#1 Best Guide: French Vocabulary To Use At The Airport – Ling App

Are you planning to fly in or out of France? Maybe you’re planning to visit one of the twenty-nine countries that speak French. Then it’s time to buckle up and learn the French vocabulary to use at the airport!

It’s quite common for French-speaking regions to not know any English or other languages for that matter. This makes being able to communicate in French and understand what is being said to you or being able to read, very important.

Today we’ll go over the most common French airport words and related phrases so you don’t feel completely lost or confused.

Ready? Let’s get started!

 

French Vocabulary To Use At The Airport

On this page, we’ll go through airport-related lessons starting with ticket purchase vocabulary and the names of documents you can expect to need. Then, we’ll review words for baggage and vocabulary to help you get around the airport. From there you’ll learn words to help you at check-in, on the plane, and useful phrases you may need to use or you may hear while on your travels.

Ticket And Travel Document Vocabulary

Well, the first step is buying an airplane ticket! Usually, people do this online nowadays, but you may need to use or understand these words in French during your airport journey. These are words related to airplane ticket purchases and the names of the travel documents you’ll need.

EnglishFrenchPronunciationaisle seatsiège côté couloir

boarding passune carte d’embarquement

business classclasse affaire

economy (coach) classla classe économique

first classla première classe

middle seatSiège du milieu

one-way ticketun billet simple

one-way ticketun billet simple

passportun passeport

plane ticketle billet d’avion

plane ticketun billet d’avion

round trip ticketun billet aller-retour

round trip ticketun billet aller-retour

to buy a ticketacheter un billet

to make a reservationfaire une réservation

visaun visa

window seatsiège côté fenêtre

Luggage And Baggage Vocabulary In French

Which kind of baggage will you be taking? You will have to talk about your luggage in French at the airport when you check in. Here are the French words for baggage you need to know!

EnglishFrenchPronunciationbaggageles bagages

baggage claimla livraison des bagages

carry-on luggageles bagages à main

cartun chariot

checked luggageles bagages enregistrés/
les bagages en soute

hand luggagebagage à main

Luggagebagages

French Vocabulary At The Airport

You’re at the airport or on the way! You’ll need to know directions in French to tell your driver where to drop you off. Once you’re there, you can use these words to help you to get around the airport or find your flight check-in area.

EnglishFrenchPronunciationairlineune compagnie aérienne

airplaneun avion

airportun aéroport

airport securitysécurité de l’aéroport

Arrival hallLe Hall d’arrivée

arrivalsles arrivées

baggage claimla livraison des bagages

cancelledannulé

cartun chariot

check-inl’enregistrement

check-in counterun guichet d’embarquement

customsla douane

delayeden retard

Departure hallLe Hall de départ

departuresles départs

domestic/internal flightsvols intérieurs

duty-freeune boutique hors taxes / un duty-free

flightun vol

gateune porte

International flightsvols internationaux

on timeà l’heure

runwaypiste

shuttleune navette

terminalUn terminal

Vocabulary For Checking In At The Airport

Here are some words related to the process of checking in at the airport in French.

EnglishFrenchPronunciationto landAtterrir

to disembark, to deplaneDébarquer

to declaredéclarer

to take offDécoller

to board, embarkEmbarquer

to check bagsenregistrer (les bagages)

landingl’atterrissage

boardingl’embarquement

check-inl’enregistrement

immigrationl’immigration

boarding passla carte d’embarquement

customsla douane

security checkle contrôle de sécurité

takeoffle décollage

carry-on luggageles bagages à main

checked-in luggageles bagages enregistrés/ un baggage en soute

flight numbernuméro de vol

To recover your luggagesRécupérer les bagages

stopoverune escale

gateune porte

French Words To Use In The Plane

Now that you’re on the plane, how do you address people? What are areas and things called on the airplane in French? Check these out.

EnglishFrenchPronunciationaisle seatsiège côté couloir

business classclasse affaire

economy class/ coachla classe économique

flight stewardessune hôtesse de l’air

middle seatSiège du milieu

passengerun passager

pilotle pilote

rowligne

stewardun steward

window seatsiège côté fenêtre/siège du côté hublot

 

The Parts Of The Airplane

Just for fun here’s a list of French vocabulary for parts of a plane. These could be fun to know if you’re traveling with kids – you can learn together!

EnglishFrenchPronunciationairplane bodyCorps d’avion

airplane wingsAiles d’avion

cockpitPoste de pilotage

engineMoteur

jet fuelCarburéacteur

landing gearTrain d’atterrissage

nose of planeNez d’avion

 

Useful Phrases At The Airport

Here are some useful French phrases in case you need to talk to an airport employee if you are lost or if there are any issues with your flight.

English: I am looking for terminal A.

French: Je recherche le terminal A.

English: How many pieces of luggage can I take on the plane?

French: Combien de bagages puis-je emporter dans l’avion ?

English: Why has the plane been delayed?

French: Pourquoi l’avion a-t-il été retardé ?

English: Why has the plane been canceled?

French: Pourquoi l’avion a-t-il été annulé ?

English: Are there any window seats left?

French: Reste-t-il des sièges côté fenêtre ?

English: Are there any aisle seats left?

French: Il reste des places côté couloir ?

English: I would like a window seat.

French: Je voudrais avoir un siège près de la fenêtre

English: I would like an aisle seat.

French: Je voudrais avoir un siège couloir

English: When will the flight leave?

French: Quand décollera le vol?

French Airport Phrases You May Hear

Here are some French airport phrases to keep in mind when traveling! You’ll likely be asked at least a few of these and it will make your travel process so much smoother if you recognize some of these.

EnglishFrenchPronunciationMay I see your boarding pass?Puis-je voir votre carte d’embarquement?

Place your items in the tray.Placez vos articles dans le bac

Please have your passport and boarding pass ready.Veuillez préparer votre passeport et votre carte d’embarquement

Please place your bag on the scale.Veuillez placer votre sac sur la balance

Please take off your shoes.Enlevez vos chaussures, s’il vous plait

Please take your laptop out of your bag.Veuillez sortir votre ordinateur portable de votre sac

There has been a gate change.Il y a eu un changement de porte

This is the final boarding call.C’est le dernier appel d’embarquement

Your bag is overweight.Votre sac est en surpoids

 

Most Popular Airports In France

Which airport are you flying into or out of in France? These are the top three busiest airports in France. Typically, once you’ve landed, you’ll likely get around the country by train and even travel to other European countries via rail, but if you do choose to fly, you’ll end up at one of these great airports!

 

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