John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints
|
Travel Trade Jargon
Introduction
This page explains a few terms used in the travel trade which you might encounter while planning, booking and taking a fly/drive holiday to the USA and/or Canada.
Airside
That part of an airport beyond security, where the departure and arrival gates are located. At some airports the airside or airsides are one or more separate satellite terminal buildings, usually reached from the main terminal building by means of a shuttle mini-train system.
American Plan
A term used in very expensive hotels in America, meaning that all meals are included, i.e. full board.
Some motels in the USA and Canada offer free continental breakfasts but otherwise no meals are included.
See also the European Plan and Modified American Plan entries on this page.
This terminology is never used in motels.
CDW - Collision Damage Waiver
An optional payment made to a car rental company which provides cover should the rental car suffer any damage, whether that is judged to be your fault or not. You normally have a pay a relatively small excess. CDW is optional, but highly desirable since without it you could be liable for the full value of the car. Same as LDW - Loss Damage Waiver, and often called CDW/LDW.
See also the CDW page in the Car Rental section.
CoC - Chamber of Commerce
A somewhat confusingly named organisation responsible for the promotion of a town, city, county, area or region to tourists, especially private individuals. The Chambers of Commerce in many American and Canadian towns operate tourist information offices where much useful information on the area can be obtained. You can freely visit these offices and browse around.
Code Sharing
In recent years several groups of airlines have formed very close associations. Within each group, the airline you book with may well not be the airline you fly with. Flight numbers within each group of airlines are unified, except for the two or three letter airline prefix - this is code sharing.
CVB - Convention and Visitors Bureau
An organisation responsible for the promotion of a town, city, county, area or region to potential visitors, especially convention organisers.
Demi-Pension
An alternative name for Modified American Plan - see that entry on this page.
This terminology is never used in motels.
Drop-Off Charge
The charge made by a car rental company for a one-way rental - hiring a car at one location and returning it to another. Drop-off charges can sometimes be considerable.
EP
Extra Protection or Extended Protection. An additional insurance option offered by car rental companies.
See also the EP/Top-Up Insurance page in the Car Rental section.
European Plan
A term used in very expensive hotels in America, meaning that no meals are included, or just a minimal breakfast.
Some motels in the USA and Canada offer free continental breakfasts but otherwise no meals are included.
See also the American Plan and Modified American Plan entries on this page.
This terminology is never used in motels.
Gateways
See separate article.
GST
Goods and Services Tax. A form of sales tax in Canada. See the Sales Tax page for details.
HST
Harmonised Sales Tax. A form of sales tax in Canada. See the Sales Tax page for details.
Hubs and Spurs
See separate article.
Jetway
The articulated corridor between an airport terminal building and a plane. The sections of a jetway can rotate relative to each other to a limited extent enabling the end to be moved back and forth as required when a plane arrives and departs. The articulation also allows for adjustment to match the plane's exact position and the location and height above the ground of the door for each type of plane.
At most large airports in the USA, Canada, Europe and many other countries each gate has a jetway, except those gates which are used for the smallest planes, where passengers have to walk out to the planes.
At most airports the jetways only connect to a single door of the plane, usually near the front on the lefthand side. At Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport many of the jetways used for wide-bodied planes are branched and connect to two separate plane doors, both on the lefthand side.
At Dulles Airport which serves Washington DC passengers are ferried between planes and the main terminal, and between the new mid-field terminal and the main terminal, by means of mobile lounges - bus-like vehicles which have passenger compartments which are raised and lowered to connect with the doors on the terminal building and the planes. However, the mid-field terminal has jetways.
King Bed
A very large bed, even larger than a Queen bed.
LDW - Loss Damage Waiver
An optional payment made to a car rental company which provides cover should the rental car suffer any damage, whether that is judged to be your fault or not. You normally have a pay a relatively small excess. LDW is optional, but highly desirable since without it you could be liable for the full value of the car. Same as CDW - Collision Damage Waiver, and often called CDW/LDW.
See also the CDW/LDW page in the Car Rental section.
LIS - Liability Insurance Supplement
I think this is an alternative name for EP - see that entry on this page.
Locator
- A reference number found on airline tickets. If you wish to reserve seats in advance over the phone with the airline then it always helps, and is often essential, to know your locator number. If you are booking through a tour operator then they will be able to tell you this information at some time after you book but before you receive the tickets.
- A component of the aircraft automatic landing systems at airports (not that the average holiday-maker is likely to encounter this usage, of course).
Modified American Plan
A term used in very expensive hotels in America, meaning that breakfast and dinner are included, but not lunch. Also called demi-pension.
Some motels in the USA and Canada offer free continental breakfasts but otherwise no meals are included.
See also American Plan and European Plan.
This terminology is never used in motels.
Open Jaw
An air fare which applies if you fly out to one airport and return from another. The total cost is calculated by taking half of the return fare to each airport and adding these two figures together.
If you plan to fly back from a different airport then you also need to check the drop-off charge made by the car rental company for a one-way rental - this can often be a significant amount.
PAI
Personal Accident Insurance. An additional insurance option offered by car rental companies. For visitors to the USA or Canada from Britain this is unnecessary since it duplicates the cover provided by normal holiday insurance.
See also the PAI page in the Car Rental section.
PIR
Property Irregularity Report. The form you should fill in should you be unlucky enough to have your baggage go astray or suffer damage while flying. Be sure to check your baggage and if necessary report any loss or damage and fill in a PIR before leaving the baggage reclaim area.
Port of Entry
See separate article.
PST
Provincial Sales Tax. A form of sales tax in Canada. See the Sales Tax page for details.
Queen Bed
A bed which is larger than a normal bed but not quite as large as a King bed.
Schengen Agreement
The agreement whereby there are no longer any customs or passport checks between many of the countries which are members of the European Union.
State Surcharge
A tax on car rentals imposed by some states, in addition to sales tax.
See the State Surcharge page in the Car Rental section.
Top-Up Insurance
An insurance policy which provides extra third-party liability cover, should you be deemed to have been responsible for an injury to another person while driving. Also provides additional compensation should you be involved in an incident with a motorist who is not insured or under-insured. This can be purchased from the car rental company (in the form of EP - Extra Protection or Extended Protection) or usually much less expensively in your own country before travelling.
See also the Top-Up Insurance page in the Car Rental section.
TPS
The name given to the GST sales tax in the Province of Québec. See the Sales Tax page for details.
TVQ
The name given to the PST sales tax in the Province of Québec. See the Sales Tax page for details.
VLF
Vehicle Licence Fee. A tax on car rentals imposed by California and possibly some other states, in addition to sales tax.
See the State Surcharge page in the Car Rental section.
Home | States/Provinces | Subjects
As with all the other pages on this personal web site, all the information on this page is solely the opinion of the author, who has no connection whatsoever with any of the companies and organisations mentioned other than as an actual or potential customer.
About this personal web site JohnCletheroe
EMail me
Most recently modified 31-Jan-01