Secondary Additional Extras

Airport Ancillary Service Any other airport-related services Airline caterers, stores, restaurants Private security firms Taxis Shuttles and limos Airport hotels Car rentals Bus companies Ancillary Services

Government Organizations Cities or counties that own airports FAA which monitors the air travel system for safety and manages air space (part of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation) TSA manages airport safety Government

Codes Each airport and city has a three-letter code for ticketing and air traffic control Cities with only one airport usually have the same code for the city and airport Some codes are obvious, some are obscure

Codes Examples of codes: ATL = Atlanta, GA BOS = Boston, MA CUN = Cancun, Mexico IAH = Houston DFW = Dallas, TX SEA = Seattle, WA DCA = Washington, DC-Regional

“Every person on the plane may have paid a different fare!” Airfares “Every person on the plane may have paid a different fare!”

Airfares Full Coach: no discounts, almost as much $ as business or first class unrestricted, you can make changes to your itinerary

Airfares Promotional Fare Discounted price Almost always in coach class May have a “catch” to them (must fly on certain days or nights, must stay overnight, must pay for tickets early, usually nonrefundable, must be round trip)

Airfares: when you buy… Generally: the farther in advance you buy the less you pay 7 days or less from departure are usually “full price” A reservations does not “lock in” the price Price is guaranteed when you make the purchase

Airfares: when you buy… Coach almost always costs less Many times a travel agent can find a special price that is lower Some airlines use a consolidator which specializes in unsold ticket inventory (like outlet stores for airlines)

Add-ons and Fees Fuel surcharge Segment tax Departure tax Airport tax Security fees (all may add to the price of your fare)

Other factors on fares… “Fare War” Which airport you are flying to Which route you are taking What time you are flying (morning, afternoon, night) Which airline you use How many passengers on the plane International flight What company you work for Do you have frequent flyer miles Are you with a group: senior adults, children, military Travel professional: employees fly free

CRS or GDS Computer Reservation System (CRS) Global Distribution System (GDS) These systems allow you to book plane reservations as well as hotels, tours, cruises, car rentals and buy other travel products

Tickets Rarely printed on paper or cardstock today Mostly electronic tickets or e-tickets Boarding passes are issued at the airport to allow boarding

Who sells tickets? Airlines: prime supplier of tickets Travel agencies are the prime distributors May change because airlines no longer pay commission to agencies

Miscellaneous Facts Smoking is permitted only on a few airlines Jet streams are bands of wind that circle the earth from west to east-thus a flight from west to east takes less time that from east to west Jet Lag is a psychological and physiological discomfort caused by flying long distances over multiple time zones

Miscellaneous Facts Stand-by passenger: may take another flight if there are enough no-shows for a seat to be open (some airlines do not accept stand-by customers, others charge a fee, some do not charge) Most passengers in first or business class are flying free with mileage awards or are airline employees

Miscellaneous Facts Most airlines and airports make special arrangements for disabled, children flying alone, pets, seeing-eye dogs, people with special meal requirements

Miscellaneous Facts An airline must pay a passenger denied boarding compensation if the plane is delayed because of mechanical difficulties or the passenger with a confirmed reservation arrives on time but is “bumped” and the airlines cannot get them to their destination within an hour of the original scheduled time

Miscellaneous Facts Shipping cargo is added revenue for many airlines If luggage is lost…they try to find it…if not found, the passenger is compensated Most luggage is not “lost” and is usually delivered to the passenger within a few days