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.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| aisle seat | siège côté couloir | |
| boarding pass | une carte d’embarquement | |
| business class | classe affaire | |
| economy (coach) class | la classe économique | |
| first class | la première classe | |
| middle seat | Siège du milieu | |
| one-way ticket | un billet simple | |
| one-way ticket | un billet simple | |
| passport | un passeport | |
| plane ticket | le billet d’avion | |
| plane ticket | un billet d’avion | |
| round trip ticket | un billet aller-retour | |
| round trip ticket | un billet aller-retour | |
| to buy a ticket | acheter un billet | |
| to make a reservation | faire une réservation | |
| visa | un visa | |
| window seat | siège 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!
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| baggage | les bagages | |
| baggage claim | la livraison des bagages | |
| carry-on luggage | les bagages à main | |
| cart | un chariot | |
| checked luggage | les bagages enregistrés/ les bagages en soute | / |
| hand luggage | bagage à main | |
| Luggage | bagages |
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.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| airline | une compagnie aérienne | |
| airplane | un avion | |
| airport | un aéroport | |
| airport security | sécurité de l’aéroport | |
| Arrival hall | Le Hall d’arrivée | |
| arrivals | les arrivées | |
| baggage claim | la livraison des bagages | |
| cancelled | annulé | |
| cart | un chariot | |
| check-in | l’enregistrement | |
| check-in counter | un guichet d’embarquement | |
| customs | la douane | |
| delayed | en retard | |
| Departure hall | Le Hall de départ | |
| departures | les départs | |
| domestic/internal flights | vols intérieurs | |
| duty-free | une boutique hors taxes / un duty-free | / |
| flight | un vol | |
| gate | une porte | |
| International flights | vols internationaux | |
| on time | à l’heure | |
| runway | piste | |
| shuttle | une navette | |
| terminal | Un terminal |
Vocabulary For Checking In At The Airport
Here are some words related to the process of checking in at the airport in French.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| to land | Atterrir | |
| to disembark, to deplane | Débarquer | |
| to declare | déclarer | |
| to take off | Décoller | |
| to board, embark | Embarquer | |
| to check bags | enregistrer (les bagages) | |
| landing | l’atterrissage | |
| boarding | l’embarquement | |
| check-in | l’enregistrement | |
| immigration | l’immigration | |
| boarding pass | la carte d’embarquement | |
| customs | la douane | |
| security check | le contrôle de sécurité | |
| takeoff | le décollage | |
| carry-on luggage | les bagages à main | |
| checked-in luggage | les bagages enregistrés/ un baggage en soute | |
| flight number | numéro de vol | |
| To recover your luggages | Récupérer les bagages | |
| stopover | une escale | |
| gate | une 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.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| aisle seat | siège côté couloir | |
| business class | classe affaire | |
| economy class/ coach | la classe économique | |
| flight stewardess | une hôtesse de l’air | |
| middle seat | Siège du milieu | |
| passenger | un passager | |
| pilot | le pilote | |
| row | ligne | |
| steward | un steward | |
| window seat | siège 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!
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| airplane body | Corps d’avion | |
| airplane wings | Ailes d’avion | |
| cockpit | Poste de pilotage | |
| engine | Moteur | |
| jet fuel | Carburéacteur | |
| landing gear | Train d’atterrissage | |
| nose of plane | Nez 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.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| May 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!
- Paris Charles de Gaulle
- Paris Orly
- Nice
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