Check-in is the part of a trip where one word — a seat, a kilo, a bag — changes what happens next. The English is short, fixed, and the same at every airport in the world.
1. Working out the kiosk
Mei: Is this the kiosk for London flights?
Agent: All flights. Scan your passport there.
Mei: It says my booking can't be found.
Agent: Try the flight number instead.
Mei: That worked. It's printing my boarding pass.
Agent: Good. Bag drop is desk twelve.
2. One bag over the limit
Dan: One bag to check in, please.
Agent: Put it on the scale for me.
Dan: Is it under the weight limit?
Agent: It's two kilos overweight, I'm afraid.
Dan: Can I move something into my hand luggage?
Agent: Go ahead. I'll wait.
3. Asking for a different seat
Priya: Could I change my seat?
Agent: What have you got at the moment?
Priya: A middle one. I'd rather have an aisle seat.
Agent: There's one free in row thirty.
Priya: I'll take it. Thank you.
4. Keeping the family together
Noor: We're together. Can we sit as a family?
Agent: How many of you?
Noor: Three. My son wants the window seat.
Agent: I can put you in row eighteen, A, B and C.
Noor: That's perfect. Thank you.
Agent: You're welcome. Have a good trip.
5. Finding the right queue
Tom: Is this the bag drop line?
Staff: It is. Have you checked in already?
Tom: Yes, on my phone.
Staff: Then you're in the right place.
Tom: How long is the wait?
Staff: Ten minutes, maybe less.
6. Something in the wrong bag
Agent: Is there a power bank in your checked bag?
Leo: There is, actually. Is that a problem?
Agent: It has to travel in your hand luggage.
Leo: I'll take it out now.
Agent: Thanks. I'll print the tag after that.
7. One bag, two flights
Ivy: I've got a connection in Doha.
Agent: Then I'll check your bag through to Sydney.
Ivy: So I don't collect it in Doha?
Agent: No. You pick it up at the end.
Ivy: That's one less thing to worry about.
Agent: Exactly. Here are your two boarding passes.
8. Four minutes to spare
Sam: Am I too late to check in?
Agent: Which flight?
Sam: The eleven o'clock to Rome.
Agent: You've got four minutes. Bag on the scale, quickly.
Sam: It's on. Thank you so much.
Agent: Go straight to security. Don't stop.
Words to know
| check in | To give the airline your details and get your seat before a flight. You can do it online, at a machine, or at a desk. One bag to check in, please. |
| bag drop | The desk where you leave a suitcase after you have already checked in. Is this the bag drop line? |
| boarding pass | The paper or phone screen that lets you board the plane. It shows your seat and your gate. It's printing my boarding pass. |
| hand luggage | The small bag you keep with you on the plane, not the one that goes under it. Can I move something into my hand luggage? |
| overweight | Heavier than the airline allows. Said about a bag, not about a person. It's two kilos overweight |
| aisle seat | The seat next to the walkway, so you can get up without asking anyone. I'd rather have an aisle seat. |
| window seat | The seat by the window. The one children ask for first. My son wants the window seat. |
| kiosk | The self-service machine in the terminal that checks you in and prints your boarding pass. Is this the kiosk for London flights? |
Quick practice
Complete each line with a word or phrase from this lesson.
1. You are at the machine that checks you in and prints your pass.
“Is this the ________ for London flights?”
2. The scale says your bag is heavier than the airline allows.
“It's two kilos ________, I'm afraid.”
3. You want the seat by the walkway, not the middle one.
“I'd rather have an ________.”
4. You checked in on your phone and only need to leave your suitcase.
“Is this the ________ line?”
5. You need to move a power bank out of your suitcase.
“Can I move something into my ________?”
6. The machine has finished and is giving you the paper you need.
“It's printing my ________.”
Show the answers
1. kiosk 2. overweight 3. aisle seat 4. bag drop 5. hand luggage 6. boarding pass
Common mistakes
Not: Have a good travel.
Say: Have a good trip.
Travel is the activity in general, so it never takes a or an. One journey with a start and an end is a trip.
Not: How much is the weigh?
Say: What's the weight limit?
Weigh is what the machine does to your bag. Weight is the number it shows and the word on the sign.
Not: Can I have a window sit?
Say: Can I have a window seat?
Sit is what you do. A seat is the thing you sit on, so the airline sells you a seat, never a sit.
Your turn
Say these out loud. Change the airport, the city and the number of bags so the lines belong to a trip you might really take.
- Check in one suitcase and ask whether it is under the weight limit.
- Ask to change your seat, say which kind of seat you want, and accept the one you are offered.
- You are travelling with two other people. Ask to sit together and say who wants the window.
- A member of staff asks whether there is a power bank in your checked bag. Answer and offer to fix it.
- You have four minutes before check-in closes. Explain your flight and ask whether you are too late.
Quick review
Check-in runs on about ten sentences. Ask where you are (Is this the bag drop line?), say what you have (One bag to check in, please.), ask what you want (Could I change my seat?), and answer what they ask (There's a power bank in there.). Learn the pairs aisle seat and window seat, hand luggage and checked bag, weight limit and overweight — half of check-in is choosing correctly between two words.