4th edition © 2006 Trade Paperback, 385 pages ISBN: 1-887140-62-X Price: $39.95
What's an arunk? If you're flying into AUA, where are you going? What do the cryptic abbreviations on an airline ticket mean? What's the toll-free number for Surinam Airways? Do I need a visa for Nepal? What time is it in Singapore?
The answers to these and thousands of other travel questions will be found in The Travel Agent's Complete Desk Reference. Designed as a companion piece to Home-Based Travel Agent, it is the indispensable reference work for everyone who is really serious about travel. Here you'll find not only an extensive glossary of travel industry terms and abbreviations, but the kind of nitty-gritty industry information the home-based travel agent needs handy every day.
Partial contents: Airport locator codes, airline codes, country and currency codes, supplier contact numbers, sources of free tourist information, travel associations, how to get passports, visa requirements, time zones at a glance, annotated bibliographies.
Order this book. Check out the Table of Contents. Read an excerpt from the book. Return to Catalog Index.
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easySABRE. A simplified version of the Sabre CRS (qv).
EATA. East Asia Travel Association.
EB. CRS. 1. Eastbound. 2. English breakfast.
ECAR. CRS. Economy car.
eclipse. The partial or total obscuring of one heavenly body by another, especially of the sun by the moon.
ecology. 1. The study of the environment and the interaction of its various elements. 2. The flora, fauna, climate, etc. of a region or location.
economy class. 1. Coach class. 2. Y class.
economy hotel. A hotel offering few amenities (qv).
ecosystem. See ecology, def. 2.
ecotourism. A style of travel in which an emphasis is placed on unspoiled, natural destinations and on disturbing the environment as little as possible.
ECU. Abr. European currency unit. The some-day common currency of Europe.
EDT. CRS. Eastern daylight time.
EEC. European Economic Community (qv).
eff. Abr. Effective.
efficiency. A hotel room with a small kitchen area and dining table.
elapsed flying time. Actual time an airplane spends in the air, as opposed to time spent taxiing to and from the gate and during stopovers.
elderhostel. 1. Hostel that caters to senior citizens. 2. Special travel-study program for seniors offered by a college or university. Participants stay in college dormitories and may generally take a short course of study if they so desire.
electronic mail. A communications system that allows people on the same computer network to exchange messages. Frequently referred to as "e-mail." Systems also exist that allow people to exchange e-mail messages between networks.
electronic ticket delivery network. A network, national or regional, of ticket printing machines that are not operated by an ARC-accredited agency but instead by a company that sells its ticket distribution services. Also called "electronic ticket distribution network." An ETDN delivers flight and passenger coupons after an agent generates the ticket.
EMA. Abr. Extra mileage allowance.
e-mail. See electronic mail.
EMAN. CRS. Economy car with manual transmission.
embargo. A government order forbidding the departure of a commercial vehicle from an airport, port, or whatever or prohibiting commerce. Example: an embargo on rice shipments.
embark. 1. To board a ship, plane, or other transportation vehicle. 2. To start out.
EMER. CRS. Emergency travel.
emigrant. A person who leaves the country where he or she lives to settle in another. See also immigrant.
emigrate. v. To leave one country to assume permanent residence in another.
emissary. A person who is sent out on a mission on behalf of another person or a country.
EMS. 1. Abr. Emergency medical service. 2. CRS. Excess mileage surcharge.
en suite. Fr. In the hotel industry, a phrase indicating that an amenity or feature is in the room itself or immediately adjacent.
enclave. A small area of a country or city, usually occupied by people ethnically or culturally distinct from their neighbors.
encode. To put into code. To substitute a short set of letters or numbers for a longer word or words.
encroach. 1. To gradually advance beyond the usual limits or take possession of what belongs to another. Example: A forest might encroach on a meadow; a lion might encroach on a jackel's kill.
ENDI. CRS. End item.
English breakfast. A breakfast of cereal or juice, eggs, meats, breads, and beverages.
English Channel. The body of water separating England from France.
enhancement. 1. An added feature to a product, such as a tour. 2. In a software program, added capabilities.
enplane. To board an airplane.
enroute. On the way; while one is traveling.
ensign. The flag flown by a cruise ship.
entree. 1. In the U.S., the main dish of a meal. 2. In France, the appetizer (qv) course.
entrepreneur. A person who starts and runs a usually small business, risking capital.
entry. An imput into a computer program, such as a data entry or a request for information.
entry fee. 1. The price charged for admission to a place, a competition, or an attraction. 2. The duty levied on a person entering a country.
entry requirements. 1. The payments required of and the official documents needed by a traveler entering a country for business or pleasure. Examples: passport, visa, proofs of innoculation, proofs of duty (qv) paid.
environs. The area around a place.
EP. CRS. European plan. Accommodations that do not include meals.
equator. Imaginary line around the center of the earth, dividing it into northern and southern hemispheres.
equinox. Either of the two times a year (around March 21 and September 23) when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are equally long.
EQUIV. Abr. Equivalent amount.
ERQ. CRS. Endorsement request.
errors and omission insurance. Insurance that pays for damages incurred by a client because of an agent's mistake or omission. Example: listing the wrong departure time on an itinerary or forgetting to check whether pets are allowed.
escort. 1. A person who accompanies an individual or group to protect or guide the other party or parties. 2. A guide who travels with a tour group. 3. A woman's date. 4. Euphemistically used of a prostitute.
escort service. A company that provides "dates" for social engagements. Often, thinly disguised call girl operations.
escorted tour. A tour offering an escort's services.
escrow account. A special account opened with a bank or other financial institution to hold funds in trust until some condition is met by the person or company for whom the funds are designated; for example, until a service has been rendered or a legal dispute settled. Example: Tenants on a rent strike to protest inadequate heat or maintenance would open an escrow account to hold their rent payments until their grievance with the landlord was settled. By paying into the escrow account, the tenants would be legally protected from eviction for nonpayment of rent.
EST. CRS. Eastern standard time.
ETA. CRS. Estimated time of arrival.
ETC. European Travel Commission.
ETD. CRS. Estimated time of departure.
ETDN. Abr. Electronic ticket delivery (distribution) network (qv).
EU. CRS. A global indicator meaning via Europe.
Eurailpass. A special-fare train ticket that entitles the purchaser to unlimited train travel in many European countries for a specified number of days or weeks.
European Economic Community. A bloc of European countries that have adopted common trading rules.
European plan. A hotel rate that includes no meals.
Eurotunnel. See Chunnel.
EWGN. CRS. Economy station wagon.
excess baggage. Luggage that exceeds the allowed limits for weight, size, or number of pieces. Carriers usually charge extra for excess baggage and, in some cases, may have to ship it later rather than with the passenger.
exchange order. A voucher issued by a carrier or travel agent requesting that a ticket be issued. The ARC document which entitles a travel agent to receive a commission.
excursion. A side trip, usually optional and at an additional cost, from a main destination.
excursion fare. A special-price fare that comes with restrictions, such as advance purchase requirements and a minimum stay. Usually a round-trip fare.
excursionist. A traveler spending less than 24 hours in a country.
exhibit or exhibition. A display of art, artifacts, or skill open to the public. A public showing.
expatriate. A person living in a foreign country.
expedition. In tourism, a journey with few amenities, usually to a remote area, sometimes for a scientific purpose.
expense. v. To elect to deduct, for the purposes of taxation, the entire cost of an asset in the current tax year, rather than depreciating it over a period of years. See also depreciation.
expense account. Funds allocated to cover the travel and entertainment expenses of an employee.
export. n. A product shipped from one country for sale in another.
exposition. A large exhibit, usually sponsored by a government or trade group, to showcase the products and services of a particular company, region, or country.
expressway. A limited-access highway or toll-road.
EXST. CRS. Extra seat.
extended stay. A hotel stay of more than seven days.
extension ladder. A form used on a manual airline ticket to extend the fare area when more than 13 cities must be listed on an itinerary.
extension tours. Tours that can be added to an existing tour, before or after, to create a longer trip.
extra section. A second aircraft used on a given flight schedule to accommodate additional passengers, usually during peak travel periods such as holidays.
EZS. Abr. easySABRE.