Airplane Travel Dialogue

Booking a Plane Ticket Traveler = T Travel Agent = TA Vocabulary Words Idiom T: Hello, I’d like to book an airline ticket. TA: Departing from which city, sir? T: Chicago. TA: And with what destination, sir? T: Seoul. TA: Okay. A flight from Chicago to Seoul. What day and time would you like to depart? T: Thursday. Anytime. TA: One way or return, sir? T: One way is fine. TA: I have a first-class seat on American Airlines Flight 7. It’s a direct flight. It departs Chicago at 12:30 P.M. on Thursday and arrives at 4:10 P.M. on Friday. T: That sounds good. How much is it? TA: $ 6319.98, sir. T: First class is a little too expensive for me, I am afraid. Do you have any cheaper itineraries? TA: What budget did you have in mind, sir? T: Less than $900.00. TA: An economy class seat, then? T: Yes. TA: I do have one option that might suit you. You will have three layovers, though. T: It’s not very convenient. TA: I am afraid $900.00 doesn’t buy much convenience, sir. T: Let me think about it. TA: Certainly, although, if you want a ticket, you should probably make your reservation soon. T: Or what will happen? TA: The maximum capacity of the plane is 388 passengers. We have already sold 386 tickets. Seats are available on a first-come, first served basis. T: So, they may all be sold soon? TA: I am afraid so, sir. Also, you should know that the airport in San Francisco is being renovated. T: Renovated? TA: Yes, the buildings are under repair. You should expect delays there.

T: That is frustrating. All right, I’ll take it. TA: All right. The total amount due is $916.77. T: I thought you said it costs less than $900.00. TA: It does, sir. Certain other fees apply, though, I am afraid. T: Fees? TA: Taxes, for example. Also, you should be aware that certain restrictions apply to this flight as well. T: What kind of restrictions? TA: The entire purchase price is due at the time of sale. It is nonrefundable upon cancellation. Also, the ticket is only valid for those specific flights. T: What can I do if I miss one of my connections? TA: I am afraid you would have to book another ticket, sir. T: All right. I must have that ticket. Here is my credit card. TA: Very well, here is your receipt. T: Which gate will my flight board from? TA: Gate A4, sir. T: How do I know the seat has been reserved? TA: You will receive a confirmation of your booking via email as soon as this transaction is complete. Enjoy your time in Seoul, sir.

Sir/Ma’am – Male/Female nouns which replace “you” in a sentence. Respectful. (Good morning, sir, May I help you, sir? I’m afraid I can’t do that, ma’am). Travel from ____ to ____ -- A sentence which gives the start and end points of a journey. The starting location is always first, and the destination is always last (If you travel from Busan to Seoul, your starting location is Busan and your destination is Seoul). Anytime – Means no specific time. If I say I can meet anytime, then ten in the morning is fine, but so is five in the afternoon. How much is it? – This means “How much money is it?” This is a question, used to find out cost. Let me think about it. – Means that the speaker wants to consider his or her choices before making a decision. I am afraid _____ – This is a polite way of introducing bad news. I am afraid you’ll have to wait, I am afraid you can’t do that, I am afraid so (“yes” to a question), I am afraid not (“no” to a question). To renovate (verb) – To fix or restore. I am renovating my kitchen. The bus terminal is being renovated. Renovations (noun form) are being made to the school. Under repair – This means that something is being fixed at the present time.

To expect – Means that you think or believe that something will happen before it does. I expect my mother to come soon. I expect my health to improve. I expect Jesus to come back at the end of the world. To delay – To delay something is to slow it down. As a noun, a delay is a slow-down. I delayed her by asking if she wanted to watch TV. I put a delay effect on my electric guitar to slow down the notes after I play them. Expect delays – Know that something will take longer than it should. I expect to be delayed at Grandma’s house. Frustrating – Something that is aggravating or annoying is frustrating. If a person is frustrated they are angry. Frustration is the feeling of being angry. Car trouble is very frustrating. I am frustrated with English class. I feel frustration in English class. Total amount due – The amount of money you have to pay to buy something. The Total amount due is the price, plus any taxes or other fees. The pizza costs $4.00, plus sales tax which is 10%, so the total amount due is $4.40. Apply – In this story, “certain other fees apply” means that there are more charges in addition to price which must be paid to buy the ticket. “Restrictions apply” means that there are special rules about what the passenger can do if he misses one of his connections. ___ upon cancellation – means that ___ will happen if you cancel. Only – means something is exclusive. Only men are allowed in the men’s bathroom. Only people who have a driver’s license may drive. Specific – If something is specific, it means it is preciselys defined. Think of the specific as a telescope. I would like to talk about music, specifically K-Pop songs written between May 2002 and July 2004. He gave very specific directions about how to take care of the fish. Transaction – This word is usually used in business contexts. A transaction is a kind of exchange. I do something for you, and you do something for me. All sales are transactions, although not all transactions are necessarily sales. I will give you the car as soon as you give me the money. When both these things have happened, our transaction will be complete. Via – Refers to the route or way something uses to get somewhere. I will send you the file via email. He is traveling from Boston to Shanghai via Los Angeles.